Legendary Buffalo Bills Quarterback, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly announced on Monday that he has been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer that effects the upper jaw bone.
Kelly is scheduled to have surgery on Friday to attempt to remove the cancerous cells. Doctors are hopeful that the cancer is contained and can be removed. It is believed that this is a treatable form of cancer and should not effect Kelly’s ability to live a long and full life with his wife and family. It has not yet been determined if Kelly will need chemotherapy, and doctors will decide this following the surgery.
Kelly had the following to say before his annual charity golf tournament: “I’m down at the bottom. But I will rise to the top again. I am extremely confident in my road to recovery. I plan to tackle this challenge head on, as we Kellys always do.”
He also said, “We caught it in time. It’s just another challenge for me and I know I’ll beat it.”
It is not the first such challenge for Kelly in his post football career. In 1997 his son, Hunter, was born with Krabbe’s disease, a rare disorder of the nervous system. Doctor’s initially said that Hunter would only live to be about 3 years old, but the young Kelly fought bravely before succumbing to the crippling disease in 1995, at the age of eight. Hunter’s predicament and battle would lead to Kelly and his wife Jill establishing Hunter’s Hope a charitable foundation dedicated to helping parents with children with Krabbe’s disease, and to helping find a cure for Krabbe’s as well.
Kelly has long been involved in charitable works for children, as Kelly for Kids was established in 1987. This is the 27th annual golf tournament raising funds for the charity.
You can donate to the charities at http://www.kellyforkids.com/ and http://huntershope.org
We at LWOS wish Jim, Jill, and their daughters all the best at this difficult time. Get well soon Jim.
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