Brenna Kelley shares the story of "Super Doc", his legacy and how you can make a difference with the ALSA Wisconsin Chapter
My dad is Dr. Joe Kelley, and he lost his battle with ALS in November of 2020. After over 4 years of fighting every day, his body ultimately was taken by this cruel disease.
Over the course of the four years, we watched ALS take and take from him and had to learn to say goodbye along the way.
Dr. Joe had Bulbar ALS, which is where the disease began by affecting his speech and swallowing. It wasn’t until about the last year of his life that the rest of his body was really affected. Dr. Joe was a world traveler and a renowned Veterinarian. He gave his free time to animals around the world to help with overpopulation in foreign countries and through his life he made friends wherever he went and carried them through to the end. He even spent a few months in China pursuing alternative medicine to slow the progression of the disease.
He would’ve tried anything to buy time with his “girls” – wife, Jodi, and daughters, Morgan and Brenna.
ALS took a few of the most important things from him – his voice, which he used to tell the funniest and most elaborate stories with, speak to his clients with, and cheer at Packer games with. His love for food, which he passed on to others by smoking, grilling, and developing new recipes to share. And his love for being outside and being physical, which took him to all corners of the earth and to the tops of mountains.
ALS is a severely underfunded disease. There is a cure, but there is not enough funding to find it yet.
Myself, my family, and all others affected by this disease plead for others to give their attention to the people suffering with this and put forth the funds to find a cure.
Two simple and fun ways to donate and get involved are by registering or joining a Walk Team and by purchasing a copy of Super Doc, a children’s book written by Jane Johnson and illustrated by Lisa Bohart. This book was written about my dad, Dr. Joe, who was a super hero to so many animals and humans alike. He is missed dearly and we wish for no one else to feel the loss that we feel every day.
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Milwaukee I Madison I Northeastern
Get a copy of Super Doc
Brenna Kelley daughter of Super Doc Joe Kelley, shares her story and his legacy with us in her own words. Every Year "Team Kelley" grows and has become a staple of the Madison Walk to Defeat ALS.
