Call Me Rick
Grace In The Middle
Tells the transformative story of a Deaf country boy navigating life’s brutal realities and sacred moments. Born Patrick Granville Kelly and nicknamed “Big,” he eventually claims the name Rick as a symbol of redemption and self-discovery. The book explores his journey through trauma, disability, systemic injustice, and faith from childhood fires and scarred peers to mission trips, church ministries, and the hard-won embrace of his identity as a Deaf man and a pastor. Through powerful storytelling, Rick invites readers into moments of pain, perseverance, and unexpected grace, ultimately showing how God shapes our identity through every struggle. This isn’t just a Deaf story it’s everyone’s story about finding voice, worth, and purpose.
About the Author
Patrick “Rick” Kelly is a public school teacher, Methodist pastor, high school football coach, and passionate advocate for inclusion and accessibility. A graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State University, in pursuit of his Seminary Education. Rick’s life and leadership are rooted in the rich cultural soil of the Delmarva Peninsula, where he has built bridges across classrooms, congregations, and communities. Born Deaf into a hearing family, Rick brings a unique and powerful perspective shaped by resilience, faith, and the deep desire to create spaces of belonging. His work is marked by heart, insight, and a transformative vision that speaks across difference and draws people together. Rick is married to his high school sweetheart, Veronica. They live in Kent County, Delaware, where they are raising their four children with the same faith, grit, and grace that have defined their journey.