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Monday, Oct. 2, 2006

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BUFFALO, New York -- Not long ago, Republicans were courting former Buffalo Bills star Jim Kelly to run against Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But Sunday, the Hall of Fame quarterback and the former first lady teamed up to fight for legislation that would increase screening for potentially fatal diseases in newborns.

"To me, it doesn't matter if they're Democrat or Republican when it comes to children," said Kelly, whose son Hunter died last year from Krabbe disease. "She (Clinton) has made a difference for so many people, not only in New York, but across the country."

Clinton and Sen. George Allen, a Virginia Republican, have introduced bipartisan legislation, the SHINE Act, that would help establish a federal standard for newborn screening.

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Clinton said that while New York screens for 44 diseases, some states screen for less than 10.

"It is possible to diagnose certain conditions and try to treat them," Clinton said. "At least 4 million infants are born in this country each year; newborn screening will identify about 5,000 of them as having a severe disorder. While many of these disorders are extremely rare, many are treatable if they are caught in time."

Kelly said New York was the first state to test for Krabbe disease, but the test wasn't available when his son was born in 1997.

Kelly and his wife, Jill, established the Hunter's Hope Foundation when their son was diagnosed with Krabbe four months after he was born. The foundation has raised millions of dollars for research.

"Other children will have the chance that Hunter never had," Kelly said. "His legacy will be greater than mine ever was."

After the press conference, Clinton attended Sunday's game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as guests of Bills owner Ralph Wilson.

© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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