Hi!  My name is Steve Pedersen and I'm the founder of Cancer Courage.

I am a certified life coach and have a Masters in Public Health from Yale University (2005).

In November 2022, I was living a healthy, active life in Hawaii with my family when I got the shocking news: I was diagnosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer. My only symptom was blood in my stool, leading to a colonoscopy that revealed a mass. I felt lost and overwhelmed.

I faced 25 rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, countless tests, surgery, and an ileostomy. Even with all this, the hardest part wasn’t the treatments; it was the anxiety, stress, and grief that consumed me. I struggled with health complications, including  pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism, and am still dealing with the long recovery process after my ostomy was reversed.

Today, I’m cancer-free and focused on re-creating my life. I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the blessings around me and the importance of connection. I founded Cancer Courage to support others on their cancer journeys, because no one should walk this path alone.

By sharing my story, I hope to help others navigate their own scary bridges. Let’s connect and share our experiences!