Pair gives $1 million to fetal heart effort

John and Sharon Bale, who own Bale Automotive Group, announced Tuesday that they are donating $1 million to the fetal heart program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

The Bale Family Fetal Heart Center is a collaboration between the obstetrics/gynecology department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and pediatric cardiologists at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The arrangement allows for diagnosis and care for fetuses with heart conditions.

“We are deeply grateful to the Bales for making this wonderful gift,” Dr. Jonathan Bates, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, said in a news release.

“Being able to diagnose congenital heart problems before birth means families are prepared for the challenges and actions needed when their child is born, and we are prepared to have the right medical care at hand,” he explained.

While the Bale family has supported Arkansas Children’s Hospital for 85 years through board service and community leadership, it wasn’t until their fifth generation of giving that the Bales saw firsthand the benefits of the hospital, according to a High Profile story on John Bale that ran in Sunday’s Arkansas DemocratGazette.

His grandson John Hardin Bale IV was born March 10, 2007, with defects of multiple organs, including the heart, esophagus, trachea, left arm and hand, spine, ribs, kidney and stomach.

“Children’s Hospital has been a huge part of his life since he was born,” Bale told High Profile. “If anyone does not believe in this hospital, go stand in the lobby or go to some of the waiting rooms, and you will find out what this hospital is about.”

Renee Bornemeier, director of the Bale Family Fetal Heart Center, said in a news release that the state of Arkansas is blessed to have a family like the Bales.