Schumer, Clinton Announce Full Senate Approval Of $500,000 For Hunter's Hope Foundation

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced full Senate approval of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education FY08 Appropriations Bill which includes $500,000 for the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute's Kelly Center for research on genetic disorders. The bill will now proceed to conference with the House as the next step in the appropriations process. Schumer and Clinton urged the Senate to include funding for the project in this year's spending bill.

"Clearing the next hurdle in the appropriations process is a boost to the vital effort led by Jim Kelly and others to fight genetic diseases, like Krabbe. This funding will help to develop important research and technology infrastructure that will bring the medical community closer to understanding and finding a cure for these genetic diseases," said Schumer.

"Today's announcement by the Senate is critical in helping to further the groundbreaking efforts of Jim and Jill Kelly and the Hunter's Hope Foundation as they strive provide hope to children with Krabbe disease and their families .The approved funding will allow them to continue their important work to find a cure for this devastating disease and other genetic disorders," said Senator Clinton.

The federal funding for Hunter's Hope Foundation will establish the technology infrastructure of the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute inside the University at Buffalo's Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. The Institute will coordinate research initiatives into finding a cure for Krabbe disease and related genetic disorders. One in 100,000 live births in the United States are afflicted with Krabbe Disease. Approximately 2 million people (or one out of 125) in the United States are carriers of the genetic deficiency that causes Krabbe Disease.

The Hunter's Hope Foundation was established in 1997 by Pro Football Hall of Fame member and former Buffalo Bills Quarterback Jim Kelly and his wife, Jill, after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with Krabbe Leukodystrophy, an inherited, fatal, nervous system disease. The Foundation is the Kelly's life long commitment to increase public awareness of leukodystrophies as well as to increase the likelihood of early detection and treatment. Their ultimate goal is to raise money to fund research efforts to identify new treatments, therapies, and a cure for Krabbe and other leukodystrophies.

Now that the bill has been approved by the full Senate it will move towards Conference with the House and then to the President for signature.