About two months ago, Hardin Bale, co-owner of Bale Chevrolet, was diagnosed with leukemia. Initial treatment was performed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, and he was subsequently transferred to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for continuing treatment. During the course of Bale’s treatment it was determined that to survive this catastrophic disease, the loving father and avid outdoorsman will need a bone marrow transplant, a surgical procedure that replaces diseased bone marrow with that of a healthy donor following radiation treatment and chemotherapy.
At this point, no matching donor has been identified, leading Bale’s family and friends to organize a bone marrow registry drive at the new car showroom at Bale Chevrolet, located at 13101 Chenal Parkway in Little Rock, on November 18 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Novembe~ 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is being organized by Brooke McKnight, Bale Chevrolet inventory manager.
“We are asking people to come by to join the registry and to volunteer to help with the event,” said McKnight. “Hardin is a wonderful person and has been a friend to all of us who work for him, and we want to do all we can to help him beat this disease.”
Potential donors are asked to submit to a cheek swab which will be used to determine whether or not they are a potential match for Bale or any of the other patients nationwide who are registered in the 6e The Match Registry. No needles are used for the procedure and there is no discomfort associated with the test, which takes just a few minutes. Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60, be willing to donate to any patient in need, and meet the health guidelines.
“One of the most heroic things a person can do in life is to save the life of someone else,” said McKnight. “It would be awesome if Hardin or someone else on the Registry found a match because of this marrow
drive. You may be the one to help save someone’s life.”
Once a donoI’ is identified, the procedure to collect the marrow, travel, and any other costs associated with the procedure will be covered at no expense to the donor. For more information on bone marrow donation, interested persons may contact the Be The Match Registry at 1-800-MARROW-2 or go online to www.BeTheMatch.org. For more information on the marrow registry drive at Bale Chevrolet November 18 and 19, interested persons may contact Bale Chevrolet at 501-221-9191.
