I'm not a Jim Kelly fan...at least as a football player...but this is a sad story...to say the least...
Hunter Kelly, quarterback Jim's son, dies at 8
Aug. 5, 2005
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Hunter Kelly, whose battle with a fatal nervous system disease inspired his Hall of Fame father Jim Kelly's charitable works, died Friday. He was 8.
Hunter died at Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Hunter's Hope Foundation spokesman John Dudek said. The young boy had been experiencing breathing problems the past week.
"He has been struggling for a while," Dudek said.
Hunter's doctor, Patricia Duffner, said he died of respiratory failure.
Hunter's Hope Foundation, named after Jim Kelly's son, was established in 1997 by the Hall of Fame quarterback and his wife, Jill. It has raised more than $6 million and awarded more than $3.8 million to leukodystrophy and other neurological disease-related research.
Born in 1997, Hunter Kelly was given no more than three years to live after being diagnosed with Krabbe disease, an inherited degenerative disorder of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The disease hinders development of the myelin sheath, a fatty covering that protects the brain's nerve fibers.
The disease has no known cure.
The foundation released a statement saying the Kelly family is grateful for the support people have shown.
"It is the family's hope that all who mourn for their son, Hunter, would join them in thanking the Lord for his precious life," the statement read.
The Bills, in Green Bay for a scrimmage against the Packers, released a statement expressing their condolences.
"The entire Buffalo Bills organization is deeply saddened today to hear of the passing of Hunter Kelly," the statement read. "This courageous young man served as an inspiration to us all during his brief life. And he will forever remain a symbol of hope."
Records are scarce, but experts believe Hunter was one of the longest living of people who developed Krabbe as an infant. The disease can also develop in juveniles and adults.
Hunter spent most of his life confined to a wheelchair and hooked up to a respirator and feeding tube, while receiving around-the-clock care from his family and therapists. He was eventually able to lift his arms and head, and learned to communicate through a series of facial expressions.
Reply With Quote
