Corey

Corey had a smile that could light up any room he went into. His fierce passion to reach for the stars and his ambition to succeed was like no other. Corey enjoyed the little things in life and never took a second for granted. If he was not studying for his CFA you could find him going for long drives, practicing his golf swing, at the gym or enjoying a cup of coffee outside. Corey graduated from Saint Mary’s with an undergraduate degree in business and then went on to complete his Masters of Finance with a 4.05 GPA.

In February of 2019 Corey was diagnosed with APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) and began treatment immediately. Corey responded quickly to chemotherapy and within 2 months he was back to working out and continuing to focus on his future. Unfortunately, in December of 2021 Corey had a relapse with his APL and this time it had spread to his central nervous system and was in his brain. Corey was determined to fight and beat cancer, even when the odds were not in his favor.

Corey was a fighter who never gave up hope and remained positive and optimistic the entire time. While receiving chemotherapy treatments, you could still find Corey with a smile on his face, a textbook in hand, and talking about the bright future he had ahead. Corey spent several months in the hospital receiving chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, among other treatments prior to starting his journey at the brain injury clinic. Corey’s treatment journey was very hard on Corey and his loved ones, but in April of 2022 Corey made a full recovery and got back to his routine.

Over the next year Corey would return to Saint Mary’s University to complete his Masters of Finance, write his level 1 CFA, and spend his free time by the water in Hubbards. In the spring of 2023, Corey had relapsed a third and final time with APL and would undergo a second stem cell transplant with a low chance of staying in remission (less then 5%). Corey did not allow this to stop him and his spirts rarely wavered, he was determined and focused on his end goal. Recovery would not be easy for Corey, and within 3 months of receiving his second stem cell transplant Corey had developed graft vs host disease, which impacted his liver, skin, bowels, and stomach.

At this point, Corey’s body was still in recovery from his first stem cell transplant in 2022, and within weeks of being diagnosed with graft vs host he went from walking, talking, and laughing to being unable to walk or eat. After 3 months of fighting and being hopeful of returning home, we lost our funny, ambitious, determined, and sweet Corey on January 27th 2024. Corey was surrounded by those he loved the most during his last few days on earth, and after a 5-year battle Corey was at peace.  
 
Corey was never shy to share his gratitude for stem cell, blood, and platelet donors, as he had received many of the three while fighting his battle. It is with great pride that we continue to honor Corey in the way he would want us to. Holding blood drives, donating blood and platelets as often as we can, and continuing to share his story to give strength and hope for others going through similar situations. If Corey has taught us anything, it is that life is never promised so make the most of it while you are here.