The Baptist Health Foundation announced a $50,000 donation from Bob and Jeanne Fitzgerald in honor of their son, Dr. Ryan Fitzgerald, a heart transplant recipient.
Ryan Fitzgerald, of Radiology Consultants at Baptist Health, serves on the Baptist Health Foundation Board and the Arora Board. The donation comes 20 years after his transplant.
“We have the opportunity to help in an area that means so much to us,” the Fitzgerald family said in a news release. “We know that your extraordinary heart team will put this money to good use in helping other families through the tough times. Arkansas is so fortunate to have the heart program at Baptist Health and the caring team that truly gave us hope.”
At around 10 years old, Ryan Fitzgerald was diagnosed with a coarctation of the aorta, meaning a portion of his aorta was narrower and restricting blood flow to the rest of his body. After a corrective surgery at age 11, he continued living without any limitations to his lifestyle.
But years later, while in medical school, a blood pressure increase indicated a recurrence of the coarctation and doctors again decided that he would need to undergo a repeat corrective surgery. Due to a surgical complication, his condition worsened to the point that he would need a heart transplant.
Performing the heart transplant was Dr. John Ransom, a cardiovascular surgeon at Baptist Health. Dr. Steve Hutchins, a transplant cardiologist at Baptist Health, supervised following the surgery.
Ryan Fitzgerald’s experiences served as further inspiration for him to continue in his medical studies.
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