Joel Kelly

Joel left the industry suddenly under strange circumstances in 2001. It was learned years later that he had been sick with active/chronic, late-stage Lyme disease (neuroborreliosis) and a few other systemic diseases. It is now believed he contracted it while on a cross-country family vacation at age 6, although symptoms were almost manageable until 2001.

After lying bedridden and unable to work or go to school for many years, the symptoms that had baffled doctors were correctly diagnosed as Lyme Disease. By 2010, he had been told he would die soon. He was advised not to plan past 5 years time. When he learned it was not Systemic Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis and that there was a treatment, Joel decided it was time to start fighting back. In the care of Lyme-literate physicians he was treated with powerful antibiotics and after 8 years, has almost symptom-free.

After the loss of his elder brother, Joel left Big Bear, CA, and moved in with family in Nevada. He is presently recovering from over a decade of illness, with plans to move to the Pacific Northwest, soon. He hopes to work full-time again, but nowadays, he has no interest in the industry he left in 2001. He is nominally, still a digital artist, however he no longer works in the game industry and rarely works with game assets or on any related projects. He sometimes streams and can be found gaming, though he is no longer a competitive player in any games.