Some birthdays echo louder in silence. For Jim Kelly, legendary quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, Valentine’s Day carries a weight most fathers will never know. It’s his birthday, but it’s also the day his son entered the world twenty-nine years ago and a reminder of the eight and a half years they had together.

On Saturday, February 14th, Jim Kelly posted a collage of photos with his son on his Instagram Story along with a heartfelt message: “I miss you so much Hunter! Happy Birthday in heaven!”

This tribute marks another February 14th without Hunter, who was born on Valentine’s Day 1997, the same day as his father’s birthday. What should have been a double celebration became Jim and Jill Kelly’s greatest blessing and deepest heartbreak.

Within four months of Hunter’s birth, doctors delivered devastating news: their son had Krabbe leukodystrophy, a fatal inherited disease that attacks the nervous system. They were told to take him home and make him comfortable, with doctors predicting he wouldn’t survive past fourteen months. But that wasn’t the case.

Hunter defied every projection. He lived for eight and a half years, becoming one of the longest-living survivors of the incurable Krabbe disease. His battle inspired his parents to establish Hunter’s Hope Foundation in 1997, which has since raised millions of dollars for leukodystrophy research and provided support to families fighting similar battles.

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When Hunter passed on August 5, 2005, the Bills franchise called him “a symbol of hope,” noting his courage served as inspiration during his brief life. Now, two decades later, that legacy continues through the foundation bearing his name and the families it supports.

But numbers and achievements don’t capture what Saturday represents for Jim Kelly. The only silver lining to this story, though, is that Jim isn’t alone in his mourning on this day.

A mother’s valentine without her son

Jill Kelly, wife of Jim Kelly, matched her husband’s tribute with an Instagram post of her own. She shared a photo of herself with Hunter in a frame adorned with a red heart reading “Mommy’s little valentine.” And her caption pulled no punches about the reality of the grief she is facing today.

“Happy Birthday, Hunter,” Jill wrote under the post. “Another Valentine’s Day. Another birthday without you here. I don’t know what to say. There aren’t new pictures to post. My words will always fall short. Life here keeps moving forward, but sometimes my heart feels stuck missing you.”

Jill’s words painfully captured the disconnect parents face when the world continues while their loss remains frozen. Yet Jill’s message pivoted towards gratitude and faith.

“Eight and a half years will never feel enough,” she continued. “And yet, every year that passes is another year closer to you. Another year closer to being together again. Until then, just know that Mommie loves you and misses you so much.”

“I thank God for choosing me to be your mom and for the gift of His infinite love through your life,” Jill concluded. “I thank Him for the promise of heaven and for all that He has done and is doing through your legacy of hope! Happy Birthday, HB.”

The Kellys transform private mourning into public testimony each February 14 and August 5, because Hunter’s story still means the world to them. Every single tribute reminds families facing similar battles that they’re not alone. Every birthday post keeps his memory alive while advancing research that might spare other parents a similar sorrow.

Twenty-nine unlit candles, twenty-one years of missing. For Jill and Jim Kelly, Hunter’s legacy burns bright.