Margo Wickersham is a bladder cancer survivor, advocate, author and speaker who inspires audiences with her powerful story of resilience through gratitude. 

Had she accepted her initial diagnosis, she wouldn’t have survived the year. Instead, she sought a second opinion from MD Anderson which revealed a second, rare variant that would not have responded to the first recommended treatment and is fatal.. Margo fought for her life—alone in a hospital during the darkest days of the pandemic—only to endure further heartbreak, including the loss of her mother. 

For the first time in her life, Margo felt like giving up. She realized that she didn’t need to feel brave to get through that moment - she just needed to no die. And that felt doable. Creating a mental list of what she could feel grateful had helped her in the past. But she felt grateful for nothing that night. So she started small. Really small. “I am grateful I have two eyes that see. I am grateful for clean drinking water.” Her mind kept going and she felt the heavy despair begin to lift..

In her book, Gratitude in the Storm – When Not Dying Is Enough to Keep Fighting (July 2022), Margo shares her journey of overcoming adversity with gratitude, grit, and self-compassion.

Known for her humor, authenticity, and heartfelt delivery, Margo connects deeply with audiences, offering hope and practical strategies for cancer patients and caregivers. She has spoken to thousands worldwide—both in person and virtually—leaving listeners empowered and uplifted. Her podcast and video guest appearances consistently rank among the most engaging episodes.

Margo’s mission is to raise bladder cancer awareness so patients get diagnosed sooner and lives can be saved. Women die at 30% rate higher than men within a year of diagnosis, due to later and misdiagnoses amd Margo is focused on removing this deadly gap.

She has created a movement that inspires others to do more than just survive - ThriverSurvivor invites people to embrace gratitude and good in life. Aware that no one wants to join the cancer club, she created community with ThriverSurvivor that fosters gratitude and hope. She donates a portion of sales revenue from the ThriverSurvivor branded merchandise to Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network to fund research.