How One Mom Decided to Break the Rules and Beat Molluscum

by Mazhar Thakur October 31, 2022

Erica Groussman wanted her kids to live happy lives and just be kids.

Then Erica’s life took a different turn in 2018 when her six-year-old daughter, Alivia, came home with a few red bumps on her neck.

Alivia’s pediatrician said it was a molluscum infection.

A what…?

Discover how and why Erica broke the rules, partnered with a doctor, and found a better way to beat molluscum that isn’t nearly as painful and arduous as modern treatments.

What Is Molluscum?

It’s a highly contagious and irritating skin rash that can stay with children for years if left untreated. It typically occurs in warmer climates.

Molluscum spreads easily through skin contact, which means it could spread to Erica’s little boy, too, without much effort.

The contagion comes from a virus. It is no longer contagious once all of the red bumps disappear.

But getting molluscum to go away may not be easy.

What Are Common Molluscum Treatments?

Erica tried to follow her doctor’s instructions with the so-called beetlejuice treatment for molluscum.

Modern medicine uses a powerful chemical known as cantharidin, a substance found in certain members of the beetle family. Hence the name “beetlejuice.”

Typical molluscum treatments with beetlejuice include applying the liquid to the bumps and then washing them off a few hours later.

Unfortunately, little ones can have sensitivities to the treatment.

The cantharidin left Alivia in pain, blistered, and home from school for an entire week. The first-grader was uncomfortable, in tears, and just wanted to be with her friends.

Despite the treatment, the rash remained and grew worse by spreading to other parts of Alivia’s body after starting on her neck. The beetlejuice remedy could create open sores and make the infection worse, particularly if it doesn’t stay on the skin for very long or gets washed off too early.

But what do you do when your little girl is hurting from the treatment?

Another cure was to have the doctor scrape off the red whelps, but Erica wasn’t ready to put her little girl through that. Scraping off the red blisters involves minor surgery, and it could leave Alivia with permanent scars and a painful recovery after the local anesthetic wears off.

There had to be a better way.

Erica Tried All of the Home Remedies…

The worried mom of two kiddos tried all of the home remedies she could find from reputable sources and at her pediatrician’s advice.

Scraping off the molluscum was only a last resort for Alivia.

Creams and lotions with tea tree oil didn’t work. Oatmeal baths didn’t ease the itchiness and irritation. Coconut oil didn’t help, either.

The molluscum rash was feisty and wasn’t going down without a fight. Her little one’s skin kept getting itchier and scratchier.

Would this ever end?

Then Came the Scraping

Erica’s last resort was to have her daughter undergo minor surgery to scrape off the molluscum.

It was painful for Alivia. To make it worse, the procedure left permanent scars on the girl’s body.

And there was no guarantee that the molluscum would go away, either. In some cases, it can come back even after the scraping surgery.

Alivia was traumatized by the whole experience.

She was just six! She’s supposed to worry about riding bikes, climbing trees, playing dress-up, weekend sleepovers, and spending time with her friends at school.

The painful surgery was better than just ignoring it and hoping it would go away after a year, right?

Then Erica’s Son Got It

Alivia was finally rid of her molluscum infection.

Shortly afterward, Erica’s five-year-old son, Asher, came down with it.

Not again!

There was no way Erica was putting her little boy after what she just witnessed Alivia go through. She was not going to do any beetlejuice, scraping, or pain. No. Way.

Even worse, Asher spread the infection to one of his buddies after a playdate. Erica was crestfallen when she got the news.

A Plan for a Better Molluscum Treatment

At some point, every parent sits down and just thinks about how to solve a problem. They’re past the point of worry, of trying to help, seeking answers, and praying.

Erica wanted to brainstorm a solution, not just for her kids, but for all kids who suffer from this viral infection and who face painful molluscum treatments.

In 2019, Erica began working with a doctor and a chemist to create a natural treatment that both protects against the spread of molluscum and helps to relieve symptoms.

She noted that many natural remedies soothe the skin, but they still leave the sores open for spreading the infection.

A Patchwork Plan

Modern technology combined with natural remedies to create a treatment for molluscum that reduces pain and spreading.

The end result turned into Mollsucum Away™.

Erica’s son served as the first test subject. But anything was better than painful beetlejuice and scraping. Erica did not want her son to endure the same torture and abuse Alivia went through just to get rid of the red whelps.

Not this time. Ander wasn’t going to have little potholes all over his body as permanent scars.

How the Molluscum Away™ Patch Works

After much trial and error, Erica tested the first patch on her little boy, Ander.

Using painless microneedle technology, the small, clear, and innocuous patches stay directly on the skin’s infected area. They can adhere for up to 48 hours, even if your active child plays, runs, bathes, and swims.

Each patch has natural ingredients that soothe skin and treat the molluscum.

Covering the skin prevents the spread of the virus to others. The small size of each patch allows you to treat small areas of the skin, typical of an early molluscum infection before it spreads to other parts of the body.

Gentle, Natural Products With No Harsh Chemicals

The result of Erica’s trials and tribulations are our doctor-approved Molluscum Away™ products, the patches, ointment, and body wash.

They are gentle enough even for your kiddo’s sensitive skin.

In just three years, the response has been overwhelming. More than 25,000 kids have been helped by Molluscum Away™.

The Story Continues

Erica’s dream came true: She has helped thousands of kids and worried parents with a better way to treat this infection.

This story shows one thing: God doesn’t waste anyone’s suffering. What Erica, Alivia, and Ander experienced was scary, painful, and traumatic.

But look at the good that came out of one mom’s quest to find a better way.

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