Jack's greatest win: Healing for the derby
John “Jack” Kellmann, 94 was off to the races after he recovered from partial hip replacement surgery. In fact, it was wanting to continue a long-time family tradition of attending one of the races leading to the famous Kentucky Derby that got him through physical therapy.
Jack’s daughter, Julie, had lived in Louisville and had friends who hosted a party for the Thurby, a race held on Thursday as part of Kentucky Derby Festival week. The event includes a full day of thoroughbred racing, including betting, Derby-style attire and more. The Kentucky Derby is traditionally run the first Saturday in May.
On March 1, Jack fell on his hip resulting in two hip fractures in two years. This made the second surgery a complex procedure. Dr. J. Cuyler Dear, Orthopedic Surgeon at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, performed both surgeries. “Jack is an amazing guy,” said Dr. Dear. “Willing to work very hard to get better, he is definitely not done living.”
“From the first therapy planning meeting, dad vowed that going to the Thurby was his goal,” said Julie Kellmann, his daughter. “Dad is a retired Air Force pilot with five years of active duty, 20 years in the Reserve and 5,000 flying hours. My friends really look up to him. He wanted to go to the Thurby to see the people he loves and wants to be around. The trip was a carrot we dangled to help him focus on his recovery.”
Jack agreed. “I set the date of Thurby as my goal,” said Jack. “I was able to get there with the help of the staff at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center. When there was something in my therapy that I did not want to do, they encouraged me and persuaded me to do it.”
Whitney Baker, a Family Nurse Practitioner at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, was on Jack’s treatment team. She described him as one of the most determined people she has ever met. “Working as a team that included our incredible physicians, internal medicine, the team at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center and others, we were able to ensure the best care for him,” she said.
After having surgery on March 18, Jack was released on April 29, on a plane to the race on April 30 and at the race on May 1. He flew back to San Antonio on May 2, and the next day left with his family to attend his niece’s wedding in Houston. “It was a whirlwind,” he said.
Julie said that at the race party her dad had a bird’s eye view of the finish line and a private betting window. “He won on quite a few of the races, but his biggest win was his recovery,” she said.