The Isaac R. Steiner Scholarship Endowment Fund

Isaac R. Steiner was born on January 23, 2006, the middle of three sons born to Rob and Sarah Steiner.  After a 21-month journey with cancer, Isaac died at The Hospice House in Elkhart, Ind. on March 6, 2013.  Isaac was a student at Jefferson Elementary School, north of Goshen, where he had completed his Kindergarten year and was about nine weeks into his first grade year when his cancer returned in November of 2012.  His greatest desire was to be treated as a “regular” boy and his teachers and classmates did indeed treat him with great love and normalcy, despite his diagnosis.

In his short 7 years, Isaac was able to accomplish and experience many wonderful things.  He traveled with his family to 19 states, dipped his feet in the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, loved camping and fishing with his grandfathers.  But perhaps his favorite vacation was his Make-A-Wish trip to Orlando, Florida in October of 2012.  He enjoyed staying at Give Kids the World and visiting both Disney World and Universal Studios.

Isaac became a true LEGO Master and his LEGO collection is estimated to contain over 78,000 bricks consisting of gifts from many friends and even the LEGO company.  LEGO folks were so touched by Isaac’s story, his love for Legos and his building ability, even when quite ill, that they awarded him the honorary title of Master Model Designer and Builder.  In addition to his collection of Legos, Isaac was a collector of many things, including rocks from around the world and other treasures which he stored in a special wooden box.  He also loved stories about the triumph of good over evil and was especially drawn to “Star Wars”, “The Hobbit”, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the “Harry Potter” series and “The Chronicles of Narnia”.

Since he was first diagnosed with cancer in 2011, Isaac was lovingly cared for by his doctors and nurses at Memorial Children’s Hospital in South Bend, Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and the Center for Hospice Care in Elkhart.  Upon awakening after his first surgery in June 2011, Isaac told his parents that he could feel “Jesus and His nurses” with him.  It is in this spirit and because of this special connection to his care givers that this nursing scholarship was established at Goshen College.  Both of Isaac’s parents (1998 Goshen College graduates), all his grandparents and other ancestors attended Goshen College and it was likely Isaac would have as well.  The family hopes that future recipients of this scholarship are inspired by Isaac’s story and commit themselves to provide the same kind of wonderful care to their patients that Isaac received.