UPDATE: Kelly is still in the hospital. He was in a lot of pain over the weekend, as would be expected, and has not felt up to answering a lot of questions or reaching out just yet. He did want to pass on a little updated info - We're all used to looking at x-rays of circuit boards and clumps of wiring, but these might help "see" what's going on. The doctors cut out a portion of Kelly's T11 and T12 vertebrae, then installed a spinal bracket, screwing into his T10, T11, and L1 (see above). This was to relieve pressure on his spinal cord. A lesion had been discovered on the interior portion of his T12. They were able to remove a large portion of that. Chemo will start soon. We're some of Kelly Johnson's friends (he and I go back a quarter century to my dad's company and have worked together for the last 10 years) and we're raising money to help with his medical costs and assistance when he gets out of the hospital. Kelly went into the emergency room with back pains that have been torturing him for a while but finally reached a level even he couldn't hide. If you know him, you know that, while he doesn't hold back an opinion, he doesn't complain. Doctors discovered some very serious back problems to the point that he was likely not far from losing the use of his legs. The man has been working fire scenes like that, even traveling out-of-country to do so! The bad news is that back problems weren't the worst of it. The good news is that the cancer has been caught. It's going to be a long road for Kelly - starting with back surgery then on to chemo and radiation - but he's tough as nails. He's going to make it and we're all going to keep his spirits up! We started this fundraiser to help him out with his financial burdens but also to show him how many people in the fire investigation community and his circle of friends really care about him and are here for him! Let's get him put back together and back out there putting on training classes, setting controlled burns, and picking through debris!
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