For Kayla, who earned a living as a musician while pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health, the financial hit from being unable to work while treating cancer was devastating. She’d signed a dream music deal less than a month before being diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) but instead had to shift focus to her treatment. And without family to help, she was coping with these struggles alone.  

Financial assistance from Team Chad helped her get through—and is exactly why this Brentwood, Tenn., organization exists. Another Team Chad beneficiary pointed out the enormous difference such assistance makes: “Without Team Chad’s support, I would not have sought treatment.”  

Before there was a team dedicated to helping cancer patients, there was Chad Welch, who grew up in Nashville and graduated from University of Tennessee. He married Haley and had a career in real estate. And in 2005, he was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Over the 26 months that followed, he went through two stem cell transplants and endured two relapses. He died on June 24, 2007.  

Chad recognized that, in the face of a terminal illness, he was in the otherwise fortunate position of having plenty of support in terms of health care and a strong network of friends and family. He also recognized how challenging his cancer treatment was on its own and the incredible toll worrying about money and medical attention would be for anyone who didn’t have that support. As Team Chad notes on its website, Chad worried about this point often, asking, “How do people get sick when they don’t have families to support them? Or what if they don’t have insurance?”  

In his honor, Chad’s friends and family founded Team Chad to help make sure more patients get the same access to care and essential support that was so important to Chad. 

“He was blessed to be surrounded by friends and family during his battle [and] didn’t think it was fair to see other patients struggling without their support system in place,” said Team Chad Executive Director Emily Walker. “His desire to make sure all patients had the same access to care and support is what started Team Chad. His friends and family have carried on his mission as volunteers. I am the first ever and only employee for Team Chad and have been with the organization since 2021. I’m always amazed at what his support system accomplished in his honor out of their love for Chad.” 

Team Chad offers financial assistance directly to patients and also to a number of charities that support cancer patients in various ways, like meal delivery and counseling services:  

Team Chad sponsors a number of fundraising events each year, including tailgates and bourbon tastings. Here are other ways to get involved and help out cancer patients: 

In 2026, Team Chad celebrates 20 years of improving access to care and support. But don’t wait to help them achieve that mission.