Kelly Ann Conway - Critical Care RN, President KIF4a Foundation

Kelly was born on November 7, 1986, the youngest of 4, to Buddy & Kay Conner. From the day she was born she was very strong willed, determined and smart. Not only was she the youngest child, she was also the youngest of all the kids she played with on the cul-de-sac. She wanted to be “big” like them, so she learned from them, including how to ride a 2 wheel bike at the age of 4. In elementary school, she was a very happy child, made lots of friends, was an Honor Student and a Girl Scout. She played soccer, did gymnastics, played softball, and learned to play the oboe & clarinet. In high school, she was in the school band and marching band. She had a promising future ahead of her.

After experiencing the devastating blow of losing her father tragically, shortly after high school, Kelly began to struggle. Her attempts to deal with the trauma led her down a path with many bumps and turns. She experienced some dark times, but she was determined to persevere. The turning point for Kelly was when she met the love of her life, Chris Conway.

Chris was also struggling, but they inspired each other to make positive changes. It took a while, and it wasn’t easy, but Chris stayed the course and with the help of NA and all the wonderful people Kelly met there, she finally saw a bright future and began working toward it.

Chris and Kelly got married on May 13, 2017, bought a house, and began to start a family. Kelly was passionate about sharing her recovery journey, however possible, in order to inspire others to realize “we do recover”. She wanted to help destigmatize good people working to find their way, and did that with confidence & grace.

Kelly also wanted to be a Mom with all of her being. Faced with another struggle of experiencing many miscarriages, Kelly again showcased her strong will. She was diligent about researching doctors and treatments; she endured countless exams, injections, and procedures. She and Chris made it through the rigorous process and the greatest joy of their life, Colton James Conway, was born on March 13, 2019. It was the happiest Kelly had ever been (besides when she married Chris, of course). When it became evident that her beloved baby boy was having difficulties shortly after birth, Kelly yet again put her fierce will into gear, checking herself out of the hospital, risking her own health, in order to travel with Colton to the very best doctors. It was when Colton was facing a genetic disorder diagnosis and multiple surgeries that Kelly fell into what she felt was her reason for living, being an unstoppable advocate for Colton and making sure he defied the odds at every turn.

Kelly fought for information and research so hard that she founded a non-profit organization called KIF4a Related Disorders and began to reach out to other families with children living with the same or similar disorders. She began fundraising for her own charity to start treatment research for Colton as well as giving to other charities such as Ronald McDonald’s House, Bright Blooms Center for Autism, and even baking and delivering cookies for Christmas. Kelly continued to show up for Colton over and over, making sure he had the best schools, resources, and therapies. Chris and Kelly both were truly willing to sacrifice whatever was needed to help Colton. This is evident by how he has grown by leaps and bounds and where he is today. The love and determination they share has inspired countless people. Advocating for Colton and doing research helped Kelly decide she wanted to go into nursing and eventually become a Nurse Practitioner so that she could reach and help as many people as possible. She entered DelTech in Dover to begin her nursing education. In December 2022 she received her Associate’s Degree in Nursing, Summa Cum Laude, and began working at Bay Health Medical Center, PICU Unit in Dover. In January 2023 she registered to begin her Bachelor of Science Degree. Just recently, after receiving 2 patient compliment cards and saving another patient’s life, she absolutely knew she had chosen the right career path.

Kelly’s strong will & determination led her through some rough times, but also helped her to recover and become the strongest advocate for her son. We are so proud of how she grew & changed her path in life to become the best that she could be.
We love you, Kelly, with all our hearts and will miss you forever.

Fly our darling baby, soar high with the angels. May You Rest In Peace.

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Don’t think of her as gone away
Her journey’s just begun,
Life holds so many facets
This earth is only one.
Just think of her as resting
From the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort
Where there are no days and years.
Think how she must be wishing
That we could know today
How nothing but our sadness
Can really pass away.
And think of her as living
In the hearts of those she touched…
For nothing loved is ever lost
And she was loved so much.