Gift From Bulkley Richardson Gives Parents Peace of Mind

SPRINGFIELD — During COVID-19, the world has turned upside down. For parents with babies at the Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baystate Children’s Hospital, the pandemic brings especially tough choices.

Due to the coronavirus, Baystate Health’s NICU allows just one parent to visit at a time. To ease the stress of separation, the NICU team keeps families connected through personal webcams attached to many of the bassinettes. Using a unique password, parents can log onto a secure website anytime, day or night, to visit their baby virtually.

Recently, Bulkley Richardson generously donated $10,000 to support the purchase of additional cameras.

Peter Barry, former managing partner at Bulkley Richardson, knows firsthand the difference these resources make for families. His grandchild was in the care of Baystate Children’s Hospital Neonatal Continuing Care Unit when he was born.

“The skill and caring of the team were truly impressive,” Barry said. “These cameras will make a very difficult situation a bit easier for parents and grandparents. Bulkley Richardson is proud to provide philanthropic support for this level of life-saving expertise in our region.”

The Davis Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the only one of its kind in Western Mass., providing the highest level of care available for sick or premature newborns. NICU patients often have prolonged hospital stays of weeks or months.

“At Baystate, parents are key members of the care team,” said Stephanie Adam, manager of the Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Continuing Care Nursery. “In normal times, these cameras have enabled family members to stay connected when work, military service, or other children have limited their visits. During the pandemic, the connection these cameras offer is crucial. We are thankful to all the donors over the years who have supported this project.”

Scott Berg, vice president of Philanthropy at Baystate Health and executive director of the Baystate Health Foundation, added that “we are so thankful for the generosity of Bulkley Richardson in helping our youngest patients and their families. These cameras provide comfort to parents during a very challenging time for their families.”