Hope and Healing: Melaleuca Supports Families of Pediatric Cancer Patients

When Michelle Walsh’s son Seth was diagnosed with cancer at age four, protecting him became her life’s mission. Through two bone marrow transplants, hundreds of chemo doses, and four relapses, she did everything she could to keep him safe—including switching to Melaleuca’s nontoxic products to avoid exposing his compromised immune system to harsh chemicals.

Now a five-time cancer survivor, Seth has been in remission for three years. But countless families are still in the fight. That’s why Michelle is on another mission—to support them with encouragement, joyful experiences, and now, Melaleuca products!

Seth’s Squad: Turning Pain into Purpose

Throughout Seth’s treatments, Michelle relied on the strength of their community for support. To keep friends and family updated, she created Seth’s Squad to update their community on Seth’s progress and treatments. After his remission, Michelle decided to make it something more—a nonprofit organization.

“Our mission is to provide comprehensive support to pediatric cancer patients and their families,” she says, “addressing needs from diagnosis through survivorship. We strive to enhance the care and support that helped our family during Seth’s treatment.”

As she continued to expand Seth’s Squad, Michelle realized there was one area where families needed even more support—helping protect their children from harmful germs and everyday threats at home. And thanks to Melaleuca, she was inspired with a new way to make a difference.

Hope at Home: Bringing Comfort to Families

It was also during Seth’s treatments that family and friends introduced the Walsh family to Melaleuca and its safer, healthier products, like Sol-U-Guard Botanical, which uses thyme oil and citric acid to safely kill 99.9% of household germs. They also loved using Activate-C, a powerful immune-boosting drink mix packed with vitamin C and zinc powered by Oligo^®.

These products and more became essentials to Michelle because they were safe to use around Seth, and she knew that other families with immunocompromised children would also benefit from using them—for a child battling cancer, everyday germs become a serious threat. Treatments weaken the immune system, making something as simple as a common cold dangerous.

So she decided to launch the Hope at Home program, as part of Seth’s Squad. “Our goal is to provide 100 families with Hope at Home bags filled with essential items to help them navigate the challenges of treatment,” Michelle says.

Melaleuca Steps Up to Help Seth’s Squad

At Melaleuca, our mission to enhance the lives of those we touch extends far beyond our customers and reaches families facing life’s toughest challenges. Over the years, many individuals battling cancer have reached out to Melaleuca for help, requesting specific wellness products that have made a difference in their daily lives. So when Michelle reached out to Melaleuca for help, The Wellness Company didn’t hesitate to lend support.

We sent Michelle 100 Renew Lotions, 100 Clear Defense Hand Sanitizers, 100 Activate-C Drink Mixes, and 100 Sun Shades Lip Balms, a total donation of approximately $4,000 to fill the Hope for Home bags.

Michelle was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you so much!” she said. “This is going to make a huge impact! I can’t wait to put the bags together and deliver them to the families! We truly appreciate this donation!”

“We Battle for Hope”

While the Hope at Home program provides crucial wellness products to families, Seth’s Squad offers many more ways to bring comfort, joy, and connection to families and children. With the slogan We Battle for Hope, the nonprofit provides a range of services for pediatric cancer patients and their families:

• Stocking outpatient carts with snacks and toys for children during outpatient treatment
• Hosting support groups where parents can connect with social work professionals and other parents who truly understand their struggles
• Sponsoring family outings, including zoo trips, sporting events, and even private movie screenings
• Collecting new toys every September (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month) and delivering them to hospitals in their region

Every child battling cancer deserves not just effective treatment but also comfort, safety, and plenty of joy. To learn more about Seth’s Squad and how you can support children receiving cancer treatments, and their families, visit sethssquad.org.