Jill Kelly, the wife of Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly, has provided a significant health update regarding her father. During a tailgate event earlier in September, her father had a significant health scare that required rapid medical attention and a pacemaker.

After undergoing the procedure, Jill Kelly’s father spent time under close hospital care. The sudden condition came as a shock to the family, who quickly asked for prayers and support.

Jill Kelly thanked fans for their prayers and posted on her Instagram, “Thank you so much for praying for my dad. They just got home, and now the recovery begins. One day at a time. One prayer at a time. All in God’s perfect timing.”   

Doctors stabilized his condition, and the pacemaker was placed successfully to regulate his heart rhythm. His recovery process required careful monitoring, but he responded well to treatment. The Kelly family kept the public informed during this period, asking for continued prayers as he began the next phase of healing.

A pacemaker is a tiny, battery-powered electronic device that is surgically placed beneath the skin. It helps the heart maintain a regular, healthy rhythm and rate by sending electrical impulses to it. It is necessary when the heart beats too quickly (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or irregularly, which frequently results in symptoms like exhaustion, lightheadedness, and fainting, or when problems like heart block and heart failure occur.

According to Jill Kelly, her father has now come home from the hospital. She thanked everyone who prayed and helped their family through the difficult time in a post. She stressed living day by day and said that the road to recovery had already begun. After a challenging and uncertain time, the report shows encouraging development, but the family is still focused on his full recovery.

The Kelly family’s struggles are real

The Kelly family is no stranger to adversity. But their recent months have been especially heavy. Jim and Jill Kelly have asked for continued prayers, not only for Jill’s father but also for their wider family.

Just weeks ago, their newborn grandson, Beau Hunter Bean, faced a serious complication at birth that kept him in Golisano Children’s Hospital for over a month.

Erin Kelly-Bean and her husband, Parker, revealed the ordeal in August, sharing, “To the amazing PCCC Intensive Care Cardiac Team of cardiologists, Intensive care doctors, fellows, attendings, and nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers…Too many to name. We will never forget you. God was glorified through your care and excellence.”

The young parents praised the staff for their grace and patience, recalling how every act of kindness gave them strength. “To Albert, who sat behind a desk day after day just to push a button and let us through a door… Your smile, your questions about how we were doing, and your willingness to help meant more than you will ever know.”

For the Kellys, those quiet moments of compassion stood as tall as the life-saving procedures their grandson endured.

Now, Beau is finally home. But the family has been candid about the emotional toll of his recovery, which included surgery and time on a ventilator.

In Jill’s words, “We will never forget it.”

For Jim Kelly, a Hall of Famer whose battles with cancer inspired millions, this chapter is another reminder that the toughest fights aren’t on the gridiron. For the Kellys, faith, family, and resilience remain the true foundation. No matter how hard the test.