Hospital gives kids mini cars to drive into surgery to reduce fear and anxiety, and it’s awesome

I cannot imagine the anguish a parent goes through when their child has to have surgery.

Our natural instinct is to protect our children from pain so knowing that they have to endure surgery and there is nothing we can do instills huge fears within.

But doctors at one medical center in California have come up with a way to calm the nerves of their young patients and it’s helping parents too; it’s genius.

Doctors Medical Center has bought two mini cars for its smallest patients to ride into operating rooms to help calm their nerves.

The Modesto medical center now has a toy black Mercedes and a pink Volkswagen Beetle.

The center purchased the first car, but the second was donated by an employee and her family.

“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,” Nurse Kimberly said.

Not only does this help the patient but the parents see their child put at ease and it makes them feel calmer about the whole process, Nurse Martinez added.

“It can be traumatizing for a young patient to be peeled away from their parents as they head into surgery,” she said. “This truly helps everyone involved.”

“We can see the stress and anxiety melt away when they hop in the car,” a Facebook post on Doctors Medical Center site read.

Cars have a stereo, a seatbelt and a horn

The cars have a stereo which has a variety of uplifting preloaded music and an MP3 player, as well as functioning headlights, taillights and dashboard lights, Nurse Martinez said.

They are designed for kids aged 2 to 7 years old and are very safe with working doors, a seatbelt and a horn.

Watch how happy this one patient is when she rides into surgery in the pink beetle in the clip below.

What a wonderful idea! Please share to encourage more hospitals to consider this great idea.