Having surgery can be an incredibly stressful and scary experience, even for the toughest of us who know exactly what to expect. But for kids who don’t understand what’s going on, being separated from their parents in a weird place full of bright lights and funny smells, it can be downright terrifying.
So anything that hospital staff can do to ease the anxiety before surgery is hugely beneficial. And what is more relaxing than cruising around the wards in a toy car?
Image credits: Doctors Medical Center
The good folk at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California, let their vulnerable little patients enter the daunting environment of the operating room in style and with a big smile on their faces. Cute mini cars designed for kids between 2 and 7 put everyone at ease, from the patient to the parents and doctors, and kids can choose between either a pink VW beetle or a black Mercedes.
Image credits: Doctors Medical Center
The cars can be operated by the kids themselves or by remote control, and have functioning headlights and taillights. They even have a radio so the kids can choose what kind of music can best put them at ease before their surgery.
Image credits: Doctors Medical Center
“When the children find out they can go into the operating room riding in a cool little car, they light up and in most cases, their fears melt away,” pre-op nurse Kimberly Martinez, who came up with the idea, told CBS News. “In addition, when parents see their children put at ease, it puts them at ease as well.”
“It can be traumatizing for a young patient to be peeled away from their parents as they head into surgery, this truly helps everyone involved.”
Image credits: Doctors Medical Center
Check out this little cutie happily making her way towards her operation, stress-free!
Here’s what people had to say about the imaginative idea
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