Photography courtesy of St. Louis Children's Hospital
When it was time for 3-year-old Stella Stacy to undergo heart surgery, she traveled to the operating room in style: inside a remote-controlled car. “It’s always a tough day knowing Stella has to go into the operating room,” says her mother, Kate Stacy. “But this program took all of her anxiety away.” The special remote-controlled cars were donated to St. Louis Children’s Hospital by the families of two young patients who passed away last spring. Over the past year, the program has expanded, with seven more cars now tootling around the hospital. “Riding in these cars helps ease discomfort or scariness going into a procedure,” says nurse Allison Faron. (For safety, the cars are remote controlled by the patient’s nurse.) “We can help these kiddos feel so much more comfortable and confident. They always have a smile on their faces and are blowing kisses, waving.” The experience also left a lasting impression on Stella, her mom says. “She has talked about it ever since.”
