Oct 27, 2006

Ex-softball player dies of cancer

Carlmont High will host celebration of life for China Stogner, 24, on Saturday

By Gordon Kass / Daily News Correspondent

China Stogner was a star softball player on a Carlmont Central Coast Section title team, an outgoing, likable and fun-loving friend to many, a successful businesswoman by age 23 and an uplifting and positive fellow chemotherapy patient to her former softball coach this year.

"She and I had treatment at the same time," said legendary Carlmont softball coach Jim Liggett. "We had the same oncologist and were both getting treatment at Sequoia Hospital. With chemo, you're in a lot of discomfort but, she was always very positive. She was extremely positive and helped bring my spirits up."

Liggett was dealing with prostate cancer while Stogner was trying to fight off cervical cancer and its complications. Stogner fought a roller-coaster battle during the 11 months after she was first diagnosed, but died on Monday at the age of 24. A celebration of her life, originally tabbed for a private home, will be drawing such a large crowd that it has been moved to the Carlmont High softball field on Saturday at 11 a.m.

"She played two years varsity for me," Liggett said. "Carlmont's the winningest program in the state of California. For China to play, she had to be good. In '99, we won CCS. That was the best year and she was a big part of that. She was a very good defensive first baseman and hit fourth or fifth. In 2000, she was again one of our best hitters. We didn't have the pitching that year that we had in 1999."

In his 40 years with the Scots' program, Liggett has won seven CCS titles, including five in the last decade (1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004), and has been runner-up four other times.

But Stogner's reach was far beyond softball. When she went back into the hospital last Thursday morning and had emergency surgery on Friday, she drew an unbelievable scene.

"She had emergency surgery on Friday," said her mother Barbara Stogner. "Her heart stopped, but they resuscitated her. On Saturday, her kidney failed but her blood was not clotting so they couldn't operate. Then there was some clotting and the doctors took a chance. There were 50 people in the hallway watching her. One person in the hospital said there are never that many people waiting for someone to come out of surgery."

That was an illustration of how China Stogner reached and touched people. The surgery raised hope, but further problems ensued. Early Monday morning, blood clotted an artery to the brain and cut off brain activity. She died later that day.

"China was very outgoing and likable; she was liked by everyone," Liggett said. "She was easygoing and a great kid. Terry Stogner (her uncle and a previous athletic director at Carlmont) and I talked to the principal and we arranged to have this event at Carlmont on Saturday."

"China would have turned 25 on Christmas Day," Barbara Stogner said. "Saturday will be a celebration of her life. It's an event for the amount of people who want to come and pay respects. We will remember her, tell favorite stories and then have a party and dance on the infield. There will be CDs of her favorite music. People will bring posters of her favorite photos and experiences. Everyone will have purple ribbons and bows - purple was her favorite color. She was a vivacious, dynamic, outgoing young woman. Everyone wanted to be around her."

After Carlmont, China Stogner attended Cal State Chico and received a B.A. in Interior Design. She opened her own business, Designs by Chyna (the altered spelling is to avoid confusing people with designs from the country of China). She worked with interior design of many things including nightclubs. Her mother says the business will continue.

"In the last operation, the doctors removed a section of dead bowel," Barbara Stogner said. "The doctors were giddy; they thought they got the bowel and that things would be OK.

The room burst into applause. It didn't work out that way. But China left people on a positive note - and then she left."

Now her friends will gather again and celebrate her life in a similarly positive way.

E-mail Gordon Kass at gordonkass2@hotmail.com.