.
. TONIGHT KELLY STAFFORD STORY
>> Woman: WAITING IN THE
WAITING ROOM.
WAITING ROOM. JUST THINKING ABOUT OUR GIRLS
AND EVERYTHING.
AND EVERYTHING. THAT I HAVE KNOWN.
>> Reporter: HER BRAIN TUMOR
BATTLE AND GOING BEHIND
OPERATING ROOM TO TALK TO THE
LOCAL DOCTOR WHO PERFORMED THE
SURGERY AND THE CONCERN HE
FOUND INSIDE HER SKULL.
YOU KNOW AT 5 A CLOCK WE TALKED
ABOUT KELLY STAFFORD’S ROAD TO
RECOVERY AFTER HER TUMOR WAS
REMOVED LET’S REMEMBER SHE
COULD HAVE GONE ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD TO HAVE THE SURGERY DONE
BUT THEY CHOSE A DOCTOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.
>> Devin: FOR KELLY AND HER
DOCTOR ARE SHARING INSIDE
INFORMATION ON THE PROGNOSIS
ALL IN AN EFFORT TO HELP YOU
DETECT A MEDICAL ISSUE OF YOUR
OWN.
OWN. HERE IS HANK WINCHESTER.
>> Reporter: IN THE BRAIN TUMOR
WORLD DOCTOR THOMPSON IS A BIG
DEAL AND HE WAS MEANT TO BE
KELLY STAFFORD’S DOCTOR.
HE HAS TREATED MORE THAN 2000
PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TUMOR.
BUT ONCE INSIDE THE OR WITH
KELLY HE ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING
VERY RARE.
VERY RARE. AND IT WAS ON THE ONLY THE HEAT
YOU HOW TO DEAL WITH.
KELLY STAFFORD SPRING SURGERY
WAS ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE.
>> Man: HOW CLOSE DO YOU THINK
SHE WAS STILL HAVING SOME LEVEL
OF HEARING LOSS?
>> Man: I THINK SHE WAS VERY
CLOSE.
CLOSE. THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES WE
WOULD WAIT 3-4 MINUTES FOR THE
HEARING TO COME BACK.
>> Reporter: WHAT WAS PLANNED
AS A SIX HOUR SURGERY LASTED
12.
12. MORE ON THAT IN A MOMENT.
KELLY HAD WHAT IS KNOWN AS
ACOUSTIC NEUROMA.
ACOUSTIC NEUROMA. A BENIGN TUMOR IN HER BRAIN BUT
IT WAS CAUSING COMPLICATIONS.
IT NEEDED TO BE REMOVED.
IT WAS GROWING AND COULD AFFECT
HER HEARING AND WAS ALREADY
AFFECTING HER BALANCE.
>> Man: SHE DID THERE WAS A
PROBLEM THAT HAD NOT BEEN THERE
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> Woman: I ALMOST THREW HER TO
MATTHEW BECAUSE I FELT MYSELF
GOING DOWN.
GOING DOWN. >> Reporter: THE STAFFORD MET
WITH SEVERAL DOCTORS IN LOS
ANGELES AND ARIZONA BUT THEY
KEPT HEARING ABOUT DOCTOR
THOMPSON AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. IT WAS THE FIRST SIGN THAT THIS
DOCTOR WAS THE RIGHT DOCTOR.
>> Woman: WHEN WE WALKED IN HE
SAID I WILL DO MY BEST TO
PRESERVE YOUR HEARING.
IT IS IMPORTANT BUT YOU HAVE
ANOTHER YEAR.
ANOTHER YEAR. WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON IS YOUR
FACIAL NERVES.
FACIAL NERVES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS
WHAT IT IS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THE OTHER
DOCTORS DID NOT MENTION.
>> Reporter: DOCTOR THOMPSON
HAS TREATED THOUSANDS OF
PATIENTS BUT IT IS NOT EVERY
DAY THE CLIENTS QUARTERBACK AND
HIS WIFE WALK IN DESPERATE FOR
HELP.
HELP. >> Man: FOR EVERY PATIENT YOU
WANT TO TAKE CARE THAT THEY ARE
YOUR FAMILY MEMBER.
SURE, I DON’T GET TO TAKE CARE
OF A FAMILY MEMBER MATTHEW
STAFFORD EVERY DAY.
BUT REALLY MY FOCUS WAS ON
KELLY.
KELLY. I WANTED THE BEST FOR HER.
SHE IS A WOMAN, A LOVELY LADY.
SHE HAS KIDS.
THERE IS A LOT OF RISK OF
REMOVING THESE TUMOR.
>> Reporter: THE STAFFORD
IMMEDIATELY IMPRESSED BY THE
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR. >> Man: HE WAS THAT GUY ALWAYS
SUPPORTING WHEN PEOPLE ARE
AROUND BUT REALLY SUPPORT HIM
THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
IN THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE
OBVIOUSLY GREAT IN THE OR.
AND REALLY IN THE WAITING ROOM.
BEFORE AND AFTER SPEEDED THE
DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY IMPRESSED
WITH MATTHEW AND KELLY.
>> Reporter: I THINK THE THING
THAT STRUCK ME IS NUMBER ONE
SHE WAS SO POWERFUL ABOUT IT
AND HER HUSBAND CAME WITH GREAT
QUESTIONS AS WELL.
THEY WERE REALLY INVESTED IN
IT.
IT. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND THE FAMILY CAME ALONG WITH
THEM.
THEM. >> Woman: IT WAS ALWAYS MY
FATHER I WAS TALKING TO.
HE IS A DEBT OF SEVEN. >>
Reporter: THE FOCUS NOT ONLY
REMOVING THE TUMOR BUT LIMITING
FACIAL PARALYSIS AND DOING
EVERYTHING TO MAKE SURE KELLY’S
HEARING IS NOT AFFECTED.
REMEMBER:AS A MOM TO THREE
YOUNG GIRLS.
YOUNG GIRLS. SHE WAS THE ONLY WORRIED HOW
THE SURGERY WOULD AFFECT HER
BUT ALSO HAVE THE SURGERY WOULD
AFFECT HER CHILDREN.
>> Man: THE CHANCE OF SAVING
HER HEARING WAS NO BETTER THAN
50 PERCENT.
50 PERCENT. AS I WENT ALONG IF WE WERE
SUCCESSFUL, WE HAVE A GREAT
MONITORING TEAM.
MONITORING TEAM. A GROUP I WORKED WITH MORE THAN
20 YEARS.
20 YEARS. AND I COULD TELL THE HEARING
NERVES WAY WAS INTACT.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IT WOULD
FADE OUT AND I WOULD STOP IT
AND SAY WE WILL SIT HERE FOR A
WHILE AND LET THAT COME BACK.
>> Reporter: REMEMBER THIS
SURGERY WENT MUCH LONGER THAN
ANTICIPATED.
ANTICIPATED. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY? HE
DOCTOR DISCOVERED AN ABNORMAL
ARTERY NEAR THE TUMOR.
IT IS INCREDIBLY RARE BUT
INCREDIBLE THE DOCTOR AND HIS
TEAM HAD RECENTLY STUDIED THIS
ISSUE.
ISSUE. AND WRITTEN ABOUT IT WORKING TO
TRAIN OTHER DOCTORS.
>> Man: IT WAS AN ADDITIONAL
CHALLENGE BUT I REMEMBER
OPENING UP IN SEEING THIS
VESSEL RIGHT OVER THE INTERNAL
AUDITORY CANAL WHICH IS WHERE
THE NERVE AND THE TUMOR COMES
OUT FROM THE SKULL.
AND I THOUGHT GOSH, NOT ON THIS
CASE.
CASE. >> Reporter: KELLY EARLY ON SHE
WAS HAVING ISSUES.
SHE KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT
RIGHT.
RIGHT. HER MESSAGE AND HER DOCTORS
MESSAGE TO ALL OF YOU, PAY
ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY.
>> Reporter: IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR
BODY PAY ATTENTION TO THE
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS. >> Man: I THINK THE FACT THAT
SHE KNE SOMETHING WAS WRONG
WHEN SHE HAD SOME DIZZINESS,
BALANCE PROBLEMS SAVED HER FROM
FINDING OUT.
FINDING OUT. WHEN SHE ALREADY HAD HEARING
LOSS.
LOSS. >> Woman: I FEEL LIKE IT IS SO
IMPORTANT TO REALLY KNOW
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. AND KNOW YOUR BODY.
IF THERE IS EVEN SOMETHING THAT
FEELS A LITTLE OFF JUST GO IN
AND GET IT CHECKED OUT A QUICK.
>> Reporter: KELLY TALKING
ABOUT THIS NOW ENSURING HER
JOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA WILL
HAVE A HUGE IMPACT FOR YEARS TO
COME.
COME. >> Man: I THINK THE FACT SHE
CAN CONNECT WELL WITH SO MANY
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. HER STORY WILL REALLY GIVE
PEOPLE COURAGE TO FACE THE.
>> Reporter: THE SURGERY WAS A
COMPLETE SUCCESS.
COMPLETE SUCCESS. AND IN JUST FOUR MONTHS KELLY
WENT FROM HAVING TROUBLE
WALKING DOWN THE HALL AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGA TO
GETTING RIGHT BACK INTO HER
INTENSE WORKOUT ROUTINE.
AND BACK TO HER MOST IMPORTANT
JOB.
JOB. THAT OF WIFE AND MOM.
>> Man: SHE IS AN INCREDIBLE
REMODEL TO OUR GIRLS.
AND A BUNCH OF LITTLE GIRLS OUT
THERE.
THERE. JUST REALLY PROUD OF HER.
>> Reporter: WHILE KELLY’S
RECOVERY IS GOING WELL SHE
STILL GETS TIRED AND IS WORKING
TO GO BACK ON TRACK.
SHE KNOWS SHE WOULD NOT BE
WHERE SHE IS TODAY IF NOT FOR
THE GREAT CARE SHE RECEIVED AT
UNM.
UNM. >> Devin: AND KELLY’S STORY
CONTINUES HERE AT SIX A M. HE
WILL TELL US ABOUT THE ROLE
REVERSAL THAT HAPPENED AT THE
STAFFORD HOUSE.
STAFFORD HOUSE. MATTHEW GOING FROM NFL
QUARTERBACK TO CAREGIVER.
AT KELLY EMERGING AS HER OWN
REMODEL BECOMING A WARRIOR FOR
OTHERS.
OTHERS. >> Kimberly: AND AT 5:00