Suffering from colonic necrosis, Don Horn had a 5% chance of survival, but he beat the odds just to find out that his insurance only partially covered the treatment. He was released after 5 weeks of intensive treatment. However, he is still in need of aftercare at home.

Since the insurance doesn’t cover that part of treatment, the Packers legend has decided to start a GoFundMe page to pay for the uncovered expenses. The page has a goal of $40,000 to reach and is sitting at about $6,350. Don lost 85% of his colon and needs help with aftercare as he will be on dialysis three times a week. All this happened after he was rushed into ICU on June 26, complaining of severe stomach pain.

“I spent over five weeks in the hospital, enduring a challenging journey that tested my willpower and determination. By some miracle, I was discharged home last week. However, the road to full recovery is long and demanding,” Horn’s GoFundMe page reads.

It also mentions, “I now require intensive in-home care to support my healing process and help me regain my independence. While my insurance covers a portion of these expenses, it falls short of covering everything I need.”

The diseases had been getting gradually worse over time. It came to a point when Don Horn suffered a septic shock. However, despite all the bad luck, Don Horn’s son, Ryan, thinks that his father can battle through this and get back on his feet with the right care.

“He’s a fighter so he will continue to fight. He’s getting better daily, so that’s a plus,” Ryan said. Don Horn was a crucial part of the Green Bay Packers coming out of San Diego State. Though he didn’t put up any exceptional numbers, he was an indispensable part of the Green Bay Packers History when the legendary Vince Lombardi was coaching the team.

Don Horn’s football journey

It was the summer of 1967 when the young quarterback declared for the NFL draft. Coincidentally, the Green Bay coach and the Packers had just won a Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. Though Horn was a first-round pick (25 overall), a couple of teams passed up on him, but little did he know, good things were just around the corner.

Horn’s college years had him surrounded with stars like Don Coryell, John Madden, and Joe Gibbs, who were all coaching San Diego State in some capacity in 1967. He had a pretty good season in college and teams like Oakland, the Lions and the Giants reached out to him, but none of them took any action.

Anyway, I was sitting in a little bitty room, which actually was in our public relations office there (San Diego State), and I’m just waiting for a phone call. I was listening to the draft on the radio, and a number of teams that said they were going to draft me, drafted someone else. It was getting near the end of the round, and the phone rang when Kansas City was going to make their pick. And a lady got on the phone and said, “Please hold for coach Lombardi,” said Horn.

He further added, “And he said, ‘Don, this is coach Lombardi. Did you sign any agreements with any other leagues?’ I said no. Then he went on, ‘We are considering making you our draft pick. Kansas City is picking right now, and I’ll get right back to you.’ Fifteen or 20 minutes later, he called me back and said, ‘You are now a Green Bay Packer. When can you get back here?’ So that’s how it happened.”

During his 4-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers, he played as a backup quarterback behind Bart Starr and also won a Super Bowl in 1968 season. However, he did start 5 games in 1969 and had a 4-1 record as a starter. It was also his best season with his 11 recorded touchdowns. After his rookie contract was over, he was traded to the Denver Broncos where he played two seasons before moving on to the Cleveland Browns. A year after that, he found himself playing for the San Diego Chargers in 1974.

The 6’2” prospect won the Super Bowl in his second year in the league against the Oakland Raiders. The game ended with a final score of 33-14 and the Packers finished that season 12-4-1.