Love lights up 38th annual McLeod Hospice Tree Lighting

FLORENCE — The Owens fell in love in a McLeod Health emergency room. Dr. James Owen was stitching up a man who lost a bar fight. Helen Thomas was a student nurse and jumped in to help. He saw her hands — shockingly beautiful — against the messy, gruesome work they were doing. He was smitten. Marvin Owen, their son, told their love story at the 38th Annual McLeod Hospice Tree Lighting on Dec. 7. His family lit the trees in honor of Helen Thomas Owen, who died in hospice in 2022, and others who were served by the facility over the past year. In front of a crowd of people honoring their loved ones, Owens told a love story…