"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
We participated and raised money for Relay for Life. Our team was called Team K.C. /Marcel Orthodontics. We walked during the heat of the day from 2:00 to 3:00 along with walking at varied times thru the day. Dana stayed all night with no sleep and walked again in the middle of the night from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Dana was the opening speaker and I felt very blessed to have a voice to offer support. With everyone's combined determination we are giving hope to people battling the disease, raising money to find a cure and spreading awareness to prevent cancer. So far 195,000.00 was raised at Relay For Life.
The Tri-Valley Championship Swim Meet will be donating back to Team K.C. from the sales of their Championship T-Shirt Sales. Thank you to all swimmers and families for your support. Remember all monies donated to Team K.C. is tax deductible. You will be given our Tax I.D. number along with a letter of gratitude for your support. All money is given directly to pediatric cancer patients to help with their immediate needs.
We are currently working on our first annual Team K.C. picnic for all Pediatric Cancer and Neurology cancer patients at Kaiser. The Taylor Family Foundation has so generously given us so much by allowing us to use their amazing Camp Arroyo they are providing all the events, swimming, food and support needed to make this happen. This event is in honor of our daughter Korrine Croghan who had the privilage of spending a week at Camp Arroyo when she was in the fourth grade. The Taylor Family Foundation has planned a wonderful day for the children and family's at Kaiser Pediatric Oncology. Thank You SO MUCH Taylor Family Foundation. Our picnic will held Sunday August 23, 2009. We will have so much fun and we are looking forward to spending the day with the children and their family's. Taylor Family Foundation website is www.TTFF@ttff.org. 925-455-5118.
A Swim-A-Thon is under way in the Fall. We also have another Team KC blood drive scheduled for January 2010.
We still desire to build a Team K.C. house in Oakland for the families who have children hospitalized with cancer. Please join us in praying about this. This would be an amazing dream come true. This idea came to us as we spent time apart while Korrine was hospitalized with cancer and we saw the need and benefits of having a home like this available for family's.
Sean is doing great and he is having a wonderful fun filled summer filled with swim team and other activities. He is such a good boy very kind and thoughtful like Korrine. Matt only has two more weeks then he Graduates with a Masters in kinesiology from Saint Mary's University in Moraga.
Please join us in prayer that our daughters dreams will continue to come true and that God will continue to bless Team K.C. so we can continue to bless other children in need while battling cancer.
We have helped the Diaz family by sending them a check for $4,000.00 along with $400.00 in gift cards to help them as their daughter has liver cancer that has metastasized. We requested that Kaiser Pediatric Oncology let us know if their were any family's in immediate need of help. Based upon greatest need Team K.C. chose the Diaz family. A letter was written from Kaiser explaining the Diaz family's situation and their daughters cancer. The letter along with our recommendation was given to the Tri-Valley Foundation and they agreed this family was in need and mailed them a check from the Team K.C. pediatric cancer support fund. This is from the money that Team K.C has raised. What a blessing to the family as both parents are out of a job and trying to take care of their daughter with stage 4 liver cancer and her younger brother. Helping others has always brought us are greatest joy and it continues to bring us even greater joy knowing it would make Korrine happy.
Stay Positive and LiveSTRONG,
Dana and Matt Croghan
7 comments:
Team KC is amazing! Croghans, you are wonderful people. Im sure with the power of prayer we will all see these dreams come true.
Love,
Emma
As we are on vacation in Texas, visiting family... my thoughts of you all are always close at heart. My LIVESTRONG bracelet reminds me everyday of Korrine, my brother, and all of those who strive to LIVESTRONG.
I will now include the Diaz family in my prayers...
TEAM KC is truly amazing and a wonderful tribute to Korrine. We are all truly blessed to have you all in our lives!
hugs and much love, kathy t.
Wow! I continue to be amazed by your kindness and giving spirit. I know Korrine is with you everyday and smiling down from heaven. You are such an inspiration to so many people. Thank you for continuing to share your journey with all of us.
Torri Nagy and Family
Keep up the work Team KC! Its so great that you guys continue to give back to cancer patients and their families. These families are blessed to know the Croghans. People continue to learn Korrine's story and what an amazing person she was. I am blessed to know you guys. Thanks for keeping us all updated, and I will pray for the Team KC house in Oakland and look forward to the swimathon in the fall!
God Bless,
Mary Rosa
Hi Croghans!
What wonderful things you have been up to! We are all truly blessed by you. You are always in my prayers, and I will be sending up extra prayers for your special wishes. Keep up the great work, and let us know how we can help.
With love,
Sue
Just a quick FYI, this is a caringbridge site for a little girl named Kate McKrae. She is 5 and has a very terrible brain tumor. I am helpless beyond prayer as I read the words of this family. They are reaching out and in need of emotional support.
I don't know why, but as I read the words of her mother, I thought of you guys and the valiant way you stood beside Korrine. Can you possibly go to this site and see if you can offer any love and or advice to this humbly family in the wake of terror?
May God continue to uplift you as you all walk one step further towards Home.....towards Korrine.
With love, as a sister in Christ--and one who was/is incredibly touched and impacted by Korrine's amazing life...
Becky Cain
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate
This is an amazing thing you and Team Kc are doing. God bless you and all the families that will be touched by this act of love.
Korrine is smiling, I'm sure!!
Love Auntie Marcia
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