Hope & Courage International was not born in a boardroom or out of convenience.
It was born from lived experience, resilience, and a deeply personal journey through cancer.
My name is Catherine Wambugu, and I am the founder of Hope & Courage International.
Before I became an advocate, a mentor, or a voice for children, teens, and young adults battling cancer, I was a patient—afraid, exhausted, and simply trying to survive.
I was diagnosed with leukemia as a young adult, and my journey was marked by two relapses. Each relapse felt like starting over—emotionally, physically, and mentally. Just when I thought I was healing, cancer demanded that I dig even deeper for strength I didn’t know I still had.
Cancer does not only attack the body. It disrupts your life, your plans, your sense of security, and your understanding of tomorrow. During my treatment journey, I experienced firsthand the harsh realities many cancer patients face, especially in low-resource settings. There were times when I had no proper place to stay, no financial stability, and no certainty about the next day. I remember **sleeping on hospital benches, not by choice, but because there was nowhere else to go. I remember the long nights, the exhaustion, the hunger, and the quiet fear of not knowing how I would make it through another day.
Beyond the physical pain, there was deep emotional and mental exhaustion—the endless hospital days, the waiting, the isolation, and the constant uncertainty of where to sleep, what to eat, or where to find comfort. In those moments, I realized something that would later shape my life’s purpose.
Cancer care is not only about treatment. It is about dignity, emotional support, mental wellness**,safe shelter, and human connection.
After years of treatment, including participation in a CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial and receiving care both locally and in India, I survived. But survivorship brought its own challenges. Healing did not end when treatment ended. Life after cancer required learning how to live again—with scars, fear, resilience, and hope existing side by side.
As I slowly rebuilt my life, one truth became clear: too many children, teens, and young adults battling cancer were facing the same struggles I had faced—alone, unseen, and unsupported beyond the hospital walls. This realization planted a seed.
Hope & Courage International (HCI) was created to ensure that no one walking the cancer journey feels abandoned or forgotten. HCI exists to support children, teens, and young adults battling cancer holistically, by providing psychosocial support, mental wellness care, emotional support, advocacy, and safe spaces of healing.
We understand the fear.
We understand the exhaustion.
We understand the long hospital days and silent nights.
We understand the uncertainty—because we have lived it.
HCI is built on compassion, empathy, and lived experience. It is a space where pain is acknowledged, hope is restored, and courage is nurtured. Every life we touch, and every smile we help create, is a reflection of why this work matters.
Today, I stand not only as a cancer survivor, but as a champion for childhood cancer, a mentor, and a voice for those whose stories are often unheard. My journey—from hospital benches to advocacy continues to fuel everything we do at Hope & Courage International.
Hope & Courage International is more than an organization. It is a movement of empathy. It is a reminder that even in brokenness, something meaningful can rise. It is proof that **beyond cancer, there is life—and beyond pain, there is purpose**.
This is our story.
Rooted in hope.
Sustained by courage. 💛