BUFFALO, N.Y. — A program named for the late son of Bills legend Jim Kelly will continue to help babies nationwide.
The Hunter Kelly Research Program will be federally funded for another five years, thanks to the Newborn Screening Re-Authorization Bill.
The legislation includes $31 million for the program every year through 2026.
The National Institute of Health established the Hunter Kelly Research Program more than 10 years ago. It’s meant to help increase newborn screenings and the number of conditions doctors can diagnose at birth.
Eight-year-old Hunter died in 2005 from Krabbe Leukodystrophy, a fatal nervous system disease. Symptoms typically show in the first six months of life.