BILLINGS — Richard Kelly doesn't have the luxury of simply getting in a car and driving away. For the Billings man who has used a wheelchair since he was less than 2 years old, even that simple task requires a process — and carries real risk.
"I was just a little kid, you know," Kelly said.
Watch the full story of Richard Kelly below:
Before his second birthday, Kelly's life changed forever when doctors discovered a brain tumor.
"They did an MRI on me, and they found a brain tumor, sizes of a softball size, back behind my neck," Kelly said.
Removing the tumor caused nerve damage, leaving Kelly paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair. But he doesn't spend much time looking back.
"I just keep going forward, you know? Doesn't bother me," Kelly said.
Despite challenges, he keeps going. Kelly lost his dad, who was his biggest advocate and supporter, in 2023 to cancer.
Getting to work each day means getting into his truck — a workout of its own. Kelly lifts himself from his wheelchair into the driver's seat, then pulls his chair and tires in beside him.
"It's just all my upper body strength," Kelly said.
To reach the controls, he relies on a makeshift solution.
"I have three layers of pillows that I have stood on, which is very uncomfortable and safe," Kelly said.
Kevin Dolan, a patient assistant at Billings Clinic, said the current setup is more than just difficult — it's dangerous.
"He's got to reach in and pull his chair, and it's heavy, and it's just awkward. And I worry about him hurting his shoulder or his spine," Dolan said.
What Kelly can control is his passion. For years, he has spent his free time riding his handcycle, logging an extraordinary number of miles since he first took it up.
"I just fell in love with it. And I just don't give up," Kelly said. "I'm putting on 92,000, almost 92,000 miles on my bike since 2010."
The miles keep him active year-round.
"Summertime is my biking, and wintertime I go to the gym and work out a lot," Kelly said.
To those around him, that drive represents something far greater than fitness.
"It just amazes me, his mobility and how hard he has established himself to be independent," Dolan said.
Part of that independence is making his life work, even without the best setup. Dolan said there is a better solution for Kelly's daily commute.
"What I would like to see is if he could get into a ramp where he could just go up a ramp and then lock into the driver's seat and use his hand controls," Dolan said.
Until that day comes, Kelly said he plans to keep doing what he does best.
"I just stick with my miles and my freedom," Kelly said.
