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Community Corner

How You Can Help Save A Life

Come out on June 17 to remember a bright, happy 14-year-old Granada High student who lost her battle with cancer. You can help save a life.

On Oct. 27, 2008, Matt and Dana Croghan lost their 14-year-old daughter, Korrine, to the ravages of a rare form of cancer. No one would dispute that to lose a child is the worst nightmare a parent can face.

I met with Dana and her friend Janet Hemmig a few days ago. From the quiet pauses in our conversation, it was clear that the memories and emotions are still fresh. Croghan told me Korrine would have been a senior at  this year.

"I don't ever want to forget a single moment," she said.

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Instead of focusing on the negative, though, members of the Croghan family have turned their pain into positive energy by supporting other families who are going through the same thing. They have formedTeam KC, which according to theirFacebook page, is dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Twice a year, they hold a blood drive in Korrine's memory through the American Red Cross that is dedicated to helping pediatric cancer patients who so desperately need blood.

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Rare Blood

Korrine had A- blood, a relatively rare blood type which only about 3.5 percent of the population has. After the first round of an intense chemo regimen that was designed for an adult male, Korrine was left fighting for her life.

Croghan said, "Korrine was white as a ghost because the chemo just wiped her out."

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough A negative blood supply in the Bay Area to replenish her blood. After word went out through various networks, more than 80 people with A negative blood came to a drive at . These life-saving donations prolonged Korrine's life for more than 10 months, giving her more time with her family and friends.

"It's a beautiful thing to see blood going into children and their cheeks pink up," Croghan said.

Helping Others

She described her daughter as a happy girl who never complained about all the needles or brutal chemotherapy treatments. When her hair started to fall out, she told her mom it was time to shave her head. 

They went to the hair salon, and the stylist put a pretty scarf on Korrine's head after cutting her hair. She took it off, and said, "I don't need this." She walked out with her head high, unembarrassed by the loss of her hair.

When a nurse asked Korrine why she thought this was happening to her, she answered, "I believe my suffering is for God's glory."

Those are powerful words coming from such a young girl, and through her legacy, she is helping and touching other lives.

There's no doubt that Korrine touched a lot of lives. My college-age stepdaughter wore her Team KC shirt on Korrine's birthday in April. The other day, my stepdaughter's friend came over and she had on her Team KC sweatshirt, too.

How cool.

Dual Blood Drives

On June 17 from 1 to 7 p.m., the American Red Cross will staff two blood drives in Livermore in Korrine's memory. The Livermore Community drive and the Team KC drive have partnered to provide blood to Bay Area hospitals. 

The Team KC blood drive is hosted by  2084 4th St. in Livermore. Family and friends of Korrine will be there to welcome donors.

The bimonthly Livermore Community blood drive is hosted at Asbury United Methodist Church, 4743 East Ave. 

Those who knew Korrine are encouraged to come to drive or donate blood. Sign up atwww.redcrossblood.org and use TeamKC or Asbury925 as the sponsor code.

Croghan said, "People see the importance of giving blood to help save lives and to make others feel better by their blood donations. Our blood is freely given to us, so in turn, we should freely give to others in need of our precious life-saving blood."

Team KC Continues

The people at Team KC continue to reach out and help others. Each year, they hold a swimathon to raise money for pediatric cancer patients at Kaiser. They donate toothbrushes, toothpaste and stuffed animals.

They are working with Kaiser in Oakland on plans to build a Team KC House for oncology and neonatal families.

Their blog has made people all over the world aware of pediatric cancer.

Korrine is remembered fondly and continues to touch lives in so many ways.

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