Shell and Eleanor Shaw's story
Shell Shaw’s daughter, Eleanor, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago, when she was seven.
Shell recalls, “We were on a camping trip, and Eleanor was drinking a lot of water, needing to go to the toilet all the time and she started feeling really tired”. But when Eleanor vomited, her dad (who coincidentally is a paediatric diabetes specialist) was quick to get her to hospital. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes shortly after.
“Daily life quickly became filled with routines we had never imagined — monitoring glucose levels, managing insulin, and learning to navigate a new normal with courage and resilience. But one small moment kept breaking my heart,” says Shell.
“Every few days, when it was time to remove her glucose sensor, it hurt. The adhesive clung tightly to her delicate skin, leaving redness, irritation, and tears. I searched for something gentle, natural, and safe for sensitive skin — but the options were limited and often harsh.”
Shell thought about it and decided “It can’t just be me that has this problem. Our children deserve better... I knew there had to be a better way”.
So, she decided to develop a product to change that. She began contacting companies who could help work with her. There were quite a few ‘no’s but Shell kept going until she heard back from Stacey Fraser at Peerage who believed in products with purpose. 18 months and five formulations later, Elshaw was ready for production in May 2026.
Elshaw is named after – Eleanor. What does Eleanor think about it? “Well, she’s 9… I think she loves it!”
The journey hasn’t always been smooth sailing. There was a lot of pressure to quickly learn everything about running a business - on the side of working another job and juggling the demands of a busy family, including four children.
At times, it felt like Shell was taking on a bit too much, but she persisted, remembering why she was doing it in the first place. “‘I’m doing this for Eleanor”. In some ways, Shell reflects it’s also been a healing process as she helps Eleanor adjust to a life with diabetes.
Shell has had to be persistent, working out quickly that “If you don’t ask, nothing’s going to happen”.
Learning how to run a small business: Shell asked around and found out who could help, which included courses run by Taranaki Ventures, and then being selected as a finalist in their Power Up startup programme – which meant pitching her idea to 100 people on stage. She was assigned a mentor for 10 weeks to help guide her. After which she reached out to BNZ via their business mentor programme to help her continue on.
Getting her product stocked meant a lot of door-knocking on local retailers, and promotion via social media, as well as reaching out to pharmacies and distributors.
What’s been the highlight? “Well, there have been lots. From the fist pallet of stock arriving on my driveway – to the first order through the website – to the first large order from Mediray – the first positive review – the first time I saw Elshaw on a shelf in a shop - there have been many moments in the journey that have been exciting.”
But for Shell, the biggest highlight is closer to home. “Ella being pain-free and starting to change her own sites. That’s the biggest one”.
Have you enjoyed developing a product? Shell tells us, “I’ve loved it and if I can take this one stress out of life for other families, then it’s worth it.”
This is a product born out of passion and Shell hopes that it will help other families and bring something truly helpful to the diabetes community. “I’d love to see it widely used across New Zealand and Australia – that’s the dream”.
To read more about Elshaw visit: https://elshaw.co.nz/