During his 20 week anatomy scan, his heart was found to be severely enlarged. In proceeding weeks, Charlie was diagnosed with severe congenital heart disease, and his prognosis for survival in utero was dim. But Charlie defied the odds.
After birth, Charlie was transferred to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where he continued to defy the odds, surviving several surgeries, a prolonged code event, ECMO, multiple cath procedures, and a host of ups and downs. But he took it all in stride, and in spite of his medical complexities, he was an easy going, happy baby who was loved and doted on by all who cared for him, especially deeply loved by his parents.
Charlie grew stronger and bigger, again, defying the odds, and he was discharged home on March 2, 2026. From then until his passing, he enjoyed time at home playing with his toys, watching Bluey, sitting outside on the porch, pulling his dad’s beard, bouncing in his bouncer seat, singing songs with mom, listening to music, reading many books, getting lots of kisses, and giving so many smiles. When he was happy, which was most of the time, he would kick his little feet and scrunch his hands while giving a big, snaggle-toothed smile.
Charlie was an observer. He often studied his toys, people, and places with great focus. In spite of his rough start to life, he worked hard to catch up on developmental milestones, making great progress, and proved to be such a smart little guy. He was well known for his many facial expressions, his big squishy cheeks, and his adorable chunky baby rolls. His joyful, sweet spirit and strength are an inspiration, and his life, while it was too short, had so much meaning to those around him. His parents consider it the honor, joy, and privilege of their lives to have loved and cared for him for 10 months.
Charlie is survived by his parents, Daniel and Emily Horn of Greenwood, AR; his grandparents, Beckie and Steve Hopkins of New Albany, MS, Jim Williams of Lebanon, TN, and Lynn and Ken Horn of Fort Worth, TX; his aunts and uncles, Trish Griffiths (James) of Fort Worth, TX, Andrew Hopkins (Kerrie) of New Albany, MS, Callison Hopkins of Seattle, WA, Ashley Williams (Tim Gupton) of Nashville, TN, Jimmy Williams (Ashleigh Mosley) of Dixon, TN, Granite Tirjin (Ryan Baxter) of Goodrich, MI, Elijah Williams of White Plains, NY, and McKenzie Williams of Lebanon, TN; and his cousins, Emalee, Ashton, Presley, and Joel of Fort Worth, TX; Wyatt and Landon of New Albany, MS; Oliver of Nashville, TN; and Bayleigh and Isaiah of Dixon, TN.
You can read Charlie’s full story at https://www.caringbridge.org/site/29d002f4-8c4e-11f0-9e07-15f80f8e6084?from=%2Fsearch&fname=Charlie
If you would like to honor Charlie in a special way, consider donating to Arkansas Children’s Hospital Cardiology or Cardiology Research in memory of Charlie Horn. Donations can be made at https://support.archildrens.org/give/280202/#
A celebration of life service will be held 1 p.m., Friday, May 8 at the Ed Wilkinson Pavilion at Bell Park, 1050 Bell Park Road in Greenwood. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP at http://bit.ly/CharlieHorn
