A year ago today, Korey Cochran learned he had a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. The Vancouver father of two young children, who had just celebrated his 37th birthday, was given nine to 18 months to live.
His colleagues at the city of Vancouver organized a toy drive to ensure Cochran’s children had a nice Christmas and gave additional donations to local charities in Cochran’s honor.
This holiday season, as Cochran continues his fight with glioblastoma multiforme, the city of Vancouver is continuing to support the longtime city computer support specialist. This week, the city launched the second annual Korey’s Joy Drive to benefit local children.
The city is collecting new, unwrapped toys at various locations across Vancouver through Dec. 11. Donations will be delivered to Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and Open House Ministries the week of Dec. 12.
“Korey’s Joy Drive is the city’s way of honoring Korey,” said Katherine Nye, Cochran’s supervisor at the city, in a news release. “Together, with community support, we will bring a joyful and memorable Christmas to his family and so many deserving families in our community.”
Cochran has been excited about the toy drive for months, said his brother, Kris Cochran.
“He can’t help out like he used to,” Kris Cochran said. “This is his way of feeling good and helping out.”
Brain tumors
Korey Cochran first noticed something was a little off in early November 2015. His speech seemed a little slurred, but he chalked it up to his lifelong habit of mumbling. But in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, Cochran awoke to a seizure.
He was rushed to the hospital, where a CT scan showed two masses in his brain. After various tests and ruling everything else out, neurologists told Cochran on Nov. 17, 2015, that he the tumors were terminal.
Cochran, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Monday, has had three craniotomies and recently finished the standard course of chemotherapy treatment. Initially, MRI scans showed the chemotherapy was working, but the tumors flared up again, said Kris Cochran.
“It’s growing really aggressively, like they anticipated,” Kris Cochran said.
“Nothing really works,” he added. “This is a disease where nothing really works. It’s all about progression.”
With the chemotherapy no longer effective and more surgery and radiation not an option, Korey Cochran’s doctors told him to spend his time left living life, Kris Cochran said.
A lifelong friend organized a trip to Alaska for Korey — a bucket-list trip. A couple of weeks ago, Korey and his wife, Kerry, and Korey’s parents flew to Anchorage for a few days.
“He went fishing in Alaska, which is what he’s always wanted to do,” Kris Cochran said of his brother.
They also took a helicopter ride over a glacier and watched the Northern Lights.
The family is now looking forward to Thanksgiving — Korey, Kerry, 5-year-old Kyrsten and 2-year-old Kynen will go to Kris’ house for the holiday — and decorating for Christmas, Kris Cochran said.
With no other options, Korey is pursuing clinical trials, but he hasn’t yet been accepted into any, Kris Cochran said. He’s also undergoing physical therapy following a suspected stroke that weakened the left side of his body, he said.
Through it all, Kris Cochran said his brother remains positive, cracking jokes with visitors to lighten the mood.
“The guy is a fighter,” he said of Korey. “I don’t know how anybody can go through what he has gone through.”
