"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
Team K.C. has been hard at work. We have been hard at work planning our second annual Poker Tournament which is turning out to be very successful, this is one way we raise money for the pediatric cancer patients and their families. We have created with the help of our friends at Granada High School a Korrine Croghan Scholarship fund it will be a monetary gift awarded to a graduating Senior based upon outstanding character traits. We have been working with Mendenhall Middle School to create the Korrine Kindness Award. The award will be given to a graduating 8Th grade student also based upon outstanding character traits. Smith elementary school will be dedicating memorial benches for families and children to enjoy along with donating money to the school library which Korrine loved in honor and memory of Korrine.
We have teamed up with the Tri-Valley Foundation and we are now under their umbrella and all funds coming in will go through the Tri-Valley Foundation and all donations will now be tax-deductible. All donations will be followed up by a letter from the Tri-Valley Foundation with a tax-deductible federal I.D. #. More information to follow on our Legacy Program. Because of our daughter we plan on keeping alive the Korrine Croghan Pediatric Cancer Support Fund. We are now protected and managed by the Foundation's wealth of knowledge. We also will create an Endowment Fund that will ensure a sustainable philanthropic base of support well into the future for Korrine's cause to support pediatric cancer patients and their families. The Tri-Valley Foundation has a wealth of adviser's and connections within the community and Bay Area to assist us with all our needs and help us fulfill the many dreams we have. One of my dreams is to build a family house for the children with cancer and their families for Kaiser Oakland. This will allow families with children with life threatening illness to stay close together during their child's stay at the hospital. The exciting thing about the umbrella of the Tri-Valley Foundation is we will be able to delegate how we would like the contributions spent for the pediatric cancer patients and their families and the money that goes into the Team K.C. Fund will go directly back out as a check written from the Tri-Valley Foundation to buy much needed items and give financial aide to the children and their families and Kaiser Oakland Pediatric Oncology. We will be posting more information and details as they come. We will continue fund raising and doing what was done for us in order to help children with cancer and the families in need. Just like the help we were given we will continue to give back!! Tri -Valley Community Foundation Transforming Lives Through Philanthropy http://www.tvcfoundation.org/.
We have also teamed up with the Taylor Family Foundation and plans are under way to have a Team K.C. picnic day at the Taylor Family Foundation, Camp Arroyo. The Team K.C. Picnic Day at Camp Arroyo will be a place where pediatric cancer patients and their families can get away from it all and enjoy a picnic, swimming, climbing the rock wall, using the zip line and the many other wonderful and beautiful things to do at the very special Taylor Family Foundation's Camp Arroyo. We are working on a picnic in the fall and picnics in 2010 and beyond. The Taylor Family Foundation has donated hats, scarves, blankets, stuffed animals and books to Team K.C. for the kids. We are so thankful for the support of Elaine Taylor president of the Taylor Family Foundation. http://www.ttff.org/.
We are participating in Relay For Life this June and we are looking forward to spending it with you. We are partnered up with Marcel Orthodontist and will continue to support Relay For Life.
Marcel Orthodontist has and continues to be so good to us and we love them.
Matt is back to work teaching and finishing up his Master Degree in kinesiology at Saint Mary's and will graduate in July. I'm back to work part time as office manager/recreation specialist for L.A.R.P.D. Sean is doing very well in school and loves it. He is playing baseball and water polo and enjoying his friends. In the midst of all our sorrow we feel blessed. We are so thankful for all of your support and prayers. We could not have made it this far without you. We love and appreciate our community, friends, family and our church. If their is anything we can do for you please let us know.
Korrine is so special and so amazing, she would want us to continue to help those in need and isn't that what life is all about caring for others and making this world and our communities a better place.
In Korrine's Words,
STAY POSITIVE AND LIVESTRONG,
Dana and Matt Croghan
12 comments:
Dana,
You are so inspiring and I am so blessed to know you and your family. Of course we all miss Korrine deeply, but what she left us is amazing. Your efforts and everyone's contributions towards the varoius foundations are astounding and will reach out to many struggling families now and in the future.
It was wonderful seeing you today. Your smile is gorgeous and it reminds me so much of Korrine! Thank you for being a great person and being as supportive as you are!
My prayers go out to you all!
Love, Alex Accornero :)
WOW! You are an inspiration. Its amazing what things you all are accoplishing in name of Korrine.
Love,
Emma
Matt, Dana & Sean - We are still checking on you - it is nice to see the updates of so many wonderful accomplishments, dedications and fundraising that have been inspired by your beautiful Korrine! We hold you all dearly in our hearts and prayers everyday!!!
With love always, The Aboumrad's
Amen and Amen.
With God's great Agape Love, the Cain's send their love from Richmond, Va. Keeping Korrine's memory and life alive here in the east......
In His Son's name,
Becky and family
Hi Friends! Thanks for the wonderful update. I love how you are living.
Love, Lorri
What an amazing family. Even though I never met Korrine, I feel her beautiful presence live on. God Bless your wonderful family
I have been praying for Thomas, n amazing 8 year old boy who was struck 8 months ago with a rare cancerous brain tumor. Well, he passed away 2 weeks ago. His family is so much like your family in their faith and their amazing circle of support! In fact, there were times that I sent his family a link to Korinne's blog, because I always found your blog inspiring. Well, little Thomas' memorial service was on the March 28th, the day of your posting. Maybe Korinne and Thomas are friends now.
Korrine is so proud of you and all that you are doing to support children wih cancer and their families. She is also am sure she is proud of all three of you for living your lives.
As for me, I am so thankful to still be a part of your life through this blog. I thin of Korrine so often, and still kiss my children often becasue of her! I am in awe of you, Croghan family!
Prayfully,
Julie Rice Thall
Hey Team KC...
You all amaze me.
Thanks for all you do
Liz
Hi Croghan Family!
So good to hear from you and all the amazing things you have been doing. It is no surprise to me that you have been busy planning to help others. You continue to inspire me. Thank you.
You are in my prayers daily, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Love,
Sue
Just checking in.....what a wonderful family you all are. I think of you often! You are an inspiration to so many people. God Bless you!
Torri Nagy & Family
You continue to show what an amazing family you are. Your strength, desire to help others and passion to continue Korrine's wishes continue to put me in awe of you. Your family is truly inspirational.
With Love,
Tracy Karter
It is wonderful to hear the updates on the foundation and how everyone is doing. Korrine's faith, smile and warmth are with us always!
Go TEAM KC!
hugs and love, kathy t.
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