Lady A band member Charles Kelley has been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer after initially being treated for rib fractures.
“I had a couple of random rib fractures that happened, which sparked my doctor to having me do several different blood tests,” the songwriter, 45, shared via an Instagram video alongside his wife, Cassie McConnell, Tuesday.
“One of the last blood tests we did, they found a blood cancer in there called multiple myeloma.”
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation defines the condition as a “cancer of the plasma cells found in the bone marrow.”
“It’s rare, but I’m young,” Kelley added. “I feel healthy, and the treatments, I will say, have just come so far even in the past five years that even life expectancy just far exceeds what it used to be.”
The country singer further explained that the first six months of treatment shouldn’t be too invasive, saying, “I think physically, I’ll feel like myself. I’ll have tough days [but] I want to keep working.”
Kelley shared that he remains “hopeful” and “confident” that he’s going to get through it.
Additionally, he pledged to keep followers updated on his journey, similarly to how he was transparent about his sobriety journey in 2022.
The vocalist concluded his announcement video by kissing McConnell on camera. The two wed in 2009 and share two kids: Ward, 10, and Archer, 1.
In the comments section of his post, Kelley received several supportive messages from his bandmates, including Dave Haywood, who commented, “Love y’all. We’re all here for you.”
“The strongest duo right there! Love y’all so much! You’ve got this! ❤️,” Hillary Scott chimed in.
Kelley joined Lady A as a co-vocalist in 2006 when the band signed with Big Machine Records.
Kelley’s bandmates have supported him through all his ups and downs, including in 2022 when they postponed their “Request Line Tour” as he embarked on his sobriety journey.
He recently celebrated four years sober in July with a photo of him before and after he stopped drinking on Instagram.
“I could go on about the many blessings that have come from putting it down way more than looking healthier, but it’s a nice reminder of a place I don’t wanna go back to,” Kelley captioned the post.
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