"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
Our Second Annual Team K.C. Poker Tournament was a huge success. The Livermore and Pleasanton Fire Department donated their time as our dealers. Elaine Taylor President of the Taylor Family Foundation/Camp Arroyo and her husband Barry both Founders of the Taylor Family Foundation/Camp Arroyo worked hard at our Team K.C. Fundraiser serving and caring for all that participated. Mitch and Alicia Katz owners of Mitchell Katz Winery hosted our event at their beautiful Winery amongst the rolling hills and vineyards. The Katz worked very hard at the event making sure everything was perfect. The American Red Cross spoke at our event and will be having annual Team K.C. Blood drives in honor of Korrine and the need for blood to help other pediatric cancer patients in the Bay Area. The Croghan family all participated and worked hard to make this event a success. Our family, friends and complete strangers came in support of Korrine. The catering from the Palm Event Center was fabulous. We reached our maximum amount of participants honoring Korrine and supporting her desire to help other pediatric cancer patients and their families. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we raised money to help children with cancer.
More details to follow with pictures of the event, with a list of contributors who donated items for the silent auction and we will be posting how much money was raised. All monies go into the Team K.C./Pediatric Cancer Support Fund at the Tri Valley Foundation. All donations are tax deductible.
What is beautiful and wonderful about the efforts to raise money for Team K.C. Pediatric Cancer Support is that all monies go directly to the children and families that need it most while the child is fighting a life threatening illness called cancer. The money does not go any where else, it does not pay administrators or any person or thing. It goes directly to whatever the need is for the pediatric cancer patients and their families. All monies raised go into the fund at the Tri Valley Foundation and then the Tri Valley Foundation disperses the money as the need arises based upon what the Hospital and Clinic tell us they need in order to help the child with cancer and their family. This all began as we saw the need because we lived it while Korrine was battling her cancer. Korrine and our family would never have survived as long as we did without the love and support of our community, family and friends. This is why we work so hard to give back is because we know what it feels like to have a child diagnosed with cancer and all the challenges that go with it. We saw the need and now we want to help take care of the needs of these precious children fighting cancer and their families, in helping the families you help the child.
Thank you to everyone for all their support, love, compassion and generousity. I know Korrine is smiling her big beautiful smile and is so happy to be giving back to those children fighting cancer. All of you made it possible and you are helping to fullfill Korrine's wishes to help other children with cancer and their families during the time when they need it most. Korrine lost her life to cancer on October 27, 2008 at the age of 14. Yet she still lives on through every act of kindness in order to help others in need.
In Korrine's Words,
Stay Positive and LiveSTRONG,
Dana and Matt Croghan
6 comments:
What great news and what a fitting legacy for such a special young woman.
Love, Lorri
Korrine lives on ...what a beautiful girl and precious gift to us all.
Thank You Korrine and Thank You to your wonderful family !!!!
What a wonderful event to honor Korrine.
Hello Dana,
I was so filled with joy when I read your post about the 2nd Annual Poker Tournament's huge success!
I think of you and your family often, especially Korrine and her wonderful spirit and her vivacious smile! :)
On Mother's Day we enjoyed some Team KC wine, thinking of Korrine and you ... and what a WONDERFUL mom you are! (Happy belated Mother's Day to you!)
May God continue to Bless your entire family.
Much love and warm hugs~
Cindy Brian
Thanks for the update...looking forward to the 3rd Annual Tournament! and any other event that Team KC has to offer.
You guys are the best.
Liz and James
It is fitting that Korrine who was such a compelling and loving person on Earth should have a memory that is still LIVING STRONG with all of us. I can feel the warmth of her sunshine smile upon us as we continue to fulfill her wishes.
Happy Mother's and Father's Day to Matt/Dana. You both really set the bar.
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