'I trusted this woman to save my son's life, and she did'

(youtube.com)

SPOT: "Joe Ward."

AIRING IN: Iowa, New Hampshire

SCRIPT: Joseph Ward: "Let me tell you a little story. My son Joel had a terrible illness. He needed a bone marrow transplant that our insurance wouldn't cover and we couldn't afford.

"We called Senator Clinton and asked for help. Her office called the next day letting us know that the hospital was going to absorb the cost of the transplant. Now, her opponents are saying that Hillary can't be trusted. I trusted this woman to save my son's life, and she did."

IMAGES: Ward speaking directly to the camera, interspersed with images of a table full of framed family snapshots and a photo of Hillary Clinton with the family. A picture of Clinton only appears at the end of the ad, when she says she approved the message.

FACT-CHECKER: In the summer of 2004, Joel Ward, then 13, was diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy, a genetic nerve disorder. Doctors said he should have a bone marrow transplant, but his insurance would not cover the $300,000 to $400,000 cost of the surgery. A family friend who is a newspaper editor in upstate New York contacted Clinton's office. Spokesman Blake Zeff said yesterday that her office worked with Medicaid, insurance officials, the hospital, and the North Country community so that the hospital covered all costs. The surgery took place at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. In the spring of 2006, an MRI showed Joel no longer had the disease, though his early hearing and some vision loss are irreversible. Joseph Ward, 55, a registered nurse at Massena Memorial Hospital in Massena, N.Y., said he does not know the details of the payment. "I never got a bill from the hospital, so I couldn't tell you who paid or how much they paid," he said yesterday. The Wards also appeared in a "Standing up for New York" ad during Cinton's Senate reelection campaign last year.

ANALYSIS: The ad is a heart-tugging way for Clinton to combat criticisms that she is not trustworthy. For politicians as well as consumer products, testimonials are often more convincing than if the candidate or company makes the claims directly. Polls show many voters might need convincing about her honesty. For instance, a Globe poll this month in New Hampshire found that only half of those who said they would vote for Clinton listed her as the most trustworthy of the Democratic candidates. Clinton's principal rivals for the Democratic nomination, John Edwards and Barack Obama, have suggested she has been disingenuous on issues. Clinton is leading the national polls, but that edge could melt away if she loses voters' trust.

STEPHANIE L. VALLEJO and FOON RHEE