W-H sophomore soccer player loses battle with leukemia: ‘She never complained, smile brightened day'
Erin Croghan
By DENNIS TATZ
The Patriot Ledger
HANSON - Erin Croghan never complained about the pain as doctors treated her leukemia the past several months.
‘‘Her doctors called her stoic,'' Erin's mother, Joanne Croghan, said Friday.
‘‘She dealt with it. We met a lot of good people who helped us through this and they fell in love with her.''
A pretty 15-year-old with long blonde hair and blue eyes, Erin lost her battle with the disease Wednesday at Children's Hospital in Boston.
‘‘Her smile brightened up anyone's day,'' said David Floeck, Erin's junior-varsity soccer coach at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. ‘‘She had an impact on students and faculty. She was a sweetheart. This has all been a shock to us.''
Floeck, who was also Erin's soccer coach in the seventh and eighth grades, said the popular teenager was a competitor who brought an intensity to the game she enjoyed playing.
‘‘The team is struggling with her death,'' said Floeck. ‘‘Many had played with her in the youth leagues. She was their teammate and friend. We have lost part of our soccer family. She touched many lives in her own way.''
Floeck said Erin, a sophomore, played soccer up until she was diagnosed with leukemia in October.
‘‘She seemed to be tired and didn't have the wind,'' said the coach. ‘‘They started treating her right away. She played in a game one day and was gone the next.''
Still, Floeck said Erin's schoolmates were hopeful that she would get well. And so was her family.
‘‘We thought she was going to beat this,'' said Erin's mother.
Erin, who was also on the school's track team, was being tutored at home until she was admitted to the hospital about five weeks ago.
Joanne Croghan said she was grateful to Erin's cousin, Eric Krueger, 19, of Halifax, a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, who spent a lot of time with Erin to lift her spirits.
Patrick Croghan, Erin's father, said she became particularly close to her two youngest siblings, brother, Patrick Jr., 4, and sister, Jillian, 2, while she was ill.
He said cousins painted murals with stars and other scenes on her bedroom walls to cheer her up. The predominant color was lavender, which was her favorite.
Erin's father said his daughter was looking forward to her 16th birthday next month and getting her license so she might get a yellow Jeep Wrangler to drive.
Whitman-Hanson Principal Paul Alperen said the school's flag was lowered to half staff after officials learned about Erin's death. Counselors were made available to grieving students.
Alperen said students organized a chain of written messages that will be sent to Erin's family along with money donations in her memory.
The Croghans have asked that contributions be sent to the Jimmy Fund.
‘‘She was a beautiful girl,'' said her her father. ‘‘She will be missed by all of us.''
Dennis Tatz may be reached at dtatz@ledger.com.
Copyright 2002 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted April 6, 2002
