Cancer Survivor Heading to Olympics

By: Matt Galka - Email

Updated: Sat 3:08 AM, Aug 04, 2012

Tallahassee, Florida-August 2, 2012

"Olympic Dreams". Athletes have them, and so does Tallahassee's Chris Alford.

"I just loved watching them in 2008, all the events; wrestling, gymnastics, basketball. I just really wanted to go," said Alford.

Chris was diagnosed with germ cell cancer in 2009 when he was 16. Doctors discovered a mass in his chest.

"He looked at me and said 'am I going to die' and I said no. He cried a little bit and since that time he's just been the toughest kid you could ever imagine," said Bill Alford, Chris's father.

Chris remembers the time after the diagnosis.

"I was scared. I was angry. Why was this happening to me? Just a few months ago I thought I was completely healthy," he said.

The germ cell cancer developed into angiosarcoma: a blood and tissue cancer. Intensive chemo wore Chris down, but he drew strength from his wrestling background and a strong family.

"He just keeps moving forward, and looking forward to a new day, and he's just one of the toughest kids I know," said Chris's mom, Connie.

Now the Make-A-Wish Foundation is making one of his dreams come truet. It's sending Alford family to London on August 8th for the conclusion of the Olympic games.

"I can't wait to go it's all I've been thinking about right now," Chris said.

So make room, Team USA, because the toughest kid in Tallahassee is coming your way.

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