WHY WE RUN
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart to know this wonderful, fighting, strong, caring, loving, woman who was so full of life passed away on May 4, 2019.
www.greensboro.com/obituaries/corbin-rachel-diane/article_f8a1b43d-461c-5035-9884-6834e95f4205.html?fbclid=IwAR3suwz1y_mgRoD2XA2-1f_iJKugNEaNv1n0PM7wRXBS5pv2vepdkrWjmSQ The Haddam-Killingworth High School Class of '94 is sponsoring the 5K walk/run to benefit the future education of our classmate, Rachel Oberdorff Corbin's, two sons. Rachel was diagnosed with Stage IVb Hodgkin's Lymphoma on January 15th, 1988, 3 months before her 12th birthday. Rachel had chronic, long-term, and progressive late effects from the radiation and chemotherapy treatments that saved her life as a child. Complications due to the childhood treatments developed include congestive heart failure and different forms of cancer, all which require their own lengthy and invasive treatments. In January 2017 she was diagnosed with two different forms of cancer, one being mesothelioma. This diagnosis came with a huge blow- a life expectancy of 2 years. For the majority of her life, Rachel has fought for her health, however, Rachel has maintained a positive outlook. She has been known to make the best of hospital visits, taking selfies from the bed with friends and family surrounding her, everyone wearing hair nets, making funny faces, while joking about the food, procedures, and how many wires there are. These life-long experiences have encouraged Rachel to become an advocate for childhood cancer awareness in hopes of increasing funding for better treatment research. The research would aid in the development of innovative cancer treatments as no child should have to endure further complications from current treatments. Currently only a small portion of federal funds are dedicated to childhood cancer research, with a long way to go. Rachel has an amazing, thoughtful, and loving husband, Darnley, and they have two active and smart young boys, Alden and Avery. As a class, we have supported the Corbin's in various ways, especially as Rachel's hospital visits have increased in frequency and duration: meals have been dropped off; local restaurant gift cards purchased; gas cards donated; fulfilling the boy's (long and sports activity oriented) Christmas lists; and thoughts, love, and prayers for the family. We know Rachel is under the best medical care as she continues this fight and we feel the best way to continue supporting her is to ensure her children's futures are taken care of. All proceeds will be donated the Alden and Avery's college accounts. |