"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."
Mother Teresa
Cancer stripped her of everything including her life but it could not steal away God's LOVE, PEACE and the JOY that radiated through her. Korrine never stopped SMILING!
Korrine Lannie Croghan
Korrine Croghan was a vivacious 14-year-old girl who lived all of her life in Livermore, CA. She had a love for animals, sports, and most of all, family. Korrine was a straight “A” student while attending Mendenhall Middle School and was working hard in her first trimester at Granada High. She was a great friend to many and was everything that a brother, mother and father could ask for in a daughter. Korrine was the type of girl who would greet you with a wide smile and look into your eyes and truly would want to know how you were doing
Korrine & Cancer
On December 20th, 2007, Korrine was diagnosed with Choriocarcinoma with a germ cell element. Choriocarcinoma is a very rare type of cancer in teenage girls and inflicts less than 200 nationwide each year. Although the cancer started in her left ovary, the cancer had spread to her right ovary, lungs and liver. After the removal of a cantaloupe sized tumor in her left ovary on December 21st of 2007, Korrine, endured 10 months of intense chemotherapy designed for adult men.
During the course of her treatment, Korrine suffered many complications. In early April of 2007, her liver began to bleed. After staying at Kaiser Oakland for almost two weeks, Korrine was transfered to UCSF and spent a month in the intensive care unit. The doctors at UCSF Medical Center were finally able to stop her bleeding liver, but, not before it filled her abdomen with 5 liters of blood that had to be drained via a tube inserted into her stomach. On top of that, both of Korrines’ lungs collapsed while undergoing a CT scan that almost took her life. Because of that, 2 liters of fluid needed to be drained off of her lungs with the use of another drainage tube. Throughout her treatment Korrine needed numerous blood and platelet transfusions. She had nosebleeds that lasted an hour on several occasions. At one point, she had 18 intravenous tubes running through her body filled with anti-bacterials, anti-fungals, nutrition, painkillers and chemotherapy. Korrine miraculously made it through those tough days at UCSF and returned to Kaiser Hospital in Oakland. She was finally stable and was released to go home in late June. Just as things were starting to look up for her, she suffered septic shock in July that forced her to go back into intensive care at Kaiser in Santa Clara for 2 weeks.
Korrine returned home in late July and went through imaging scans to see if the cancer had disappeared. The scans always came back good, but not great. In an effort to kill and stop the remaining cancer cells, she underwent an emergency round of chemotherapy in early September. Unfortunately, it did kill the remaining cancer and her doctors had run out of options.
Korrine spent her last days at home with her family reading books and loving on her cats and dog. She passed away quietly, at home, on October 27th, 2008. Through it all, Korrine had a positive attitude and never gave up or complained. Many consider Korrine a hero.
Team KC
The Team KC website was originally started as a way to encourage, educate, raise awareness, and keep friends and family informed with accurate information on Korrine's treatment and progress. Family, classmates, friends, community members, and complete strangers rallied to support Korrine and her family through her fight against Choriocarcinoma. We were amazed by the amount of support we received, and it is now our desire to give back. In March, 2009, Team KC became an official nonprofit by joining forces with Kaiser Foundation Hospital. All monies raised by Team KC will directly benefit pediatric cancer patients and their families. All monetary contributions are tax deductible.
Our Mission: To help improve the quality of life of pediatric cancer patients and their families. We wish to supply children with fun activities, toys and anything else that will brighten and better their lives. Monies will also be used to help parents pay for bills and defray the costs of gas, food and lodging that go along with caring for a child with cancer.
Stay Positive, LIVESTRONG & Welcome to Team KC!
*This is the official Team KC website and the only website approved by the Croghan family. Please do not use content, images, or video from this site without permission. This is an effort to respect the family's privacy and ensure that all content is accurate and approved. Thank you for your cooperation.
A Note From Korrine (written after her 4th round of Chemo)...
Hello everyone! It's me, Korrine. I just wanted to take a
moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting me through emails,
visits, food, gifts, and most importantly, prayer. Without it, I probably
wouldn't have made it this far. Anyways, on a happier note, I am happy to
announce that I am feeling very good. This last round of chemo hit me pretty
hard, but I think that it is more exiting to end things with a big BANG! I will
try to start writing things for the blog now that my chemo therapy is over, but
until then, just know that I love every single one of you and I am always
thinking about my family, friends, and even the people who I've never met
before. Thanks for joining my battle and for making this experience "The
Experience of a Lifetime." LIVESTRONG! And stay positive.
Korrine Lannie Croghan
We wanted to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU to the 2008 USA Men's & Women's Olympic Water Polo Teams. They have been checking
Korrine's blog, emailing her, and even sent autographed pictures and water polo ball. Thank you for being such a fine example to
Korrine and the rest of the young men & women in the USA. Your words of encouragement will stick with
Korrine forever and she hopes to meet you someday. We are rooting for you in Beijing! GO TEAM USA! GO TEAM KC!
17 comments:
Korrine,
Thank you for supporting cancer research and for giving so much of yourself in order to find a cure for pediatric cancer.
Thank you for showing us that being positive, having a supportive community, family and friends and the Power of Prayer and Faith can change a negative into a positive. You are being healed because everyone is praying for you.
We trust that you will do amazing things because of who you are and facing cancer head on!!
Go Team KC.
It is wonderful to watch your story and see how you are fighting back at cancer and that someday we will look on your blog and see you 5 years in remission and starting off to college.
Hi Korrine, Ian and I are still in your corner, and sending prayers everyday..God bless you sweet thing..we love all of you..
hang tight..
Love to all,
Debby and Ian
Hi Korrine,
Hannah B. and I have been checking your site every other day to see how you are doing. We are happy to see your smiling face and that you are giving this cancer a good fight.We hope to see you around the pool soon. We will continue to say our prayers for you!
Sarah and Hannah Borjon
WOW! Korrine that is so cool! Having all this support from Olympic Water Polo players!!! People from all over are uniting in their support for you. Although these people are from different backgrounds (whether it is water polo players, swimmers, friends from school or church) they are all coming together for one reason-they all love and support you!
Take care Croghi,
Mary Rosa
Korrine,
Your in our thoughts and prayers at Miami University. Keep fighting and like always keep smiling. You are an amazing person and everyone around you is blessed by your spirit.
Your friend,
Ryan Jones
Korrine: Happy 08-08-08! As we watch the Olympic athletes we'll be saying prayers for your endurance with your last chemo treatments (think positive!) and prayers this will beat out all the cancer in your body. We know you will win this fight. You are strong- physically, mentally and spiritually. Thinking of you each day and thank you for being such a role model. God Bless.
Just one of your Livermore fans
God Bless America!!!
Dear Korrine,
Thank-you for the new pictures! If you don't have the most adorable rascally smile then I don't know who does!! Maybe your brother!! You had better hide him from the girls or there will surely be much competition for his attention. you are lucky to have the bond you two seem to have. Hope this chemo treatment is not to hard on your little body. We are all out here praying for you and thinking of all of you. julie gilmore
We live in a great country! Go USA! The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics are starting right now and we are so thinking of you! Thank you Korrine for letting me kiss you today and feel your beautiful soft skin! Enjoy the ceremonies and know that you are loved by us and so many, but most importantly you are Loved by the Lord of heaven and earth the creator of you and all things. Hang in there honey. It's almost over and then you can get back to the things you enjoy so much! Much love to you, Sean and your mom & dad! Uncle Mark & Auntie Denise
Korrine-
Saw team USA march around the "birds nest" track tonight. Thought of you, you know, because you are gonna be an olympian(did I spell that right? geez, I can't even spell.....!). ANYWAYS...... that is SO AMAZINGLY COOL that you keep in touch with the USA WATER POLO TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You even have autographs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy 8-8-08!
Oh, and by the way, thanks for SMILING in your photos!!! You have a SUPER COOL smile!!!
Have a GREAT day, LIVESTRONG, and GO TEAM USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Korrine,
As you start the your last round of chemo and as the Olympics start, may you always remember that in our hearts... YOU ARE OUR GOLD MEDAL WINNER!!!
GO KORRINE, GO TEAM KC!
hugs and much love, kathy t.
"Can't Touch This" By MC Hammer really paraphrases the coolness of how deep and wide your territory is. You make me smile. I hope your night was better than ok, still praying the late shift.
Loving and belieiving with you-
The Esmeyer Family
Korrine...
Everyday I check this blog and I am so inspired by your strength and in the power of prayer. I look to the future with anticipation for what God has in store for your precious life...you are so amazing!
Jen, Troy & Kamden
I just found out that the USA team beat Italy and was immediately jumping up and down smiling, not so much because I cared about the win but because I knew Korrine would be happy for them as well. It was an amazing game, too.
Best of luck with the chemo, I will be thinking about all of you and hoping Korrine can pull through all this and end up cancer-free.
Love you Korrine!
Amity.
Hi Korrine,
As I read this a very good memory came back to me. Remember in 6th grade we would dream about the day you would be on the Womens Olympic Water Polo Team and I would be an olympic swimmer?
I pray for you every day :)
<3
Emma
We missed you at water polo today. Im so happy you might come out soon. Rest up so you can come play with us.
Love,
Emma
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