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Jill Kelly
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Without a Word: How a Boy's Unspoken Love Changed Everything Audio CD – Unabridged, September 9, 2010

by Jill Kelly (Author, Narrator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 106 ratings
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“Your son has been diagnosed with a fatal genetic disease called Krabbe Leukodystrophy. There is no treatment and no cure. I will do everything I can to help your son. But the disease has already progressed so fast that I don’t think he will live to see his second birthday.” With these words, pro football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly and his wife, Jill, were catapulted from a seemingly fairy-tale life of celebrity into a world of private struggle and medical uncertainty. What the public didn’t know, however, was that behind the scenes lurked more than a family’s pain at the dire prognosis of their only son. Hunter’s illness exposed the troubled depths of a marriage that had long been shadowed by uncertainties of its own. For eight years the future was unwritten, with Hunter defying all medical odds and his parents pursuing every means to save his life. Meanwhile, Jim and Jill’s marriage continued to fail yet was held together only by their love for their kids and their determined hope for Hunter. Though Hunter’s illness prevented him from ever speaking a word, his will and unconditional love spoke volumes to his family and all who knew him. And in time, the light of Hunter’s silent, all-too-brief life shone into the darkened corners of Jim and Jill’s lives, leading them to authentic faith, a restored relationship, and the establishment of a foundation that is reaching other families with terminally ill children around the world. Without a Word transparently shares it all: The heartbreaking moments . . . and those Jill would love to relive. Moments that add up to a time filled with unimaginable pain . . . and indescribable joy. Moments that silently transformed the hearts of every member of her family . . . and changed their lives forever. Moments that may even change your heart and life, too.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Oasis Audio
  3. Publication date
    September 9, 2010
  4. Dimensions
    6.5 x 0.63 x 5.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1598597949
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1598597943
  7. See all details
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  1. Kelly Tough: Live Courageously by Faith
  2. Without a Word: Living Abundantly as the Wife of an Unbeliever
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oasis Audio; Unabridged edition (September 9, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1598597949
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1598597943
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 0.63 x 5.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 106 ratings

About the author

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Jill Kelly

Jill Kelly

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Jill Marie Kelly is the wife of retired Buffalo Bills Quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. Jill and Jim have three children, Erin 14, Hunter (February 14, 1997 – August 5, 2005), and Camryn 10, and three dogs, a yellow lab – Butterscotch, a black lab – Buddy, and a Teacup Chihuahua - Bella.

A seasoned writer, Jill writes with a tenderness and candor that has served her and her readers well in laying her soul bare on the page. Through deeply personal journal entries, she has written, Prayers for Those Who Grieve and Prayers of Hope for the Brokenhearted, sharing her most intimate struggles through the loss of her son, Hunter, and the many painful experiences that followed along her path of healing.

Her unique journey through life has been forever memorialized in Without a Word, How a Boy’s Unspoken Love Changed Everything, a memoir of hope and healing that shares the story of her son, Hunter’s, incredible impact on their family. The deeply human narrative chronicles the dramatic way God rescued the Kelly family and revealed Himself through the suffering of their son, turning their hearts to the suffering of His Son ─ and ultimately restoring their love.

“Oddly, I have been writing for years…in my journals. Never did I ever think that God would allow my writings to touch people in the way they have,” Jill recalls. “I’m humbled and grateful though I will never fully comprehend why God chooses to use broken vessels, like me, to reveal His heart.”

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
106 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charles Middlebrooks
5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks to the Kelly family for sharing their story so others can see Christ's Love for all of us.
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book had it all: football, romance, family, and drama. Most of all, it had the healing love of our Savior.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but to families who have suffered the loss of a family member. This book helped me process the drama that my wife and I went through when our youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
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little lady
5.0 out of 5 stars "A Garment of Praise"
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2013
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This is a book about transformation. Jill Kelly starts out in life as a very nominal Christian. Then she has a very special son named Hunter. The book concentrates on Hunter's life and all the courage and joy he brought to those around him. It also concentrates on the power of Jesus Christ to enter a family's life and bring hope and a "garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Is. 61)
As a mother, I was able to identify fully with the author and her feelings for her children. Most of us may never lose a child, but we all will face loss in this life. Jill Kelly's love and longing for Jesus Christ is contagious. I found myself underlining and copying parts of the book that I wanted to remember because they were so uplifting.
I also admire Jim Kelly, Jill's husband, for not only supporting Jill's writing of the book, but for also contributing to it. Sometimes it is difficult for men to be effusive about their faith, but he did a terrific job in the book. I admire him all the more as a father, a husband and a man.
In short, I haven't read such a wonderful, inspiring book as this in a very long time.
One person found this helpful
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JMR
5.0 out of 5 stars Expecting this book to be great!!!
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2010
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After seeing interviews of Jill and Jim Kelly at our church, and since we live in the Buffalo area and have followed Jim's football career as well as followed stories of the life of Hunter, I just had to buy the book for my husband and myself! We have not yet had a chance to read it but I can't wait after hearing rave book reviews from others. I have heard Jill speak on a couple of occasions and I have one of her previous books. Her speaking and writing style is wonderfully personal and passionate. I expect the same passion to be shown in this book as Jim and Jill share the story of the path God has chosen for their lives. May God continue to be their source of strength as they continue on in their journey...........
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Steve772
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank-you Jill
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2010
Verified Purchase
Living in WNY, Hunter Kelly's story is certainly no secret. It was all over the media for many years so the city of good neighbors certainly felt as though we lived through the Kelly's pain with them. This book will give you insight into what Jill Kelly dealt with and... the family in general. In short, if you thought you knew the story before, her book will give you a behind the scenes like never before.

My heart ached as I read Jill's account of discovering Hunter's diagnosis. It was painful to see how the family each dealt with his passing. In fact I am not ashamed to admit it...I actually cried in a few spots. Just the very thought of spending 1 day in the Kelly family's shoes is exhausting. Through all of the pain and sorrow that Jim, Jill and their girls experienced, we learn that Hunter was nothing short of amazing and special. So special in fact that his presence is the driving force behind the cure for Krabbe Disease.

I admire Jill for opening her soul for the world to see. Through her experience, determination and dedication to Hunters Hope, the world has been forever changed.
9 people found this helpful
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Kristin
4.0 out of 5 stars Tear Jerker!
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2010
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Amazing book by an amazing woman! I have had the privilege of hearing Jill speak a couple of times over the past 10 years. She's real, she's down to earth, she's an amazingly strong & Godly woman. This book lets you in on so many details of their life that so many people in the limelight keep hidden. Such a tribute to Hunter...such a testimony. Amazing. God Bless you & your family Jill!!
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Lisa Buffaloe
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story and beautiful book
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2012
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"Without a Word" is more than a story of precious Hunter and his amazing life, it is a story of hope, redemption, and restoration. I am so grateful for Jill's honesty as she shares her journal entries and her thoughts. Jill and Jim's transparency allows the reader to walk alongside their journey as God's healing goes beyond earthly confines.

Jill, thank you for opening your heart. Please thank your family, friends, and caregivers for also sharing.

This book is a must read! You will be blessed.
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cookinn
3.0 out of 5 stars Without a Word by Jill Kelly
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2010
Verified Purchase
I was disappointed that there wasn't more about what was going on with Jim during all that time. It was a very touching tribute to Hunter, but I think it needed more details about Jim to make us more aware of the major change in him when he found God. The whole story was not really told which is significant to the reader who may not have known what was going on. I love biographies, but I felt this one fell short of the true and dramatic life they lead. Nice try though.
6 people found this helpful
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roz civello
5.0 out of 5 stars Hunter's Hope, the story of Jill and Jim Kelly, and their son Hunter
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2012
Verified Purchase
A very well written account of the life of Jill and Jim Kelly's son, Hunter, who struggled with a devastating disease. He was a courageous little soldier, the only son of Jim and Jill Kelly. The skill with which Jill Kelly wrote about her beloved child, her relationship with her husband, their 2 daughters, and her faith in God and Jesus, was beautifully told. It shows how, in spite of their earthly riches, the one thing money could never buy was the cure for their precious child. It chronicled the sometimes difficult problems they endured as a couple, the love of their families and friends, and the eventual healing they recieved, when they, especially Jill, found her salvation through Christ. This was a beautiful and emotional glimpse into their lives, and how their foundation, "Hunter's Hope" was concieved to help other infants with Krabbe's disease and similar neurological illnesses.
A beautifully written tribute to their son and their family.
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Top reviews from other countries

Fiona
5.0 out of 5 stars Heart warming but a real tear jerker
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
I think this book allows the reader to enter into life with a disabled child. I too like Jill have a disabled son and I don't think I had a dry eye in any of the chapters. She wrote from the heart and echoed many thoughts and feelings I had. I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to others.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars jaycee
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2012
Verified Purchase
fantastic book,Jill really goes into depth about living with her son,about her relationship with her husband,and her daughters,I loved this book so honest in her feelings,her son was very disabled,and deeply loved,Its nice to have a book that you think yes I know where youre coming from.
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