"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
Good Morning, Team KC! Korrine is headed in for her fourth round of Chemo tonight at 8:00 PM. She's feeling STRONG and is ready to go. Please pray that she gets a quiet room where she can rest and keep her strength up for the next 5 days. Korrine is excited to see her friends at the hospital and we're sure the nurses are excited to have their smiling patient back.
Since there's not much to do in the hospital, let's try to keep Korrine entertained. Post a comment here and share your favorite verse, inspirational quote, song, book, movie, website, or way to pass the time with Korrine. She also REALLY loves hearing about what's going on at school, the pool, and with her water polo team. If you don't want to post a public comment, click HERE to send a private note to Korrine.
If you haven't already sent Korrine your email address, click
HERE to send it to her.
Let's send her lots of LOVE, PRAYERS & ENCOURAGING comments this week! Stay Positive...LIVESTRONG!
22 comments:
Hi Korrine,
If it's even possible to have you in our thoughts and prayers more than you already are, then this is the time as you go into "Round 4"!
You have been so positive throughout this time and such an inspiration to all of us with your strong faith and will and most of all your beautiful smile. ;^)
I pray that this is the Final Round of your fight and once you get through this treatment you can continue to gain in strength and health and live your life the way you want w/o the effects of cancer keeping you away from being active in all that you love to do.
Thanks for being YOU and for being such a wonderful friend. You have no idea how your continuing presence in our lives inspires and impresses us.
Thanks for supporting the Lazers and being there to cheer the team on throughout the time you haven't been feeling well. We can't wait until you can get back in the water and play, even if you'll be playing on that "other" High School team...(We won't hold that against you though, okay?) :^0
We love you, we pray for your continuing recovery, we hope you get a room of your own with that beautiful view and most of all once you get through this treatment, you will climb that mountain towards recovery and look back at this time as a memory that left you much stronger than you ever thought you could be!
Good Luck and LIVESTRONG, Korrine!
Lots of Love,
Maureen, Jim, Jake & Josh
Hi Korrine!
My name is Denise Kofford, and I have been following your blog through a friend of ours named, Lorri Steer. She had told us about you on her blog, and I too have passed on your blogsite and story to our friends! :-)
We used to live in Dublin, CA but now live in Colorado, and we too were at the Kaiser Hospital for various needs, including the birth of our children, so I can picture right where you are at!
My mom is battling brain cancer, and we just had a big party for her! We called it a "Celebration of Life Luau" since she is from Hawaii. Since your mom mentioned on the site about how to pass the time while you undergo chemo, I thought I would share our blog with you and maybe you could read about us and see the fun luau pictures! You can find us at: http://koffordsincolorado.blogspot.com. You may have to scroll to older posts to see more of the luau photos, but I still thought it might be something to pass the time!
You are such a strong and beautiful girl, and we are remembering you in our prayers daily! Stay strong, and I hope to one day meet you in person!
Love,
Denise Kofford and the entire Kofford Family...thinking of you!
Hi Korrine!
My mom found this fun site that tests your knowledge of words while helping the world. Check it out at...
www.freerice.com
For every question you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. Once I get started, I have a hard time stopping! It's a good way to pass the time when you're bored.
Carolyn Murray
Mendenhall
Hi Korrine,
I know this another big day... starting Round 4. I'm hoping you get a quiet room where you can relax while you are there. I know these 5 days are probably hard on Sean too... and he misses you a lot.
Everybody notices your Uncle Mark's haircut! They see him in his office and stop to say something. I told him that I thought he probably used to do that all the time as a swimmer... and he said he never did.
Thinking of you and your family!
hugs and love, kathy t.
You don't know me. I am on PTA with your Uncle Mark and your dad is one of my daughters PE teachers.I follow your blog and am very proud of your strength, courage and ability to stay positive. You go girl!!!!
Hi Korrine,
Ian and I have faith that you will do well with this
last chemo..We love to read all about how you are doing even tho we cannot be with you in person, but...soon...Love that music too..We hope for all the things that you hope for and mom and dad too. You are a constant in our thoughts and prayers..God is with you sweet girl..
Love from Debby and Ian
Hi Korrine,
Remember you are in the thoughts and prayers of so many people. You're every ready smile touches each and everyone of us. You even make me smile when I'm dreaming (scones with marshmallows?!)
Love you!!
Janet, Kyle & Chad (oh, and our big goofy dog Jack too).
Hey Korrine,
You're so amazing, words cannot describe. i hope you enjoyed lindsay and mine's flowers last week. I can't wait for this Round 4 to be over with... stay strong girlie we're praying for you.. =D=D
Hi Korrine,
It's Thursday and I wake up with you on my heart as always! I forgot to ask you on Tuesday if there is anything specific that you would like us to pray for! May the Son Shine down on you throughout this round too! My prayer is that you will be Cancer Free by your birthday and we will all give thanks & celebrate together :)
Hang on tight, keep up the fight and stay positive!
We love you,
Uncle Mark & Auntie Denise
Hi Korrine,
It's Rosalyn Esmeyer again (another lady you don't know!) Just checking in and praying. You can sure check out my blog anytime, and please leave a note if you do. My girls know some of your cousins and Jamie plays softball with Candace Christiansen. I'm praying and loving you lots. Blessings as you go-
http://rosalynesmeyer.blogspot.com/
HI Korrine!
I just wanted to fill you with whats been happening at school.
In PE we are playing basket ball and about to start testing. Everyone finished History Day last week and all the presentations are about done. We also did a district wide write practice. In science we have started learning about physics. Lunch is definatly not the same with out your smiling face and positive attitude. I miss uou alot.
We are going to have so much fun together next year! I saw your day at the GHS orientation. Good luck during your 4th round of chemo! I will keep you in my prayers and heart.
Stay Strong!
Emma
Hey Korrine,Just couldn't go to bed tonight without checking your blog site. It is actually 12:30 in the morning... Sometimes people at work who haven't had a chance to visit the blog ask if anything is new.I hope this round of chemo is going OK. I know the last two were better than the first one and I hope it continues that way.I've got to tell you, I checked out that "freerice.com" site that Carolyn mentioned. It is really cool! You could get hooked on building up those grains of rice. As an adult, there were lots of words I'd never seen before. Positive thoughts and lots of prayers are coming your way!hugs and love, kathy t.
Your prayers have worked she received her own room which really helps her as she can rest and the quite is good. She did not receive her Chemo until 1:30 A.M. on Tuesday morning. So she is receiving her chemo in the middle of the night. Needless to say, You sleep when you can!
We need to pray for her broviac cathedor central line. The tissue is pulling away from it as if her body wants to reject it. They did a swab of the tissue around it to make sure it's not becoming infected. We want to pray that no infection occurs. She will need the broviac as the next few weeks will be full of blood tests, Cat Scans, Pulminary Function tests, Kidney Function Tests, Audiology Tests as we want to know how the Chemotherapy has worked to kill the cancer throughout her body. Did you know that the cancer as of December 20th was diagnosed as Stage iV Choriocarcinoma and mixed Germ Cell Cancer. It was in her left ovary, right ovary, lungs, liver and a 13inch tumor in her pelvic. I saw pictures of it. The left ovary was removed along with the fallopian tube and the cancer was removed from the right ovary and washed out and stiched up so she still has her right ovary. She was full of cancer. I am telling you this so that that when all the test come back we will all see how the Doctors, Nurses, and Team K.C. and our prayer warriors have saved a beautiful childs life and have given her great hope.
Love Always,
Dana
Good Morning CutiePie!!
I hope you're having a good round, and are getting the rest you need to build your strength.
I'm getting my Team KC shirt on and heading to work at Smith in a few minutes, but I wanted to pop in and say hi and let you know that I'm thinking of you.
Have a beautiful day, and know that I'll be sending you sunny vibes, good thoughts and prayers today and each day after.
Big Hugs!
Sue Bakalar
Korrine, you are such an amazing person and we are praying for you to get through this round with flying colors as you have in the past,and that you get the rest and quiet that you so need to stay strong. We pray that this will be your final round, and you can soon get back to do the things you love to do.
It was so great to see you and your whole family out at the ball park again earlier this week, and as always to see that wonderful smiling face. We are so happy to have Grant and Sean on the same team!!
Continue to stay strong and keep the faith, you are and will be in our daily prayers.
Much love
Kevin, Tamika, Grant, Garrett and Kendra Riddiough
Hi Croghans!
Hope you had a good, and restful day.
My daughter, Allie, is sports editor for the Granada High newspaper and would love to run an ad for the swimathon in their paper, if you'd like her to. It'd go in the April paper... and hopefully generate lots of swimmers.
If you'd like her to do that, please let me know. I tried to email you, but it keeps being returned to me.
Many hugs and good thoughts,
Sue Bakalar
slbakalar@aol.com
God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all oour lives through; God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.
A card sent to me by the Gary family, that I wanted to share with you.
Dana
Hi Korrine!
I hope that you are getting much needed rest, and that you are able to enjoy a bit of this beautiful sunshine. It reminds me of your smile -- bright and warm.
Take care of yourself and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Sue Bakalar
Hi Korrine,
I am happy to read that you have a quiet room to rest in for your fourth round. As you look out the window I hope you see the beautiful sunlight and the blooming trees and flowers, all smiling at you! (I know you are smiling back!)
I am praying for your strength and for you to be infection-free.
You can beat this!
Love, Mrs. Scarbrough
A true friend overlooks your broken gate and sees the flowers in your garden.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory".
Hi Korrine,
Congrats on having round 4 behind you now. I hope you'll be feeling up to getting out and enjoying what seems like the start of spring. I know the weather people keep saying that more rain is coming... but it didn't show up this past weekend.
I love finding your Mom's messages in the middle of some of the comments we've all sent in. I'll bet a lot of people miss them and she really shares from her heart.
I'll be thinking of all of you with the upcoming tests your Mom mentioned... that are in the near future. I'm sure it sometimes feels like the hospital is your home away from home. You've got an awesome medical team looking out for you and getting you healthy. And of course the whole TEAM KC is right on track with positive thoughts and prayers always in the air.
hugs and love, kathy
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