OC Family Once Shattered By 2007 Crash Faces New Crisis As Mother Diagnosed With Stage IV Cancer

MISSION VIEJO, CA — An Orange County family whose story of loss and resilience once drew national attention is facing a new and devastating chapter, according to a GoFundMe campaign.

Nearly two decades after Chris and Lori Coble lost their three young children — 5-year-old Kyle, 4-year-old Emma and 2-year-old Katie — in a 2007 crash on Interstate 5 in Mission Viejo, the family is now asking the community for help as Lori battles a life-threatening illness, according to Irene Veccione, who created the GoFundMe on the family's behalf.

So far, the fundraiser has garnered $186,565 of its $300,000 goal.

The couple’s tragedy became widely known in the years after the crash, when the Cobles appeared on national television to speak about their children and the grief that reshaped their lives. Their story later took a hopeful turn: Lori gave birth to triplets — Ellie, Ashley and Jake — who are now high school seniors. Their arrival was seen by many as a sign of healing for a family that had endured the unimaginable.

According to the fundraiser, Lori, now 48, was recently rushed to the emergency room with concerning symptoms and was diagnosed with Stage IV glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Doctors performed emergency surgery and were able to remove about 80 percent of the tumor, but the remaining portion is located behind her right eye, in an area too delicate to operate on. Since the surgery, Lori has lost vision in one eye and significant motor control, though her family is hopeful that therapy may restore some function.

The GoFundMe states that doctors also found a separate mass in Lori’s breast, unrelated to the brain tumor, which may require a double mastectomy. She is expected to begin a rigorous treatment plan involving chemotherapy, radiation and ongoing physical therapy. While Lori undergoes treatment, her husband is attempting to balance full-time work, caregiving responsibilities and supporting their three teenagers at home.

"This is simply too much for one family to carry alone," Vechione wrote. "We are asking you — our community, friends, neighbors, and kind-hearted strangers — to once again wrap this family in your love and support."

Organizers of the fundraiser say the emotional and financial strain is overwhelming for a family that has already endured more hardship than most can fathom.

They are asking the community to assist through donations, by sharing the Cobles’ story, and by offering support in any form as the family navigates an uncertain road ahead.

Find the GoFundMe campaign here.