Read and listen to a story about Judy Bannon as part of a series honoring the individuals who make a difference in people’s lives: 90.5 WESA Celebrates People Making a Difference.
In 1992, research revealed that sleeping babies should be put on their backs instead of their stomachs. That discovery lead to a 50 percent drop in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
But Judy Bannon still had a major concern – what about the other 50 percent? Why were those babies dying?
Judy was executive director of SIDS of Pennsylvania at the time and began researching that problem. What she found out was that those babies were in unsafe sleeping arrangements, causing their deaths.
With the help of Police Commander Gwen Elliott, Councilman Bob O’Connor and District Attorney Stephen Zappala, she created Cribs for Kids, beginning with 72 cribs that were immediately needed.
