Steve Crump returns to WBTV after battle with cancer

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Veteran WBTV reporter Steve Crump has finally returned to work after a 9-month medial leave of absence due to a battle with colon cancer.

On Monday, Crump walked back into the WBTV newsroom to the cheers and applause of the entire staff. It was very clear he had been sorely missed.

Crump has been on leave since June 2018, after being diagnosed with colon cancer. A surgical procedure to remove the cancer led to a serious MRSA infection, which caused him to be in the hospital for 51 days. For a time, he was on dialysis, breathing through a ventilator and using feeding tubes.

During his time away from WBTV, Crump has opened up about his fight, sitting down with anchor Jamie Boll and appearing on WBTV’s Morning Break for Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

For nearly 40 years Crump has been telling you stories from around the world and into every corner of the Carolinas, covering both the big picture and small.

He’s taught us about history and the Civil Rights Movement, often giving voice to the voiceless. The awards he’s accumulated for his work could fill a room.

In February, Crump received a Regional Emmy Award for a documentary remembering the tragic events of the Orangeburg Massacre in South Carolina.

Crump, along with WBTV photojournalist Kevin Marlow received the Emmy in the historical documentary category for the 2018 documentary “Orangeburg 50 Years Later.” Crump and Marlow began working on the documentary in 2017.

During his 9 months away from WBTV, Crump has said how much he appreciated the outpouring of support from the community - and made it very clear he always planned on returning to the job he loves.

Everyone at WBTV is thrilled to have Steve Crump back in the newsroom, and we know the community is just as thrilled to have the beloved reporter back in their homes as well.

Welcome back, Steve!

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