About Us
The Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation was established in memory of Garnet “Ace” Bailey who was killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Ace’s family has created the Foundation to honor his memory and to perpetuate his deep caring for the happiness of children.
Our Mission
The Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation focuses on the well being of hospitalized children through the establishment and improvement of hospital programs, environments and professional services that reduce the stress of hospitalization for newborns, children and their families. The Floating Hospital for Children, part of Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, is the primary recipient of our funding.
Completed Projects
Neonatal Family Care Project
Katherine Bailey and her sister, Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation Executive Director Barbara Pothier, are volunteer “cuddlers” in the Floating Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
The renovation of the Tufts-Floating Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is our most recent project.
The Floating’s NICU achieves some of the best outcomes in the country for high-risk newborns. However an infant’s time in the NICU can be stressful for new parents. Through our “Family Care Project” we have renovated and updated the NICU to provide a comfortable and soothing space for families to bond with their hospitalized babies. The foundation also renovated two family areas: a “Family Room” with a kitchenette, comfortable seating and a TV and DVD and a “Quiet Room” with a calm and peaceful atmosphere for meetings with medical staff, for teaching sessions for parents and for a quiet place to relax and recharge. We also updated and brightened the 63 bed patient areas to make them feel and appear less clinical. This included purchasing new recliners and gliders for parents to cuddle, rock and feed their babies; new task chairs for nursing staff; warm colored wood flooring, fresh window treatments, and brightly colored cubicle curtains and wall paint that will make for a cheerier atmosphere. Providing this more functional, comfortable and brighter environment will help to reduce stress for parents, which in turn will help them to help their babies grow and heal faster. We’re sure that this would make Ace smile because he loved babies. |
Baby Safe Haven
Massachusetts law now designates certain facilities as Baby Safe Havens where a parent can voluntarily leave a newborn. In September of 2007 the Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation bought the signs required by the State of MA to post on the outside of the Floating Hospital/Tufts Medical Center, a designated Baby Safe Haven. These large signs are day-glow orange and very noticeable. Baby Safe Havens provide parents, who give birth to a child they can’t care for, a place to bring the baby and give it up to the safe care of professionals. We wish this wasn’t needed, but when it is, we are glad to be a small part in helping to save a tiny baby from abuse or worse.
Pedi-Porter Emergency Transport Stretcher
In 2004 the Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation split the cost (with the Kiwanas Pediatric Trauma Center) of a crucial piece of emergency equipment called a “Pedi-Porter Stretcher,” This specialized stretcher was needed for the Tufts-Floating Hospital’s new Mobile Intensive Care Unit, a rapid response team that transports critically ill children and infants from community hospitals to the specialized care at the Floating. The stretcher is equipped with its own pediatric ventilator for pre-mature and sick infants. This piece of equipment will be directly responsible for saving the lives of children and babies when they are being transported to the Floating Hospital.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Equipment
The Foundation has bought Med-Infusion Pumps for the NICU that deliver minute amounts of carefully measured medications to sick and at-risk infants, as well as a much needed, and highly specialized, breast milk freezer.
“Ace’s Place”
The Foundation’s first major project at the Floating Hospital for Children was the creation of “Ace's Place,” a 3,500 square-foot play center designed to help to reduce the stress of hospitalization. Ace’s Place offers a warm, fun and comforting environment to play, to make friends with other hospitalized kids and to visit with family members away from the clinical environment of their rooms. The center provides special spaces for all ages, from toddlers to teens, as well as areas for group activities. Offering this safe and fun environment is a particularly apt way of honoring Ace’s love of children and extending his warm joyful spirit to them in their struggle to heal.
Getting well while playing in “Ace’s Place” at the Floating Hospital for Children
Catholic Medical Center
With the proceeds from the Manchester Monarch’s annual Ace Bailey Golf Classic we have provided funding to Catholic Medical Center (CMC) in Manchester, N.H. In 2004 the tournament proceeds went to build and equip two pediatric treatment rooms in the hospital’s new emergency care wing. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 the proceeds went to CMC’s Level II Special Care Nursery. We are very grateful to the Manchester Monarchs, for their continued, generous support of the Foundation in memory of Ace. We are pleased to contribute the funds raised in Manchester, New Hampshire back to CMC, a hospital that serves their community’s sick or injured infants and children.