Seth Walsh survived cancer. Now he's youngest player on Bellarmine's men's basketball team

Five years ago, Seth Walsh and his family's lives changed forever. 

On Dec. 24, 2018, Seth felt unwell, but he didn't have any symptoms to warrant a doctor's visit. Two days later, the Walsh family noticed he had a rash, so they took Seth to a pediatrician. 

The doctors ran a series of tests and discovered Seth's white blood cell count was 240,000. Seth, 4 years old at the time, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia.

The Walsh family has received support from various sources during Seth's journey. Seth loves sports, so when his mom, Michelle Walsh, came across a Facebook post in 2022 about Team IMPACT, a nonprofit connecting children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, she decided to apply.

After Seth was accepted to the program, Team IMPACT connected Seth and Bellarmine men's basketball coach Scott Davenport, who was eager to have Seth become part of the team.

Seth had his official "signing day" with the Knights in June 2022. The ceremony started after a Bellarmine basketball camp.

Since that day, Bellarmine men's basketball has been a huge part of the Walsh family's lives.

"Seth just had cataract surgery on both of his eyes; it was a side effect of the treatment. And the team called, they sent videos, they checked in on him and made sure that he knew they had his back and were there to support him," Michelle said.

The Walsh family hosts a yearly blood drive because Seth has had more than 225 blood transfusions. It is one of the family's ways of giving back to the community. 

Last year, nearly the entire coaching staff and many players donated blood, Michelle said.

The Knights also volunteered at Mt. Washington Elementary School, helping in the classroom. They spent a couple of hours hanging out with Seth and his second grade classmates.

"They helped administer math tests and do writing with them and reading," Michelle said. "We like to make sure that other people get to benefit from our connection with the team, and that was really awesome."

Bellarmine's connection with Team Impact

The Bellarmine men's basketball team has a history of partnering with Team Impact. Patrick McSweeney, who was 14 at the time, was the first child to sign with the Knights through the program.

Patrick was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, when he was 5 years old. From Patrick's initial diagnosis in 2004 to 2018, his cancer returned six times. McSweeney has been in remission since 2018; he hit his five-year mark in May.

McSweeney graduated from Louisville with a nursing degree. He was inspired by the kindness he received from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital nurses, which was one reason he changed his major from mechanical engineering to nursing. 

McSweeney is now a nurse with the bone marrow transplant unit at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the same hospital where Seth received some of his treatment.

The Walsh and McSweeney families have built a special bond because Seth and Patrick's stories are similar. 

"When Seth relapsed for the fourth time, Patrick's mother, Debbie, was one of my first calls because I needed to hear from somebody that had been there," Michelle said. 

"Seth is following (Patrick's) path in a lot of ways, but Patrick is a survivor and a fighter, and he's graduated from college and succeeding in life. And, to me, that brings me so much peace and hope."

Seth began treatment for his cancer at Norton Children's Hospital. He relapsed for the first time in October 2019 and was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant. 

Seth's brother was the donor for his first bone marrow transplant in April 2020. He was in the hospital for about 80 days and then relapsed shortly afterward. 

Seth then was transferred to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where he did well for about five months before his cancer returned for the third time. 

Seth received another bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor through Be The Match, an organization that connects patients with a matching donor for a life-saving marrow transplant.

Shortly after, Seth's cancer returned for the fourth time in three years, and he was put in hospice care. 

Seth's parents started looking for alternative treatments, and that's when they discovered a clinical trial at Philadelphia Children's Hospital in February 2022. 

It has been close to 22 months since Seth started the clinical trial, and he has been in remission, Michelle said.

Support continues from Bellarmine, McSweeney family

Five years later, the Walsh family has gotten bigger with the addition of the Bellarmine men's basketball team and the McSweeneys.

"They're all, you know, equals and brothers, and together they have just fully adopted Seth as if he was one of them," Michelle said of the Knights.

"He's on their website as a team member, he's on their team page on their team picture, he has their jersey, he is a member of that team, they love him, and for me, that's been huge."

Seth's birthday was Dec. 6. His two birthday wishes were for a box of honeybuns and to surprise the Knights with a snowball fight at their practice.

Seth enlisted help from one of his favorite players, Bash Wieland, to organize the snowball fight, and afterward, they ate honeybuns as a team.

Wieland, a fifth-year senior, said the team's relationship with Seth has helped him grow as a person and altered his outlook on life. 

"I think Seth has an infectious personality. He's always smiling. Based on his demeanor and attitude, you would never know what that kid's going through. He affects others positively," Wieland said. 

Seth said he's enjoyed his time with the Knights and has created special memories with the team. "They (have) taken me in and made me feel like I have a second family."

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.