Cancer ….. Leave The Kids Alone!!!!

Steve Cannon — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:55:08 +0000

How can someone you have never met have such a deep effect on you??? Last week we were introduced to Eli Horn, a young boy from Ames Iowa who was in a big time fight with Cancer!! By all accounts Eli was a inspiration to all he met…AND to all of us who had not met him but had read his story and saw his beautiful face. Children have the most beautiful spirit. All they know is fun, joy and Love. Even when faced with something as challenging as Cancer they retain all these qualities. Cancer can take the body, but the soul it cannot touch. Eli and so many others like him show us that. It is their gift to us. Just one day after learning of Eli’s story and sharing that with all of you last week, I received the following message….

“Eli Horn
Completely unexpectedly by any of us, Eli met Jesus this morning. The nurse checked on him around 5:30am and found him unresponsive and with no pulse. They tried very hard to bring him back, but he had already slipped away to be with God. I will update more later when I can. Thank you to everyone who prayed for our brave fighter for all of these years. We are so thankful for all of you.”

I try my best to focus on what I believe to be true…..that Eli is now free of a body that could not contain such a HUGE soul and that he plays now in a place of complete freedom. That he, like all the rest of the people taken from us, are still here, just in a different form. I admit however that I am selfish, and I don’t want them to go. They should not HAVE to go!! I want to play with them, run with them and watch them lead long, full lives.

His Mother says “We are so thankful for all of you” …but it is us that are thankful. The Eli’s of the world remind us of what is important and how greatful we should be for our health and the health of those we love. Thank you Eli. We’ll run for and WITH you this May….

Why “The Run” – Eli Horn’s Story

Steve Cannon — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:35:38 +0000

A wonderful person in Ames, Iowa (Alison Doyle) shared this with me. With her permission I am sharing some of young Eli Horn’s story with you. It is impossible to even comprehend this kid’s strength and courage!! Hopefully someday soon, no one, especially the kids, will ever have to fight this battle again. Eli is in the middle of this battle right NOW… let’s send him all the good mojo we can!!

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 went from his pelvis, up through his abdomen, and up into his chest. Eli was being treated in Iowa City at the University of Iowa Childr…en’s Hospital until November of 2007. The plan in Iowa City was like most plans around the country, to give Eli 5 rounds of chemo, surgically remove whatever tumor is left in his abdomen, and then do tandem autologous stem cell transplants. It is a very dangerous and extremely high dose chemotherapy that basically wipes out all of your body’s stem cells, then you rescue their body by transplanting them with their own stem cells you harvested earlier in the process. We came to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City in October of 2007 for the hands of Dr. LaQuaglia who performed Eli’s surgery to remove the tumor from around his aorta, his kidney arteries, and everywhere else the tumor was still found. People come from all over the world to have Dr. LaQuaglia do their Neuroblastoma surgery. He is an amazing surgeon. During the time we were here, we learned about Sloan’s alternative to stem cell transplants.

The team in NYC uses 3F8 antibody treatments that highlight the Neuroblastoma cells and makes your own body attack the cancer. Even though it is considered more “experimental”, it has a good 20 year track record and we feel that there is much more experience with this cancer here in NYC. Eli finished 7 rounds of chemotherapy and 14 rounds of radiation to his leg and abdomen before proceeding with the 3F8 antibody, which cleared the cancer in his body. He stayed cancer free until February of 2009 when a very small Neuroblastoma tumor was found on his brain. A surgery was performed by Dr. Souweidane to remove the tumor and insert a port into Eli’s head so that another antibody called 8H9 could be administered to his brain and spine. After an additional 2 rounds of chemo and 17 rounds of full cranial and spine radiation, Eli went through the 8H9 treatment. 8H9 is a lot like 3F8, but geared specifically for the brain. Eli is currently NED (no evidence of disease) and continues to alternate between 3F8 treatment and low dose oral chemotherapy.

Unfortunately, due to all of the chemo and radiation that Eli went through to get rid of his Neuroblastoma, Eli developed secondary leukemia (AML). The plan to beat AML is to go through more chemo to get into remission at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, and then undergo a bone marrow transplant from a donor out of the national marrow donor program (www.bethematch.org) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. While in New York City, we are blessed to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House of NY, the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world. The House holds 83 families and is at capacity nearly every night. Many of these families are here with a child with Neuroblastoma and have come from all over the world to be treated at Sloan. We have met countless friends in NYC and have a very special bond with many of the children and parents of the Ronald McDonald House. So while we miss our home in Iowa, we are thrilled to be getting great treatment in New York. We thank you for your prayers and if you would like a “Prayer Warrior in Eli’s Army” bracelet to wear or give to someone to be a daily reminder to pray for Eli, simply send an e-mail to bracelets@elihorn.com and you will immediately receive a reply with instructions on how to obtain a free bracelet.

You can follow this incredible boy on Facebook. Eli Horn. Peace to you too Lil Man!!!

COMING SOON

Steve Cannon — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:10:15 +0000

Howdy fellow cancer fighters. Things are happening and happening fast!! Thought I’d drop some updates on ya. It became clear during my run across Iowa how important HELP is. Organizational help, logistics help, sponsors help, fundraising help, help to stand up out of bed, etc. For the run across Iowa I tried to handle almost all of that. HUGE mistake on all counts. That was 11 Marathons in 11 Days. This is a WHOLE different animal. Our fundraising goals are bigger (250k) and the Run is bigger…40 Marathons 40 Days (damn that’s a long ways). Last week I humbly asked for help, hoping a few friends would come to my aid. The turnout blew me away!! Our Cancer killing team is now made up of well over a dozen amazing folks, and that is just here in Des Moines. With peeps in California, Colorado, Chicago and a couple out east as well, we are poised to do great things with this event.

So here are a couple things that we are working on (and maybe you can help on as well). The Run to Cure Cancer Facebook Page has around 1500 likes currently…our goal is to get that to 10,000 as fast as possible. Have you been to the page and “liked” it?? Will you invite all your FB friends to do the same?? Are you connected to someone that has the ability to reach hundreds of thousands thru twitter or FB that would give us a shout?? If you do that you change a life!!

Our Monetary goal is $250,000 for Livestrong…and I think we can go higher. HOW??? Soon we will be changing the DONATE tab above to DONATE/BUY A Mile. The Run will be 1037 miles and we are allowing 1037 people to buy a mile for $200. That’s over $200,000 right there!! You’ll own a mile of the run and get a custom Run to Cure Cancer T shirt to prove it…. hopefully you’ll show up and RUN a mile (or much more) also!! How about having your business logo plastered on the back of the support vehicle?? How cool would that be?!?! 40 businesses will have the opportunity to OWN a day of the run for $5240 (that’s $200 x 26.2 miles). That’s another $209,600 right there. You think we can find 40 businesses that would want to be a part of this between Des Moines, Chicago, Milwaukee etc?? I DO!! Add that to our individual mile owners and we’re over $400,000. Throw in all the $10, $25, $50 and $100 doantions that will be made and BANG, we’ve raised a half million bucks!!

Alone..it’s probably not possible..but I am not alone. I have YOU!! More importantly, THEY have YOU!! Your brothers, Your sisters, Your Moms and Dads, Your Chilldren, people you will never meet or know fighting this disease…They have YOU!!

Share this with every single person you know…what we do today changes someone’s tomorrow. Thank you

THE MESSAGE

Steve Cannon — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:29:01 +0000

Please share The Run To Cure Cancer 2012 with all you know. Together we can end Cancer for good.

A Note…..From a friend named Training

Steve Cannon — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:13:43 +0000

You might hate me. You might think I’m totally unreasonable. You might even curse me under your breath, when you think I’m not listening (I’m listening). But what you need to hear is this – I BELIEVE IN YOU. I believe what is great is ahead of you. And even though you might not thank me, that’s okay. I’m not in it for the glory. I’m in it for you. I AM TRAINING.

We are all capable of greatness...chase your dreams whatever they may be

GOT SKLZ??????

Steve Cannon — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:38:46 +0000

Enjoying a great time here in Denver with friends. Lots of big hills to run!! Lung busting, leg burning, beautiful vistas out here!!! Kina Miller has been incredible in helping with sponsorship for the 2012 Run to Cure Cancer. A highlight of this trip has been meeting her peeps from SKLZ. (www.sklz.com). Great, fun company that handles all types of sport specific training tools; strength, conditioning and recovery. As it relates to running they have some AWESOME stretching and recovery aids that I am psyched to try out. It’s been amazing to see how generous and excited these companies are for next years run. I sometimes forget for a moment that this horrible disease touches all our lives in one way or another. We all have a friend or family member who has had to deal with it. In some cases it is even more personal and we find ourselves in the battle. The 2012 Run to Cure Cancer is gaining steam thanks to all of you and our growing list of fantastic sponsors. Share this blog, join our facebook page (The Run to Cure Cancer), and come run with us any time you like starting next May in Chicago. Together we’ll beat this disease. That will be an amazing day!!! Thanks SKLZ for joining us in the journey….

LIVESTRONG TODAY

Livestrong….Playstrong

Steve Cannon — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:13:26 +0000

What a unreal day we had here in Des Moines on Saturday. The first annual Survivor Cross was held and over 170 Brave Souls pushed, pulled, pedalled and sometimes THREW their bikes over the tuffest 7 mile course you’ll ever find a bike race on!! These video’s should give you just a little taste of how strong these folks were and what a great time was being had in the mud, creek crossings and hills of Iowa!!!

Nut Job Friends

Steve Cannon — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:22:30 +0000

Gotta love the crazy people…fun, inspiring whack-o’s that remind us that we’re all kids at heart. Somewhere in all of us is an adventurer dying to get out and raise hell!! The great part about being adults is that NO ONE can tell us no!! We are the kings and queens of our own domain. If we want to go roll in the mud so be it…that is awesome.

Back to the nut job friend part….last night my friend Chris Maharry calls and says “DUDE (he loves to throw out the dudes), it is going to be a snowy, cold windy mess in the morning. we gotta ride!!”..Cuckoo right??!! But hey, I enjoy a little crazy now and then and guess what???

Like always it was fantastic. The crazier the conditions the more alive you feel. While we were out another friend from Iowa City sends a text and a picture of her run in the newly snowed upon woods in Iowa City saying that the sleet smacking her in the face was awesome…all geeked up about being in the middle of the first snow of the year!! My friend in Denver who occasionally before running straight into the mountains with her dogs war paints her face with mud and screams with the wild things as she goes…how freaking cool is that. Here’s a pic of her (sans war paint) in case you need proof that she runs with the wild things…

And there is an entire crew of monkeys here in Des Moines that live for riding the gravel roads in the hottest and now coldest, snowiest (not sure that’s a word) days of the year!!

Be careful the friends you choose people….they can get you into alot of FUN!!

Livestrong,

Steve

How Lucky We Are

Steve Cannon — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:26:46 +0000

What a crazy fun weekend here in Des Moines!!! How bout a few pics to give y’all a taste for it…(that wasn’t meant to be a play on words, but the pork loin was mighty fine)

Add in some home made Jack O Lanterns AND….

You got yourself a party!!! They call it the Spooky Woods Ride and it is a great time back off the mtn. bike trails and on the river sandbar. All kinds of tom-foolery goin’ down. Awesome fun people here in the 515. Follow that up Saturday and Sunday with some lung busting, leg shredding, (see photo)

heckling at Spooky Cross and you’ve got yourself a legit reason to get a good nights sleep Sunday nite. You also end up with a great reason to be thankful for all the amzing things we are healthy enough to do. I try my best to say thanks for all I am blessed with every night. Health, friends, family; but sometimes I forget. It’s easy to just fall into taking it all for granted sometimes…Until something like Cancer smacks you in the face and reminds you it’s still here, making people miserable, and in too many cases taking them WAY before their time. A good friend of mine’s sister, a girl I went to High school with lost her battle with Cancer this past weekend. It’s a fight she has been in and out and back in over the past many years. She never lost hope, never gave in and was an inspiration to all who knew her. I made sure last nite to say Thanks.

Screw you Cancer!! You suck and your days are numbered!!!

Livestrong

A Few Pics From 2009

Steve Cannon — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:55:13 +0000

The Home Stretch

: The Crew

The End