‘Bell Babies’ honored with education gift

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ISHPEMING - The future is bright for two newborn Bell Babies.

Raina Koryn Ledzian, the last baby born at the old Bell Hospital, and Ellise Marie Dove, the first baby born in the new Bell Hospital, were each given a gift toward their education this morning when representatives from the Bell Hospital Board, the Bell Foundation and the Bell Auxiliary presented them each with a $20,000 education bond.

"On behalf of the Bell Board, Bell Foundation and Bell Auxiliary, I'm presenting the last and first Bell Babies with a gift that we hope will last a lifetime - education bonds that will mature to $20,000 each on their 18th birthdays," said Holly Ray, the head of Bell obstetrics.

As she leaned forward to hand the two mothers framed certificates representing the bonds, Dove's mother, Rebecca Roy, began to cry.

"This is pretty overwhelming," said Roy, who is a first-time mother. Her daughter was born at 7:39 p.m. Saturday. "I didn't know what to expect and I definitely didn't expect this."

Roy, who is from L'Anse, is expected to go home today with her daughter. Dove's father is Peter Dove, also of L'Anse. an Iron Mountain resident, Rita Martin said that she hopes her daughter, who was born Wednesday, grows up to strive to do something good with the bond.

"I think she'll be greatly appreciative of this, I know I am," Martin said. "I want her to be happy, but I definitely want her to have good grades and a good education."

Martin also had her other two children at the old Bell facility. Ledzian's father, Richard Ledzian, is also of Iron Mountain.

Bell CEO Rick Ament said the two $20,000 bonds will mature over the next 18 years and are funded jointly by the three Bell groups.

"We wanted a truly substantial gift that was appropriate for the last and first Bell Babies," Ament said. "We hope Raina and Ellise will grow up knowing that their college education options may be greatly expanded by the caregivers who saw that they came safely into the world. While generous, the bonds are fiscally prudent because the hospital, foundation and auxiliary are each funding one-third of the cost, which totals 50 percent of the face value."