MODESTO, Calif. (WSVN) — A California hospital is allowing their young patients to drive miniature cars into surgery in an effort to help reduce stress.
The Doctors Medical Center in California recently shared photos of their new minicar, a pink miniature Volkswagen Beetle.
“These sweet rides take our smallest patients to the operating room,” the hospital wrote on Facebook.
The Beetle was donated by an employee and joins a miniature black Mercedes the hospital purchased last year.
The cars have functioning stereos and lights and can be driven by the children or operated using a remote control.
The hospital says the goal of the cars is to reduce anxiety and stress for children headed into surgery.
“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,” said pre-op nurse Kimberly Martinez.
Martinez said that children aren’t the only ones who benefit from the cars as well.
“When parents see their children put at ease, it puts them at ease as well,” she said. “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.”
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