"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
22 comments:
Dana, It's so good to "hear" your voice! What a special thing you stumbled upon. Don't know if you still follow my blog, but I mentioned Korrine the other day too when I got back good test results and bought myself yellow flowers to LiveStrong and to remember Korrine.
I so often think of your family and pray for you. Love, Lorri
I miss checking your blog for frequent news of KC and your family. How beautiful that you discovered that carving! We know Korrine is most definitely at peace, huh? The world is forever changed because of your wonderful daughter.
WOW... amazing how some things are just meant to be, isn't it? I often think of Korrine as I'm walking and see people smiling or laughing, or hear a song that is so beautiful on the radio. Once a Croghan has touched your heart, it is touched forever. Thank you for sharing the pictures and the story.... it makes me smile.
Love ya,
Sue
Wow.... that is truly amazing!
Korrine will never be forgoton.
You guys are in my prayers!
Love,
Hayley
Wow, your story gives me chills. It is so awesome that you were drawn to Rock City. I think Korrine continues to work miracles and remind us to LiveSTRONG. Thanks for sharing. chadzmom
Dana:
Thanks for the neat update. What a wonderful site to see. We will always remember what a special young lady she is forever.
Moe
WOW!! How amazing. I think of Korrine often and I still look at the blog just to see her shining face. I will always remember how much she touched me, taught me, and made me a better person.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Wendy
Thank you for sharing your God-led moment! It was so nice to see your note and photos today. I do not know what made me check your site, but I am so glad I did.
My Dad passed away 2 years ago, and my Mom and I still have moments like what you desribed. Maybe not stumbling across engraved stone...that was pretty special. But they absolutely have been moments where we know my Dad was present and helping us, or moments when we felt so close to my Dad that is just made us feel warm all over, like we were being hugged.
I think of you and your family all the time and continue to pray for you.
Julie Rice Thall
How cool is that!
Brings tears to my eyes.
Liz
Pretty powerful, and so glad you and Sean got out to your favorite hiking spot... Yes, your daughter has left her mark everywhere and you all have touched us in so many ways.. thinking of you, matt and sean always.
Love, Lori and Bob Rauscher
Korrine, I lit a candle for you and your at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris today. Rest in peace.
Hey there Croghan family...
Just wanted you to know that we are thinking about you.
Peace,
Liz Ben James Pam
Dear Croghan's
I'm sure that seeing that engraved rock brought up a flood of emotions. THANK YOU so much for sharing the pictures too. As Julie said, it was a God-led moment... but I believe Korrine was leading you too.
Your whole family continues to inspire us with your strength, compassion and faith!
hug and love, kathy t.
We want you to know we appreciate your examp;e and think of you every day. Love, Reed and Dorothy
Just goes to prove our Angels are amongst us.
Thank You Korrine for always being there...you are amazing.
What an amazing experience. I never had the opportunity to meet Korrine or her amazing family. But I didn attend the celebration of life service. Korrine as well as all of you continue to touch my life and will never be far from my mind. Thank you for continuing this blog.
Your family never ceases to amazes us, your faith and your outlook on life and beyond is inspiring!
Love - The Larsens
Hello Croghans,
I was thinking of you today as the Tour of California and Lance Armstrong rode through town!! He's coming back to cycling to promote LiveSTRONG.
Thinking of you and sending my love.
Wendy
Hi Croghan family!
Just thinking of you all and wanted to send my love. Hope you are all well.
Love ya!
Sue
Hi Croghans!
As I walked into work today I saw a BEAUTIFUL rainbow over the bay. I immediately thought of Korrine and the amazing rainbow that graced the sky the day of her service.
When I walked in, I went straight into the office of my boss (Korrine's Uncle Mark) and told him about the rainbow and my thinking of Korrine. He looked up from his paperwork and said, "I thought the same thing."
God truly reminds us of how Korrine inspired our lives!
hugs and love, kathy t.
Dear Dana, Matt and Sean,
Thank you for sharing the story of the rock carving with all of us. God truly gives us special gifts from above, letting us know that He has our children and is taking good care of them until we see them again in Heaven.
One day, only about two weeks after our son went Home, I was driving to Bible study. My heart was so broken, and it took effort just to be out in my car. As I turned off the freeway a large truck was in front of me. I thought of going around it, but then decided not to, that I'd just lumber along behind it...as it went up the overpass ahead of me, I noticed on the mud flaps (covered in grime) that the letters P.S. had been drawn on the flaps. One on each side. To me it seemed a message from God, that my son, Phil Shore, was with Him, and he was being well taken care of. That was my "rock" on that day that helped me go on...
Korrine's memory lives on at my station in Cosmetology school, as I have her saying from Mother Teresa on my mirror--it inspires me to be kind and loving to all, as Korrine was.
It was good seeing you at the Pizza restaurant recently Matt, and I hope one day to sit with you Dana and share a cup of coffee and the miracle of our children being safe in our Father's arms.
God bless, hang on...healing comes to the brokenhearted. It is a promise we can cling to.
Diane Shore
dear croghan family, this is thebotelho family. we just wanted to take a minute and tell you your still in our prayers and continue to stay strong.
our love,
the botelho's
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