Kelly S.

When Kelly was first diagnosed with bladder cancer in October of 2018, he turned to prayer before deciding to pursue care at Community Health Network.

He first met with Michael Christopher Large, MD, who specializes in urological oncology on Community Hospital North’s campus. At that time, Dr. Large explained Kelly was not a candidate for surgery but recommended chemotherapy.

With that, Kelly began treatment under the care of Annette Moore, MD, an MD Anderson Cancer Network® certified physician practicing medical oncology at Community Howard Regional Health, close to his home in Bunker Hill, Indiana.

“That was pretty tough,” he said. “I felt pretty bad, and I was ready to be done.”

Around the holidays, Kelly, a welder by trade, was in his shop building Christmas gifts for his children. Dr. Moore called with news, explaining that Kelly was still not a candidate for surgery because the chemotherapy had not shrunk the tumor enough. She suggested a new treatment, immunotherapy.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take that on – that maybe I was ready to be done,” Kelly said. “But I remember Dr. Moore reminding me I had six grandkids and she wasn’t going to let me give up. So, I agreed to immunotherapy.”

After a month or two, Kelly went in for a PET scan, but the tumor was still there.

A few months later, it still wasn’t gone.

After the third PET scan in the spring of 2019, Dr. Moore came into the patient room and asked him if he wanted to see the picture or view the report – because the tumor was gone.

“She started crying, my wife and I were crying,” Kelly recalls.

The fourth PET scan showed the tumor was still gone.

Throughout it all, Kelly still maintained his business as best he could. Yet, there was still a financial burden to cancer.

In March of 2019, just before his third PET scan, Kelly was provided with a gift card through the Oncology Patient Assistance Fund. Supported by donors, the Fund helps Community cancer patients facing financial hardships.

Kelly, ever the dedicated grandfather, used the gift card to purchase food for an upcoming camping trip with his family.

“That was a really nice gesture,” Kelly said. “I felt supported by people I didn’t even know.”

Kelly continues to visit Community every month for immunotherapy treatment, and he’s grateful for the care he received.

“You kind of pray for a miracle,” Kelly said. “You have faith that God is putting someone there to take care of you, and that’s what happened.”