Support Jim Kelley's Medical Journey

Hi! We are the Kelleys: Jim, Krystal, and Austin. Jim Kelley (Jimmy to some) has had so many health issues and challenges the past 4 years.

We are raising funds to help with the medical costs and the outlying expenses that creep up, especially with the most recent developments and medical issues.

We would like to share his (our) story to attempt and give the full scope of the situation.

In the summer of 2021, we were full-time RVers, park hosts at a magnificent park in Flower Mound, Texas.

Jim's eyesight was getting really bad. He knew that he had cataracts and attributed it to those getting worse. We knew he would need surgery to remove them.

In mid-October 2021, Krystal started back to work full-time in order to get insurance benefits that would cover what he needed. By the end of that month, Jim was in the hospital due to high blood pressure, and they found his kidney function/numbers were not great. He was released with meds, doctors to see, and follow up with a nephrologist.

He had seen an ophthalmologist for his vision issues who wanted him to see both a glaucoma and retina specialist before he could have the cataracts removed. In December 2021, before he could get in and be seen, he had a stroke in his left eye that left him unable to see at all out of that eye. He was essentially blind due to the cataract in the right eye. He had emergency surgery to insert a valve in his left eye to help relieve the pressure.

In January 2022, he had surgery on his right eye to insert the same type of valve and remove the cataract, which did eventually restore some vision to that eye. Later in the month, they removed the cataract from the left eye in an attempt to help him regain vision, but it was unsuccessful, and he still has no vision there.

Krystal was not able to keep up with the work at the park, working nights full-time, caring for Jim, and continuing to homeschool Austin, so we had to give up park hosting and full-time RV life and move into an apartment.

We settled into a routine and seemed to be adjusting.

Jim had begun seeing a podiatrist for foot pain in his right foot. His doctor had also put him on diuretics due to retaining fluid. He was not diabetic, but they were treating him as if he was.

By July 2022, he was retaining so much fluid and nothing would get it off. We took him to the ER, and he was admitted for kidney failure. He began dialysis at that point. They were also treating a sore that he had developed on the right foot from scraping his foot on the door frame.

After almost 2 weeks, he was released from the hospital, receiving dialysis 3 times per week, and following up with doctors, including the podiatrist for the sore.

His foot wasn't healing. One morning in early October 2022, he took a step and screamed in pain. I rushed him to the podiatrist, where they X-rayed and found that his foot had broken.

We scheduled him an emergency appointment with an orthopedic specialist that had been recommended.

He reviewed the X-rays, took his own, and ordered a CT scan. We went back the following day, where he delivered the news that Jim's calcaneus (heel bone) had been broken and rubbed inside his foot, causing infection. It had gotten into the bone, and he would require amputation the next week.

(Jim had fallen off a ladder the year prior but didn't realize he had broken his foot. It had not been bothering him until much later!) From the smell when cleaning the wound, Krystal knew that it was infected.

This news and information was such a shock.

So, the next week, he had surgery to amputate his leg below the knee. He spent a week in the hospital and then 3 weeks in a rehab facility. During this time, Krystal had to continue working and move to a ground-floor apartment.

It was all made possible by amazing friends, family, and their homeschool co-op community who came in, packed, moved, and unpacked everything!

Once again, we moved forward, adjusting to our new life, figuring it out, and getting into some type of routine.

Jim continued on dialysis, therapy for his prosthetic, all the doctor appointments, etc.

He was independent in the sense of being able to get around in the kitchen, stand up, and get in/out of the car/bed/bathroom, etc. He even did the laundry!

In December of 2024, he went for testing to see if he qualified to get on the list for a kidney transplant. After very extensive screening, they deemed he was not a candidate due to what they saw with the calcification in his heart valves and his mobility issues.

He had begun retaining fluid again that dialysis was not fully removing.

He was not diagnosed with anything at that point.

Upon researching what they said about his heart, we found that this is a common issue for patients on hemodialysis. So it was frustrating that we had never been told this information.

As the months went on, Jim was getting weaker. His blood pressure began dropping so much that he was taken off all BP meds. But during dialysis, he was being put on oxygen and taken off early due to it dropping so low.

He had gotten to where he couldn't stand, wanted to sleep all the time, and could not lift himself at all.

On April 23, 2025, he was not able to get up and get to dialysis, so we took him to the hospital where he was admitted.

They put him into the ICU on continuous dialysis because his body couldn't handle the strain of normal hemodialysis.

With all the extensive testing, we were told that his heart function was at about 25%. After 3 days, they moved him to the heart hospital where those specialists took over his care.

His aortic valve was extremely calcified and wasn't working properly. His blood flow within his heart was basically going the opposite of how it should. His mitral valve and tricuspid valves were also presenting issues, but the main one was the full culprit. No medication could help resolve this. Only surgery. But they would not do open-heart surgery due to all his other issues.

They finally decided to do a TAVR procedure to replace the valve. They made it clear that if anything went wrong, they would not revert to open-heart surgery. Thank God for all the prayers from you!!!

He had other plans for Jim! He came through the surgery doing very well! There have been no signs of stroke either!!

Jim was released from the heart hospital on May 12th and sent to a rehabilitation facility. He has been working hard and getting stronger every day!

He is due to be released to come home on June 4th!

He will continue with home health, outpatient therapy, and the 3 times a week hemodialysis.

There is so much to do and prepare, but we are so happy he is coming home!

Thank you to everyone that has reached out with your prayers, care, and concern. He greatly appreciated the care packages, phone calls, and gifts you have given.

We all are grateful for everything!

We do need support ongoing since this is not an easy time. Krystal has been taking off work a lot and will need to do so in the upcoming weeks to provide Jim's care. There are medical devices not covered by insurance and just other things needed.

We ask first and foremost for prayer support! That is the most coveted thing since we know God is our healer and provider!

Secondly, if you feel led to donate, we appreciate that as well. Many of you have donated time as well as resources. Your visits, messages, and time spent with Austin have been such a wonderful blessing! Any and all gestures are appreciated!

If you like Young Living Essential Oils and their products, Krystal is still a Brand Partner for them (12 years and going strong). If you are not a customer already and would like to order something, using her affiliate link helps to support our family. (www.pureoildrops.com)

We do also have Venmo and Zelle if you prefer those methods. We are setting up an Amazon wishlist also.

Thank you all so much! We will continue to update Jim's progress!