Nan Jenkins began volunteering for the American Cancer Society 33 years ago to “fight back” in memory of her mom and dad whom she lost to cancer in 1989 & 1987.  She has enjoyed seeing the great strides ACS is making and is convinced her parents would have certainly had a longer life with treatment options that are available today.  Her “fight back” resolve has only increased over the years.  Nan’s brother received a Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis (he is currently cancer free) and lost his son, my 34 year old nephew, to Angiosarcoma over four years ago.

Seven years ago, it became even more personal for Nan.   From a blood test looking for something totally unrelated, she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (bone marrow cancer).  She immediately put her years of volunteering with the American Cancer Society to work by using cancer.org, seeking information from a researcher and even staying at the Hope Lodge.  After 8 months of treatment at Winship Cancer Center in Atlanta, Nan is happy to say that her numbers continue to be stable.  Currently, Multiple Myeloma is not curable. She will be dealing with this the rest of her life, but what a great thing to know that it is under control.

Nan has been involved in every aspect of Relay For Life for over 30 years.  She has served on many Regional and National Teams.  She was selected as a Voice of Hope in 2019 and a Global Hero of Hope in 2020.  She would love to share her whole story and show you what a difference the American Cancer Society has made in her life.

Nan and her husband of 35 years, Jeff, live in Stockbridge, Georgia.  They have a 31-year-old son who is an educator.