At the end of September Crede Bailey, the head of the White house security office, came down with a very serious COVID-19 infection. It was kept quiet by the White House but was reported on in early October, when Bailey was hospitalized. The true nature of Bailey’s life-threatening battle with the virus was not entirely understood until the last few days when a GoFundMe, started by family friend Dawn McCrobie was discovered by reporters.
According to updates, Bailey was recently discharged from the ICU unit where he spent more than two months. According to McCrobie, “Crede beat COVID-19 but it came at a significant cost: his big toe on his left foot as well as his right foot and lower leg had to be amputated.” Bailey will of course need a home that is completely reoutfitted for someone dealing with his rehabilitation needs as well as a new prosthetics and other items.
Since the campaign has been up, and as of publishing this story, friends and family have pulled together $36,182 for the Bailey family. Bloomberg reports that the White House, which was told not to publicize Bailey’s hospitalization by the family, would not comment on whether or not Donald Trump has contributed to this campaign.
Bailey’s office handles credentialing for access to the White House complex and works closely with the U.S. Secret Service on security measures. Bailey was known on the compound as a strong Trump supporter.
McCrobie updated the GoFundMe page on Monday to write that the Bailey family didn’t want people speaking to the media, writing “Many of you have already been contacted whereas others may soon be contacted. As much as you care for Crede, you might be asking yourself why the media wants to write about him? After all, he is a public servant - not a celebrity, a politician or someone in the public eye. So why him when there are hundreds of thousands of other people who are, or were sick with COVID-19, who lost a loved one; who lost their jobs? Perhaps the story isn’t really about Crede at all. I mean, their messages say it’s about him (and of course, how concerned they are for him) but maybe the stories are about something else and Crede’s experience just plays into those stories.”
She isn’t wrong, of course. These stories, including the one being read here, are not entirely about how Crede Bailey is doing and what can be done to help him or his family. They are about someone very close to the president, a person who has a great share of the blame for how poorly this pandemic has been handled, and has been openly negligent in public health measures and safety measures for himself and those around him. It’s also the story about a public servant who, doing the work our country demands of him, gets very ill and people around him have to ask for financial help for the family because medical costs will far exceed what his (arguably best) health insurance available insurance will cover.