Group Vice President of Sales, Cf
Search every verified Bill Kelly interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Bill Kelly, a wholesale diamond broker and founder of Miracle Diamonds, spoke about surviving a stroke, leukemia, and a brain bleed. He described experiencing a stroke at a Braves game in 2014, after which doctors discovered he had leukemia and later performed emergency brain surgery while he was undergoing chemotherapy. Kelly said he was in a coma for seven to eight days, was initially paralyzed from the neck down, and spent three months in the hospital before returning home in a wheelchair. He stated that he relearned to walk and talk, and after being told he was not psychologically fit to work, he obtained a real estate license to prove his doctors wrong. When the real estate market declined, he returned to the jewelry business and organized gold shows across multiple states. In a separate 2013 TEDx talk, Kelly discussed his career in public broadcasting, noting that he started in radio at age 14 and joined WVIA in 1974. He said that public television is "so much more than this adorable yellow puppet" and described WVIA as an "active involved citizen" that serves 20 counties and partners with school districts. Kelly stated that the station raises between $70,000 and $100,000 per documentary and that about 20,000 members contribute an average of $116 each. He also remarked that "life is not about you, but about what you can do for others" and that he finds it rewarding to help people battling cancer through a support group.
“I had a stroke at a Braves game and was rushed to the hospital where they discovered I also had leukemia and later a brain bleed requiring emergency surgery. It was a life-changing moment that tested everything about me.”
“During chemo, I had brain surgery while still undergoing treatment, something doctors had never attempted before. I was in a coma for seven to eight days and was initially paralyzed from the neck down.”
“After waking from the coma, I couldn't move or talk except for moving my mouth slightly. It took days before I could move a finger, which ignited hope to keep fighting and recover.”
“I was in the hospital for about three months and came home in a wheelchair unable to walk. Through therapy and determination, I relearned how to walk and talk, eventually returning to society and work.”
“Despite doctors telling me I wasn't psychologically fit to work, I challenged myself, got a real estate license, and proved them wrong. When real estate tanked, I returned to my passion in the jewelry business.”
“The jewelry business had also tanked, so I diversified by carrying jewelry and organizing multiple gold shows monthly across several states, employing about eight people and doing well for a few years.”
“After leukemia returned, I underwent a second stem cell transplant, which knocked my immune system down to zero, putting me at risk of dying from even a cold. The transplant process was grueling but necessary.”
“My doctors have been trying to manage my dangerously high iron levels through phlebotomy, balancing iron and red blood cells to keep me alive. Even now, I never know what could happen next, but I keep moving forward.”
“If you think times are tough, just look around at others who may be going through even harder struggles. Life is not about you, but about what you can do for others, and I find it rewarding to help those battling cancer.”
“I discovered that I can raise money; nobody could have ever told me I could raise money but I just happened to have instinct and that's what I've done for now 39 years, currently president and CEO.”
“America now is the 14th rated country in reading and 25th in math, so the point of this is this indeed the time to dismantle educational television in America, which is the only publicly owned not-for-profit public service broadcaster in our country.”
“WVIA serves 20 counties and works with many school districts through formal partnerships, helping teachers and students, showing that public television is much more than just Big Bird.”
“We have to raise between 70 and $100,000 to make each documentary, which takes three to six months to produce, but we do it with real ambition.”
“About 20,000 people are members of WVIA, giving an average of $116 each for something you get for free. That's a powerful statement of worth and value.”
“WVIA is not just a broadcaster but an active involved citizen in the communities it serves, telling the stories of people, issues, problems, and opportunities in the entire area.”
William Kelly, a wholesale diamond broker, tells the story of his near death experience of having a stroke during a baseball game.
Bill Kelly's interest in broadcasting began at age 12 with a homemade plywood control board he and his friends made and ...
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Bill Kelly.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →