Kris Alden
Cancer Survivor and Volunteer
If I can make a difference in one person's life, it's all worthwhile.
As a breast cancer survivor, regular volunteer, chairperson of the Patient Family Advisory Board, and a Peer Partner, Kris Alden's life is entwined in daily life at Winship, but "I never would have thought my life could become so cancer-centric," she says. "This is a good thing. If I can make a difference in one person's life, it's all worthwhile."
Kris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and she ran the gamut of treatments. She calls doctors Sheryl Gabram-Mendola, Amelia Zelnak and Bert Losken her dream team. Today, she has no evidence of disease but she wears her battle scars proudly and is glad to share them and her experiences with new patients.
She has two grown children who make her proud. She says having cancer not only changed her perspective but it also inspired her daughter, Kayley Alden, to pursue a medical career. Kayley has just started medical school at Emory and has her sights set on becoming a surgeon.
