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Eight-year-old Bailey was recognized as the 13th Purple Eagle during a plane dedication ceremony at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis on Wednesday. Bailey, who is being treated for sickle cell disease at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, is the granddaughter of a FedEx corporate security officer.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been involved in research and treatment of sickle cell disease since its founding in 1962 and currently runs one of the largest pediatric sickle cell programs in the United States. Sickle cell disease affects red blood cells, making them rigid and less able to carry oxygen throughout the body.
The Purple Eagle program began in 2012 as a partnership between St. Jude and FedEx to honor patients whose parents or grandparents work for FedEx by naming a plane from the company’s feeder fleet after each child. Bill West, vice president of airline safety at FedEx, initiated the tradition by dedicating a Cessna Caravan to McKaylee, the first honoree. The program mirrors another FedEx tradition where large jets are named for employees’ children; however, only 13 planes bear names under the Purple Eagle initiative.
