HELPING MATTERS Kelly's is pleased to introduce the Helping Matters Fund. This fund has been developed specifically for helping others within our local communities. Now, you too can play an active role in helping Kelly's accomplish many good things within our communities by simply buying Kelly's BBQ Sauce. A portion of all sales will be contributed to Kelly's Helping Matters Fund. So please, share this site and some of Kelly's BBQ sauce with your friends, family members and neighbors. Together, we can make a difference. Our first matter is to help the family of a 20 year old college student from our community who has just undergone a bone marrow transplant. His name is Jacob. Jacob and his family have certainly been going through some very difficult times recently. With your help, Kelly's hopes to help this family off set some of the tremendous medical expenses they now face. If you would like to make a tax free donation to the Jacob Brown Fund, simply make your check or money order out to Grace United Methodist Church designating the Jacob Brown Fund on the memo line. The address is: 1200 Main Street, Hamilton OH 45013.
Jacob's Story Jacob Brown was a student at Lee University with hobbies including camping, rock climbing, and weight lifting. He is now battling a rare blood disorder with the help of God, friends, and family. It all started January 21, 2008 with a nose bleed that would not stop. After two weeks of tests, including hospitalization and multiple blood transfusions Jacob was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. How people develop this disease is not really clear. The immune system is triggered, for some reason, to attack his own stem cells. Our bodies’ blood cells are constantly dying and the stem cells are the source of new blood cells. Because Jacob’s stem cells are no longer being produced, he is living from one blood transfusion to another. The only cure for aplastic anemia is a bone marrow transplant, which Jacob received April 3, 2008. Tragically it failed. Miraculously, Jacobs' bone marrow once again started producing all the necessary blood cells! Jacob still struggles to recover. Meanwhile his insurance provider has refused to cover their portion of the expense. He is still very much in need of donations to cover medical costs.