"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
On Monday June 2, 2008 will be Korrine's 50th day at the hospital. Korrine will be having a Cat Scan on Monday the 2nd. Let's Pray that her lungs will not collapse and lets pray that the Cat Scan shows how all are prayers are being answered. Please pray and ask for a miracle that their will be no more signs of cancer and her liver will be perfect as well as her lungs. Korrine will be receiving two more rounds of chemotherapy. Korrine is receiving designated donor platelets and blood. The gift of life. We love and thank all of you. Team KC keep up the good work, the fact that she is alive today is an answer to all our prayers. The outpouring of support for Korrine from the community and all around the world is healing to our souls.
Stay Positive and LiveSTRONG,
Dana and Matt Croghan
34 comments:
Dear Korrine and family... we took you to Del Valle Lake this weekend.. as I looked over the water watched little ones camping and fishing I thought of you... the beauty of the Lake, the scarlet sunset, the Lord waking me twice in the early hours with calling all angels playing in my head just reminded me of how he is constantly watching over you all.. he keeps my heart tuned to you for so much of the time.. and I know He loves you so much. Before you know it you'll all be playing again and enjoying His creation, in the meantime.. I pray for this sweet girl
love
the kellmans.
We remain with you in prayer and spirit. Thank you for the update.
Love, The Nagy Family
Hi to all of you,
What great and comforting news to have on this first day of June. Fifty days in a hospital is a long time for sure, but with the end results being positive, it won't seem that long.You can count on us to keep the prayers going.
We love you,
Ian and Debby and girls
Hi Korrine~
Know that you will be in my constant thoughts and prayers tomorrow as you go for your CAT scan. You are a miracle and all that is good and I trust that He is healing you as He loves you so much.
StaySTRONG CutiePie!!
Love and hugs,
Sue Bakalar
Lord we pray for Korrine and her family, we are asking for a miracle, that there will be no more cancer, gone from her body any trace! As she goes in for her test tomorrow, please keep her safe, keep her lungs from collapsing, keep her heart rate down. Thank you Lord for what you have done! Amen!
We love you guys!
The Miller's in Sonora
Thank you so much for the updates. We will be thinking about you tomorrow and hoping for the best of news with the results. As always our thoughts and prayers are with you. Hang in there sweetheart and keep fighting.
Much love The Riddiough's
Dear Korrine and Family,
I am so thankful for your update and to hear that Korrine is still fighting and recieving such good care. I will pray for her CAT scan to go well and that her lungs and liver
are healing. 50 days in the hospital is so long. I know you all must be so tired, but ready to fight as long as it takes. We are all out here praying for you and your miracles. I am always thinking of you and praying that you are not in terrible pain. May you find comfort and peace in each other and our Lord.
Love,
Cindy Vance
Dear Korrine,and family, Our hearts go out to you, Korrine, and to your family. Matt, we send all our love to your daughter and to you and your wife and son. Our whole family is praying for Korrine and a sucessful outcome for her. Her spirit is awesome. Love Florence and Bert Silver
Thinking of you now and always... with faith that God is truly watching over all of you.
hugs and love, kathy t.
Korrine - Good morning! Happy "50 days closer to being out of the hospitial Day!"
I'm off for medical stuff this morning too and I will use my time on the table as prayer time for you.
Love you...Lorri
God is going to heal Korrine's body. We are praying for her today that her scan has a positive result. We love you all.
Friends in Christ,
the McDonalds
Dear Korrine,
We are praying that today’s CAT Scan goes well – that your lungs do not collapse during the procedure, that the results of the scan show that you are cancer free!
You and your family remain in our daily prayers!
Stay STRONG
The Thornton's
Dear Croghan Family...I pray for wonderful news to come your way today and always. Korrine your courageous spirit remains awesom and I admire you so much. I read your blog daily to remind me that even the smallest gifts in life should be considered as precious ones and not taken for granted. Stay strong and thank you for teaching us how to live and love stronger.
Kris McGinty
Prayers continue to continue!
Our hearts are out for you and the family and know that we don't ever quit praying for you all!
Virtual Hugs,
The Heinz Family
Dear Korrine and family,
I wanted to share this with you Korrine... I saw Train in concert about 6 years ago (GREAT show)and ever since then, always listen to their CD while doing my weekly gardening. Now when I listen to that CD (including yesterday) I refer to it as "Korrine's CD"! :)
I pray that everything goes well tomorrow.
Rest easy tonight~
Love and hugs,
Cindy Brian
Korrine,
Wow, I can't believe it has already been 50 days. I'm sure it feels like 500 to you, but I have faith that there is a purpose for each day that you have spent in that hospital bed. I still can't believe that you have been through so much in such a short amount of time. You are an incredible girl and the strongest person I know.
Your Mom and my Mom came over to my house for lunch on Friday. We sat and ate by the pool and said a prayer for you. Your mom was so excited that I have a pool and she said that it is going to be a perfect place for you to rehab and build your swimming muscles up once you are out of the hospital.
I have been having really realistic and detailed dreams lately, and last night I dreamed about you swimming in my pool. You were so weak when you got there, but the second you were in the water, you took off swimming freestyle and did a flip turn at the end of the pool!! Your little head popped out of the water with your trademark smile and you said "see guys, I told you I would be back in the water!"
I woke up with a huge smile this morning and I can't wait to see you rock that flip-turn! Stay positive and LIVESTRONG, girly… I love you!
Cousin Tristen
We read this before school this morning and the family prayed together for you...just took a while to write back and let you know.
God Bless you for allowing us to journey with you and build our faith as God rebuilds your body to fully healed.
Korrine, looking forward to the day Tristen's dream of you in that pool is fulfilled...
Until then, rest, heal and trust that God if fully in control.
Thinking of you and your family everyday!!! You are AMAZING!!!
Love the Vasquez's
Taylor,Savannah, Aj, & Wendy
Korrine,
You are always in my thoughts and prayers.
You are the strongest person I have ever met.
Love,
Madison
Hey Korrine,
I thought this would be something you'd want to see. (:
http://www.1111am.com/?about
-Amy Tripp
Praying today as always, Korrine. I just was in prayer right before I logged on and told Satan to take a hike! We have some "stuff" goin' on in our life too and quite frankly I'm becoming quite annoyed that the enemy thinks he can rattle our cages like this! He needs a bit old whoopin' and I'm counting on him getting the message with fantastic results on your CAT Scan and such.
LiveSTRONG Girly girl! We want you do come up and use our pool too! We need to do a big old swim party for all the Sacramento Team KC folks that want to meet you! : )
Blessings & hugs,
Arla & the fam
Blessings & hugs,
Korrine...
I heard about the blood drive in Livermore, and A negative is indeed a rare blood type...my mom has it, though! AND my uncle! so they will both be donating for you. to help, I am also doing a walk for cancer called,"Relay for Life". it is a GREAT fun fundraiser that will send money to the American Cancer Society. There, they will create cures. We are all doing our best to help you get through this even better than you are doing now. Everybody at Mendenhall misses you, and says, "Hello"!
We love you!
The Ackley Family
Each day we pray for you to have peace, strength, and angels bringing forth their healing influences~La Familia Cortez
praying and loving you. Met someone at work today whose daughter goes to Marshall where they did the penny drive for a young lady named Korrine...Precious God we love. We love you. All over like crazy we all love you. BELIEVING- The Esmeyer Family
Hey Korrine,
Please know that the Lord is with you
always. Together, we all pray for you so that you can come home and swim in Tristan's pool.
To the Croghan family
You are the strongest people I have ever met. Thank you so much for making me a better believer in the power of prayer and the Lord. Every night now I go to sleep, but not before I read the blog. Please know that I pray for you on nightly.
Love you all, Liz Ben Pam and James
Dear Korrine-
You do not know me but I wanted you to know that I will be walking in Relay for Life in your honor this month. I continue to pray for your healing every day. Take care sweetie!
Hey, Korrine -
I hope you're doing and feeling better. I just want you to know that there are so many of us out here thinking of and praying for you. I have waken up during the night many times with nothing but you on my mind (and I don't even know you!). I think that is God's way of telling me to pray harder for you which I do. I believe He will definitely heal you. Otherwise, why would He be requesting us to pray for you so much? I hope your scan went okay. I had one yesterday, too, and all I thought about was how yours was going and how much you have had to deal with. You are such a strong young lady. Keep it up!
Good Morning Korrine!
Thinking of you and praying you are gaining strength and feeling better day by day.
Big hugs to all of you!
Love,
Sue Bakalar
Korrine- we said prayers for your scan. When I awake in the night I say another prayer for your complete healing. Keep up your fight. You are such an incredible young lady. I think, someday, you could write a book about your journey. Stay strong. You have SO many with you in prayer. Hope today is a good day for you.
Hi Korrine,
We're saying prayers that all went well yesterday and that your scans come back clean.
Hang in there -
Hugs,
The Thornton's
Hi Korrine...You are another day to being closer to the end of chemo and the end of being in the hospital.
We uphold you in prayer as you rest and get healthy!
Love, Lorri
Korrine,
I'm wearing my Team KC t-shirt as I write... Almost everyday at Canyon I see someone wearing their shirt too. We all send lots of positive thoughts and prayers to you and your family EVERY SINGLE DAY!
One of the gals who works in Canyon's cafeteria has a daughter (who is an elementary school teacher) who is going to be donating platelets for you. Our little local paper had a letter to the editor about this same gal who had donated her hair to Locks for Love.
Your journey has inspired and educated so many people to LIVESTRONG and give to others. I know there will be many, many people at Smith on Friday donating blood too. Some of those people are probably afraid to get poked by that needle but will step up to the plate... to honor you!
You are truly an AMAZING young lady!!
hugs and love, kathy t.
Hi Korrine,
We have been praying hard for you sweet girl. Robin and I have spoken to and/or emailed over 30 donors who are A negative. Some have already gone to UCSF others and planning to go there to donate. We have many A Negative donors who will be coming to our blood drive Friday. I guess A Negatives also have that same giving heart that you do Korrine. It must be in your blood :-)
There are so many praying for you and your family. We will continue to remember what you taught us so long ago: Stay POSITIVE and LIVESTRONG.
Love Janet & Robin
Hey Korrine...thinking of you today as always. Praying you have a feel good day.
With love and a hug, Lorri
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