NFL pro-bowler Jim Kelly is one of the legendary Buffalo Bills players who are appearing it the upcoming Hallmark movie Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, and because the Hallmark family is such a, well, family, actress Patti Murin is asking for Hallmark fans to send all their thoughts and prayers to Kelly's family as his baby grandson fights for his life.
"If you have any extra love and energy available, please send all of it to this amazing man and his family. @jimkelly1212 and @jillmkelly are on an extremely difficult journey right now and need as many of us to rally around them as possible. They are truly incredible people ❤️," wrote Murin on Instagram.
Back on July 13, Kelly posted to Instagram that his daughter Erin and son-in-law Parker welcomed their first child, a boy who was born with "unexpected medical complications."
The baby, whom Kelly refers to as "Little Bean" in his posts, underwent a procedure that week but still faced a long road ahead, "filled with many intricate, delicate steps in his healing journey."
"We are praying specifically that Little Bean's body will begin to heal and adjust to everything that took place. That his lungs and heart and all of his other vital organs will grow stronger. That he'll be able to come off the ventilator and breathe on his own," wrote Kelly on July 18.
The baby was able to be taken off the ventilator on July 22, but then had a relapse a few days later.
"Little Bean struggled too much when they tried to wean him off the medication, so he's now back on it with increased oxygen to help him. There are so many layers, so many intricate details in his little body that need divine healing. And honestly, it feels like we've gone beyond rock bottom. But a dear friend reminded me this morning that Jesus is still the Rock at the bottom," wrote Kelly on July 25.
On July 30, he wrote, "We're so thankful for tears because lately, it feels like that's all we've got left."
On August 5, Kelly gave a promising update, saying that Little Bean has been able to come off of oxygen. He added that August 11 is the next important day because the doctors will try once again to take Little Bean off of his medication.
August 5 was an especially poignant day because that is Kelly's son Hunter's Heaven Day. Kelly and his wife Jill lost their son Hunter on August 5, 2005, at the age of 8 years old. Hunter was born with Krabbe Disease, which is a fatal nervous system disease. He was not expected to live past the age of 3, according to ESPN at the time of Hunter's death.
In the comments on the various posts from Murin and Kelly, Hallmark fans and NFL fans are coming together to rally around the Kelly family.
"I've been following their story and have been praying so much. Baby Bean, we love you ❤️," wrote one Hallmark fan.
A Bills fan added, "Thank you so much for this, Patti! There is no love like BuffaLOVE and we always have the Kelly family's backs - but they sure could use every positive thought from everyone now."
Upon the August 5 update, former NFL star Jerome Bettis wrote, "This is amazing news 🙏🏿."
NFL stars Troy Aikman, Andre Reed, David Nelson and Thurman Thomas, Thomas' wife Patti Thomas, sports reporter Charissa Thompson, and journalist Katie Couric have also been leaving prayers and messages for the Kelly family.
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