“Rallying for Kelley: Together, we can ease the burden and lift her spirits.”

On 7/16/25 Kelley went to Bayhealth ER in Milton for severe abdominal pain. Thanks to the thoroughness of the ER doctor and staff, they completed a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis. The result of the CT scan showed a 5cm mass on her colon that was “suspicious” and she was immediately transported to Bayhealth in Milford, admitted and underwent further testing.

On 7/17/25, Bayhealth doctors proactively did a scan of Kelley’s chest to determine if there was any metastasis to her lungs or other organs. This was the first indication from medical staff that they suspected the tumor was cancerous. Thankfully, there is no metastasis to any other organs.

On 7/18/25, Kelley received a colonoscopy and the doctor immediately informed them that the mass was cancer and that it needed to be removed as soon as possible, due to it causing a total bowel obstruction. The GI doctor immediately had Kelley scheduled for surgery with a colorectal specialist at Bayhealth in Dover for a laparoscopic/robot assisted colon resection surgery on Monday.

On 7/19/25, while being prepped for transport to Bayhealth in Dover, Kelley’s bowel perforated, forcing an emergency surgery for the colon resection and bowel perforation. This resulted in a significantly more intense and invasive surgical procedure where she was cut open from her pubic bone to her breast bone. During the surgery, they removed the perforated portion of the bowel, a 6cm tumor and the necessary 4cm cancer margins, resulting in about half of her colon being removed. Also removed during surgery were 38 lymph nodes, to be tested for cancerous cells. Thanks to the skillfulness of the surgeon, and Kelley’s level of fitness and health, the surgeon was able to reconnect the remaining bowel, avoiding even a temporary colostomy bag.

The following days were filled with intense IV pain management protocol and figuring out how to do something as simple as get out of bed, because she was now unable to use her abdominal muscles to sit up, as they had been cut in half from the surgery. As expected, Kelley has excelled in her recovery and is as active as they will let her be.

On 7/23/25, they received the pathology results from the colonoscopy biopsy, confirming that it was in fact adenocarcinoma of the colon.

On 7/24/25, they received pathology results from the surgery, ultimately diagnosing Kelley with Stage 3b colon cancer with lymphovascular invasion (3 of the 38 lymph nodes removed during surgery were found to be affected). Fortunately they reported that the margins removed during surgery were clear, indicating that they removed all of the cancerous portion of her colon. After being given this information, Kelley was discharged home to the sole care of her wife, Katie, to continue her recovery in the comfort of their home with her dogs.

On 8/5/25, further pathology results came back indicating there is also a genetic component associated with the tumor itself. With that information, what is known so far is Kelley’s treatment protocol will be 6 months of chemotherapy infusions followed by 6 months of immunotherapy infusions to give her the best chance at preventing recurrence moving forward. This also requires Kelley to undergo specific genetic testing to determine if she carries the mutation as well or if the tumor developed its own mutation. Genetic testing is scheduled for 8/7/25 at Bayhealth in Dover.

They do have an appointment with University of Pennsylvania Oncology on 8/13/25 to have additional resources and opinions for treatment moving forward. There is also a follow up on 8/19/25 with Bayhealth Oncology, who will work directly with UPenn oncology, to finalize a plan of treatment. Within the coming weeks, Kelley will have a port placed in her chest for her chemotherapy and immunotherapy infusions. And once Kelley is completely healed from the abdominal surgery (approx. 6-8 weeks), her aggressive treatment will begin!

Kelley works 3 part-time jobs, all of which she is extremely passionate about. Unfortunately with Kelley having major surgery, the surgeon will not allow her back in the gym to train clients for at least 6 weeks, to avoid potential hernia complications. This also prevents her from being able to teach her Parkinson's classes at the gym as well. She has returned to work at LifeMed to attempt to get back to some sense of normalcy in all of this. LifeMed has been extremely generous and accommodating to allow Kelley to work as much or as little as she is able.

Katie’s employer has been more than accommodating and supportive of Katie’s time off work, allowing her to be with Kelley 24/7 from her admission in the hospital through her recovery time at home.

What they do know at this time is that while receiving the chemo infusions, it will remove Kelley from work more, due to her time at Bayhealth and UPenn receiving treatment. If Kelley isn’t working, she does not get paid.

With impending medical bills, the cost of time off work, and trips to additional oncology appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and Bayhealth, the financial burden is a large source of stress for Kelley. While Katie is committed to picking up the slack, this is more than one income can handle.

Any funds raised would be used to supplement Kelley’s lost income, medical bills, travel to and from appointments at UPenn, alternative therapies and any other associated costs from treatment. After some research and approval from oncology, Kelley has started an IV high dose vitamin C regimen to help her body stay healthy and begin to fight the cancer cells on its own.

Kelley and Katie first want to take the time to thank all of their friends for the amazing support they have provided so far. This is a long journey and Kelley is 100% committed to getting better. The encouraging messages, countless meals (that comply with her dietary needs) and continued prayers have not gone unnoticed and there are no words to truly express their appreciation for everyone’s love and support.

If you are able to donate, ANY amount helps. If you are not able to donate, simply clicking the share button is just as helpful! And please keep the words of encouragement and support coming!! They appreciate it more than you know!

If you would prefer to Venmo Kelley directly, her Venmo is @Kelley-Harp.