MT. WASHINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's not Sunday, but Seth Walsh's squad is at a church in Mt. Washington.
His brothers are crafting and clowning around. His mom is chatting with others not far from the sanctuary. There's a voice missing though from those conversations.
"He's not afraid to talk to anybody," Seth's mom, Michelle Walsh, said.
She's talking about the boy whose name is on shirts and masks that fill the church: Seth Walsh. What they wouldn't give to see him walk into the place.
Seth is in a hospital room. It's been that way, on and off, for years now.
"I miss being at home," he said.
Michelle Walsh remembers it all vividly, especially the beginning, when a rash ultimately turned into an ambulance ride to Norton Children's Hospital.
Seth has relapsed three times, since his battle with Leukemia started when he was only 4-years-old.
"He was confirmed to have Leukemia within two hours," Michelle Walsh said.
Seth was only 4 years old then. The years that followed came a bone marrow transplant from his brother — and what seemed to be victories over cancer — just to experience the devastation of another setback.
"He relapsed for a third time on Feb. 24th of this year, just a couple weeks ago," Michelle Walsh said. "A relapse is honestly ... it's almost worse than the first time you find out that your child has cancer."
Because she already knows how tough it's been to get where they are, only to have to go back and face the same fight again.
Seth is 6 now. He understands a little more what he's going through. His parents take turns going to Cincinnati Children's Hospital to be with him.
"As a parent, it just beats you down," Michelle Walsh said.
Faith keeps them all strong, and she added it lets her know Seth is still here for a reason.
"He's made such an influence on other people's lives," she said.
That continued this week at that Mt. Washington church. To mark one year since Seth's bone marrow transplant, his family put together a big blood drive.
"So many people take care of us, and we want to be able to give back," Michelle Walsh said.
Storm Troopers from Seth's favorite movie, Star Wars, guarded the door.
Seth's favorite "Star Wars" character guarded the door at the blood drive.
"Basically, everything that we do centers around Storm Troopers, with cancer being the rebels, and Storm Troopers being good guys," Michelle Walsh said.
Seth even named the port that connects his body to chemo and blood after the Star Wars soldiers.
The force is strong in Kentuckiana. The goal of the drive was 100 donors, but 126 people showed up to donate 115 units of blood.
"I want to tell everyone thank you," Seth said from his hospital room in Cincinnati.
It's that positivity that Seth's squad takes with them as the brave little boy prepares for a second grueling bone marrow transplant in May.
If you'd like to help Seth's family with mounting medical expenses, you can buy a t-shirt here.
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