When you meet Marisa Peters, her energy fills the room. She’s a mom of three boys, a performer, and now the co-founder of the Be Seen Foundation. But behind that brightness is a story of survival that changed everything.

At 39, while still nursing her youngest, Marisa learned she had late-stage colorectal cancer. What followed was months of treatment, a body she barely recognized, and the constant challenge of being present for her kids while fighting for her life. She’s honest about the hardest nights, the fear that never fully disappears, and the humor that sometimes kept her family afloat, like naming her tumor “Earl” so her kids had language to understand what was happening.

This is a story about illness, yes. But it’s also about marriage, music, and the ways we find ourselves again after everything has been stripped away.

What You’ll Discover in this Episode:

• How early symptoms were missed for years (14:19)
• Finding community through “poop parties” (22:04)
• Talking to kids about cancer with honesty (36:12)
• The reality of chemo’s hardest days (42:24)
• The mental weight of scan anxiety (53:59)
• Reclaiming old dreams in a new chapter (57:22)

Marisa’s story is a reminder that survival isn’t just about medicine; it’s about family, purpose, and the courage to keep living with intention. If you’ve ever wondered how to face life when everything changes overnight, this episode is for you.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qlxDL9mS5cY 

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/marisa-peters-17  

Check out more from Marisa Peters: 

You can learn more about Marisa on her website

Or you can listen to her podcast, From Carpools to Chemo

If you feel called to it, you can give to Marisa’s foundation

Follow Marisa on Instagram