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Date of release: 1st March 2024
Young patients’ luxury ride to theatre
Children undergoing surgery in Wolverhampton will be able to ‘drive’ themselves to the operating theatres in a Tesla electric car.
Two miniature version of the electric car have been donated to The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) Charity and will be used to transport children to theatre as well as for their scans.
The Tesla Owners Club UK donated the cars to make the experience of undergoing surgery less daunting for younger patients.
One of the first patients to try out the shiny new wheels was six-year-old Stanley Cochrane who was diagnosed with Leukaemia in December.
Stanley, who is from Brierley Hill, has to frequently come into hospital for procedures, blood transfusions and appointments.
He said: “I always get worried when I go for surgery but now I won’t feel as nervous by driving the car. I love how fast it is. Thank you so much for letting me driving one – it is brilliant.”
His dad Lee Cochrane said he was thrilled to see the new cars.
He added: “Something like this is right up his street. He has model cars and was watching car videos on You Tube earlier, he has his own toy Lamborghini he takes everywhere so it is great for Stanley to be able to drive his own little car.
“I think it is a fantastic idea and will really help ease the nerves of the children going to surgery.”
Anthony-Hugh Selormey, from Tesla Owners Club, said the donation was thanks to the generosity of the Tesla Owners Club members and the charity events they run.
He added: “To give back to the community is fantastic and a lot of fundraising has taken place to be able to make this donation. To bring a bit of fun into what can be a traumatic experience is what we aim to do with these cars.”
Kirsty Lewis, Acting Deputy Head of Nursing for Children’s Services for RWT, said: “We are so grateful for the donation. Being in hospital is never a nice experience for children and little things like this can make it so much nicer for them. We hope it will get rid of some anxiety they get from being in hospital and it will help make it a little bit more fun for them.”
Amanda Winwood, RWT Charity Development Manager, said: “Thank you so much to the Tesla Owners Club for the donation of the two cars.
“It’s a fantastic gesture from the Tesla Owners Club which will make a huge difference to the children we care for at the hospital and make their time with us that little bit brighter.”