“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t sit up. Our 6-month-old Hunter could sit up way better than I could. I was tossing and turning and falling off the bed,” Kelly Stafford recalled during a podcast. In 2019, when Matthew Stafford was still with the Lions and the QB had just welcomed their third daughter, Hunter, with wife Kelly, the couple received the shock of their lives. Kelly, not even 30 at the time, was diagnosed with a noncancerous brain tumor. Since then, she has used her social platforms to share her journey and struggles. Recently, the mom of four opened up about her health scare, which required immediate medical attention. She also shared a celebratory health milestone.

In 2019, Kelly found out that she had a tumor growing in her brain; she just wanted it out. “I can’t live with something that’s not supposed to be there. Immediately, I was like, ‘Take it out.‘” Matthew was not so much in favor of this because it risked Kelly losing her hearing, sight, and facial nerves. Matt wanted to find out the best option out there. “Matthew kind of took [charge] of the doctors and stuff, and finding the best out there to see our options.” Eventually, the couple decided to go ahead with removing the tumor.

On April 17, Kelly underwent a 12-hour-long procedure to take the tumor out. “I had the surgery on April 17. They were going to open up my head, and there was a 50 percent chance I would lose my hearing. There was a chance I’d lose facial function. It was all really scary,” Kelly recalled in an essay with ESPN. “Dr. Greg Thompson did the surgery, and I can’t say enough good things about him. A few times, he stopped the surgery because my audio waves went dead. His patience is what saved my hearing,” she added. 

Fast forward to 2025, it’s been six years since Ms. Stafford had that surgery. In her latest IG post, she shared the milestone, posting a selfie of herself and a video from a beach vacation. In the video, her little girls could be seen playing on the beach. “Celebrating six years since my brain tumor removal at my favorite place on earth. #hallheaven,” she captioned the post.

So while Kelly shared the huge six-year milestone, the mom of four also shared a health issue she recently discovered.

A wake-up call for Kelly Stafford

Most of you know Kelly Stafford has her The Morning After podcast, which she co-hosts with her good friend Hank Winchester. On the podcast, the duo often talks about parenting advice and the spotlight that comes with being Matthew Stafford‘s wife. On Thursday’s episode of her podcast, the mom of three opened up about her recent health struggle. Kelly shared that she just found out that her cholesterol levels were extremely high after an at-home blood work test. And because of this, she needs to seek immediate medical attention.

Kelly shared how her body struggled to function physically after the surgery. And how she hated not being able to lift her girls or play with them like she used to. But with Matthew Stafford’s support and her determination, things slowly got better. And today, she’s soaking up beach moments with her daughters, marking a milestone not just of survival, but of reclaiming life on her terms.

The mom of four admitted having a family history of cholesterol. But also said she has to work on her eating habits. “If you guys know me very well, I go to bed with 10 Swedish Fish in my hand every night, or hot chocolate, or something,” said Kelly. “Everything I tend to eat has sugar. And if it doesn’t have sugar, if I eat a little chicken and rice for lunch. I’ll pour a little Yum Yum sauce on top, which is filled with sugar.” That’s too sweet.

The 35-year-old went on to share that while she feels physically fit and strong, her high cholesterol levels were a real wake-up call. “I needed that, though. I needed that kick in the a**.” The mom of four now realizes it’s time to cut back on the sweet treats she usually leans on. “I’m going to spend like a month and get rid of all the sugar at night. And go back in and test,” she said.

So, will this be the change that finally gets Kelly to put the Swedish Fish down for good?