Transformative $4.5 Million Gift Establishes Beit Paley Garden Terrace: A Haven of Healing & Beit Paley Fetal Care Operating Room in Connecticut Children's New Tower

Amid the stressful experience of having a child in the hospital, this philanthropic gesture by the Beit and Paley families transcends traditional support. The founding partners' vision encompasses more than just infrastructure; it envisions two distinct spaces: a transformative outdoor terrace that goes beyond healing to inspire hope, mindfulness and resilience; and a state-of-the-art Fetal Care Operating Room, the central surgical feature of Connecticut Children’s new Fetal Care Center.

The Roger and Sondra Beit & Mark and Luanne Paley Garden Terrace, encompassing the new tower’s open-air fifth floor terrace, will be accessible to all children who are inpatient, as well as their families and Connecticut Children’s team members. The fifth-floor terrace provides the premier outdoor space to support inclusive play for children, while it links the existing hospital to the new tower. The Beit Paley Garden Terrace will also include a thoughtfully designed contemplation space modeled on a traditional Zen garden.

Connecticut Children’s President and CEO, Jim Shmerling, expressed deep gratitude for this groundbreaking investment, stating, "The creation of the Beit Paley Garden Terrace isn't just a contribution; it's a statement of unwavering commitment to the well-being of our patients and their families. This extraordinary space will be a haven for reflection and rejuvenation, symbolizing the community's collective support for our children. We are grateful to have the opportunity to make this space available to our families."

The Beit and Paley families’ support will also name the Beit Paley Fetal Care Operating Room in the new Fetal Care Center. This highly-specialized surgical suite is where some of the most groundbreaking procedures will occur at Connecticut Children’s. The Fetal Care Operating Room will accommodate surgical equipment and the 30+ clinicians required to care for a mother and a fetus during complex fetal exit procedures, while they undergo simultaneous surgeries. In addition to its surgical capacity, the Fetal Care Operating Room includes a separate headwall fully equipped to support a newborn, should the baby be delivered during the surgery.

“Mark and I are happy to expand on our investment in this phenomenal health system,” said Roger Beit, “This new Tower and the Fetal Care Center—one of only nine in the US that can provide a full range of fetal care—is the kind of ‘beyond imagination’ thinking Connecticut Children’s is known for. It’s the kind of leading edge work that gets us excited and inspired.”

Mark Paley added, “Harvest Investments has been involved with Connecticut Children’s for years as a dedicated sponsor for the annual Concorso Ferrari & Friends fundraising event. Roger and I look forward to continuing to support these patients and families through the annual Concorso and Connecticut Children’s Gala events and seeing our beautiful Garden Terrace grow into a healing space for everyone who needs a breath of fresh air before returning to a child’s bedside.”

Connecticut Children’s new eight-story tower will also feature 50 private Neonatal ICU rooms, the new Fetal Care Center, plus an Advanced Cellular & Gene Therapy Unit where bone marrow transplants and other leading-edge treatments will be provided. Construction of the tower is anticipated to be complete by late 2025.

For media inquiries, please contact: Monica Buchanan, Sr Dir Enterprise Communications, 352.219.0860, mbuchanan [at] connecticutchildrens.org