Jim Kelly's wife issues horrible statement about husband's health, asks fans for help
“The cancer is back.”
Four words no one ever wants to hear, but the four words Jill Kelly, wife of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, dutifully announced to the world Thursday morning.
Jim Kelly first revealed he had cancer in his upper jaw in June 2013. He underwent surgery and traveled a long path to recovery, and was eventually declared cancer-free.
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, the cancer has returned to rear its ugly head.
“We are shocked, heartbroken, sad, angry, confused, and just darn tired,” Jill Kelly wrote on Instagram.
Despite her world suddenly feeling like it’s falling apart, Jill chose to place her faith in God, as the Kelly family has long done.
“Yet, despite how we feel, we KNOW that God is a promise maker and keeper. He is who He says He is! He can do what He says He can do! We don’t have to understand His ways to trust His heart,” she wrote, before referencing Exodus 14:14, which reads:
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
“We need you … In addition to our faith, family, and friends … we really need you and your prayer warrior friends to pray. We’re all in this together,” she added.
She finished her message with a simple but powerful statement on the gospel message: “Because we know that our eternity is secure in Christ, we can trust God with every breath upon this earth.”
Several minutes after his wife’s Instagram post, Jim Kelly issued a statement of his own through his former team, the Buffalo Bills.
“As our family has faced many trials and triumphs throughout the years, you have blessed us with your prayers. We are asking for those prayers once again. The oral cancer we hoped would be gone forever has returned,” Kelly wrote.
“Although I was shocked and deeply saddened to receive this news, I know that God is with me. I continuously talk about the four F’s. Faith, Family, Friends and Fans. With all of you by my side, we will fight and win this battle together. Staying “Kelly Tough” and trusting God, will carry us through the difficult time.”
The Buffalo Bills also released a statement:
“We are deeply saddened to hear the news about Jim Kelly and his impending battle with cancer. Jim is a tough and courageous man and we know he will fight this battle with strength and determination. The Buffalo Bills will support the Kelly family during this trying time and we ask our fans to pray for the family as Jim begins the treatment process and the road to recovery.”
Kelly, who originally despised the idea of playing in Buffalo so much that he joined the fledgling USFL, still lives in the Buffalo area and is a treasured part of the local community.
The Kellys’ Hunter’s Hope foundation honors their son Hunter who was born with Krabbe Leukodystrophy and died at age 8 in 2005. The foundation seeks to assist families with children who have extreme medical needs like Hunter did.
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