Where is Tim Keel now? 'Queer Eye' Season 8 Hero's daughter launches GoFundMe to help him get back on his feet after paralyzed brother's death
METAIRIE, LOUISIANA: If there's one thing no one will argue about, it's that Netflix's 'Queer Eye' is the pinnacle of makeover reality shows because it meticulously documents human frailty at every stage of the process.
After all, it focuses on five specialists known collectively as the "Fab Five" who assist individuals (called "Heroes") down a road of much-needed self-improvement to help them live their best lives.
One of them is Tim Keel, who was part of Season 8. So, keep reading to know what the KISS fanatic is up to.
Sadly, six months after production for Tim's episode ended, his elder brother, Doody, died abruptly on January 19, 2023.
While he's still mourning, we're pleased to report that he hasn't let this devastating loss fully dominate his everyday experiences; instead, he appears to be using it as an incentive to keep performing better.
After all, his brother would have wanted him to go on and live a more positive, sociable, and wholesome life, so that is the road he is currently on, with his ex-wife and their two children being an important part of his support system.
'Queer Eye' Season 8 Hero Tim Keel has a GoFundMe page now
Soon after the season premiered, Tim's nominator and daughter, Melody, launched a GoFundMe campaign for him. She recalled how Tim had spent his life caring for his sibling.
For nearly 30 years, Tim spent every day at his brother's side, ensuring that he got out of bed, experienced life's delights, and was surrounded by limitless love. He also spent his whole life working in shipyards, restaurants, metal machine shops, and cleaning out chemical tankers, all of which had a negative impact on his health.
Tim has already gone through back, shoulder, knee, and open-heart surgeries. However, he requires more back and foot surgeries to maintain his quality of life.
He has reportedly given up his passion for animal rescue and collecting KISS memorabilia to save for these surgeries, but as one might expect, the present medical system is not inexpensive, and these procedures, as well as paying monthly payments, have appeared out of reach.
Melody noted that she witnessed him hit rock bottom before 'Queer Eye', feeling he couldn't go on with the way things were.
The reality show lifted him out of his worst hour and offered everyone hope for the future. Melody notes that making a contribution to her father to help with his continuing medical and living expenditures would change his life forever.
Who nominated Tim Keel for 'Queer Eye' Season 8?
Tim's entire life changed in 1986 when the then-21-year-old went from being a mere child to being the only caregiver for his older brother, Tommy "Doody" Keel.
The latter had been in a catastrophic vehicle accident that put him in a coma for three months, and it was later determined that he was paralyzed with significant brain damage, so his sibling stepped up.
It was certainly a challenging transition for the former, who was also presumably just settling down with his high school love, Kim, but helping out was a no-brainer given their strong relationship.
Tim and Kim welcomed two lovely children into the world and had a wonderful time as a couple and a family. However, after almost two decades, everything fell apart.
The burden of caring for Doody, along with the former's developing lack of self-care, prompted his wife to seek a divorce, but they are still close friends now thanks to their children and maturity.
Nonetheless, the loss of his entire familial unit had a significant impact on this avowed KISS superfan's mental health, which unfortunately only worsened once he was let off from his work as a welder in early 2021.
Tim was therefore nominated by his eldest daughter, Melody, in the hopes that he would regain some confidence while also recognizing he was much more than what first appears.
What did 'Queer Eye's Fab Five do for Tim Keel?
The Fab Five entered Tim's life, gradually showing him via clothes, cuisine, grooming, house remodeling, and consistent self-reflection that progress occurs outside one's comfort zone.
As a result, at the conclusion of Tim's makeover week, he realized he had accomplished a lot in his personal life and deserved more than he had previously imagined - he had begun to heal. He said, "I deserve to be happy," during a supper with his family.
He added, "Um, I deserve the love of others… – that’s a hard one. I deserve some time for myself. I gotta start carving that out. That’s really gonna help my mind; get me out of [depression]… I want to start trying to have a life outside of my house, I think I deserve to keep trying to get out and meet some folks."
"Last but not least," abruptly noted Tim, continuing, "I deserve to rock out with my c*** out. You know what I’m saying?"
On a deeper level, the fact that his house now clearly highlighted his key hobbies while still providing him with plenty of space for further expansion and his other interests, such as entertaining, was a huge benefit for him.
The two things he perhaps appreciated the most were how the Fab Five made an effort to create room for his brother Doody and even succeeded in getting some of his memorabilia into a local art gallery on Magazine Street for an exclusive pop-up KISS exhibition.
'Queer Eye' Season 8 is currently streaming on Netflix in its entirety.