Dyers give $1 million for construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 736 views 

Joanie and Jon Dyer of Fayetteville will give $1 million to support the construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest, according to a Tuesday (Jan. 31) news release from Arkansas Children’s Foundation. In honor of the donation, the emergency department at Arkansas Children’s Northwest will include the Dyer family name.

The Dyers were inspired to give as a result of the care their grandson, Dyer Bailey, received at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, the release shows. When Dyer Bailey was 3, he was unable to move his neck and was taken to an area hospital’s emergency department. “An Angel One helicopter flew him to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where neurosurgeons discovered his C1 and C2 vertebrae were out of alignment. The nurses and physicians at ACH were able to restore their grandson’s prognosis from life-threatening to a life of full mobility.”

Fred Scarborough, chief development officer for Arkansas Children’s Northwest, said the gift was “a beautiful way to honor their grandchildren and the lifesaving care their grandson received.” “We are grateful to the Dyer family for their commitment to the children in the region,” Trisha Montague, vice president of regional services and chief administrator for Arkansas Children’s Northwest, said in the release. “The gift will help fundamentally transform healthcare delivery for children.”

In August 2016, ACH announced a $70 million campaign for the 233,613-square-foot pediatric hospital under construction on 37 acres west of Interstate 49 in Springdale. Including the gift from the Dyer family, a total of $58.25 million has been raised in the campaign. Some of the other gifts include:
• Tyson family and Tyson Foods, $15 million

• Walmart and Walmart Foundation, $8 million

• Robin and Gary George, Cathy and David Evans and their families, $7.5 million

• J.B. Hunt Transport Services, $5 million

• Will Golf for Kids and Color of Hope, $5 million

• Walton Family Foundation, $3 million

• Endeavor Foundation, $2 million

The Arkansas Children’s Northwest project is expected to cost $427.7 million in construction, technology, equipment and operating expenses over the next five years and create 250 jobs.