Type of Memorial
Tree
Donor
Project 52, Inc
In Memoriam
Horn, Elijah (Eli)
Location
Northwest of Jack Trice Stadium
Plaque Text
Notes
Elijah (Eli) Horn from Ames, Iowa was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma on June 29th, 2007 at around the age of three and a half. He had a massive tumor growing in his body that started at his adrenal gland. The tumor went up through his abdomen into his chest and down into his pelvis. After some initial treatment at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Eli and his family moved to the Ronald McDonald House in New York City for Eli to undergo 3F8 antibody treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The 3F8 treatment cleared Eli of all remaining Neuroblastoma, but unfortunately the many rounds of chemo and radiation caused secondary leukemia (AML). Eli underwent a bone marrow transplant in January of 2012 but unfortunately did not survive that process as he slipped away to Heaven in his sleep the morning of January 18th. Throughout his nearly five year battle with cancer, Eli touched thousands of lives. He was a proud supporter of charities like Beat Cancer Today and Candlelighters NYC and loved to tell people about them. People from all over the world followed Eli's journey on his website. Eli also touched the lives of dozens of Iowa State Football players as he was invited to be an honorary team member in 2008. Eli's connection with the Iowa State Football team was highlighted on the Paul Rhoads Show in November of 2009 . Many of the players wore "Prayer Warrior in Eli's Army" bracelets that quoted Romans 8:28 on the inside. In fact, Eli connected with them again in 2011 when Iowa State went to the Pinstripe Bowl in NYC and several players visited Eli in his hospital room at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, less than two weeks before he passed away. John Walters and Dave Zawilinski covered that story. At his funeral, four Iowa State Cyclone Football players served as Eli's pallbearers. When Project 52, Inc offered to plant a tree in Eli's memory, there was no question as to where it should go. It needed to be at Jack Trice Stadium where Eli had so many good memories and where fans and friends of Eli would congregate year after year and could look upon something that would remind them of a very special Cyclone that touched so many people.