It began in the mid 1990’s when a good friend of mine told me that a family member had suffered the loss of a baby due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). That was the first time I had ever heard of SIDS. My wife was pregnant with our first baby and I was working as an Industrial Designer in the auto industry here in Detroit. I looked at the issue of SIDS from an Industrial Design perspective. I started doing research at a time when the internet was just becoming available. There were numerous reports and studies on the subject from all parts of the world. After a year of research, I became convinced that what was necessary was a mattress with a breathable sleep surface &emdash; one that could be easily removed for laundering as well. I received my first patent on this technology in September of 1997. By 1998 my own children were sleeping on my first prototype. Nothing further happened with this design for the next ten years.
Going to Market
In 2008 I shared my design for a breathable crib mattress with a small group of people I had become acquainted with. We decided to form a company to sell our product line of breathable crib mattresses. Secure Beginnings was formed and began sales in the Spring of 2010 and ended in the Fall of 2017. During that seven-year period we sold thousands of breathable sleep systems. Considering that many families had more than one child, the number of babies who have safely slept on our sleep systems is likely much higher. It took some time, but once parents began to learn of our products and understood the benefits of breathability, they began to embrace it. However, Secure Beginnings began to struggle when it came to effectively managing its own growth. There were competing ideas among members as to how to best handle this situation. Unfortunately, the business failed in a manner that left several orders unfulfilled. I’m sorry for this and at the time did everything in my power to try and prevent it.
Current Day
It took several months for the legal issues regarding Secure Beginnings to be resolved. Breathe Easy Baby started operations in January of this year. Breathe Easy Baby has exclusive license rights to produce this design. We manufacture the same product as Secure Beginnings and our current line of sleep surfaces will fit on our former products as well. I’ve continued in this effort because I believe in the numerous benefits of the breathable crib mattress. Our breathable crib mattresses are the gold standard for safe sleep for babies. I’m as confident today in this design as I was nearly 10 years ago when Secure Beginnings first began selling breathable crib mattresses. The Breathe Easy Baby design has come a long way since 2010. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recognizes the inherent benefits of a breathable sleep surface for babies who prefer to sleep on their stomachs.
A heartfelt Thanks
I wanted to thank everyone who has purchased a breathable crib mattress over the years. It is without question my honor and privilege to provide you with the safest baby mattress in the world for your baby. Your support has proven invaluable in helping to promote and increase awareness of our line of breathable crib mattresses.
–Kelly
