Radio Flyer Hero Wagons Eases Emily’s Stress and Anxiety
Tears stream down 12-year-old Emily’s face as she senses her family’s car approaching the usual route to the hospital. No one needs to say it; she knows she is going in for another hospital stay.
Emily has developed extreme fear and anxiety related to hospitals, so much so that she starts crying even before her family pulls into the hospital’s parking structure.
She lives with a genetic deletion that causes medical complexities, including deafness, blindness, severe apnea, and needs oxygen and a g-tube. Emily also has autism and is nonverbal.
Hospital visits, needle pokes, infusions and surgery are a routine part of life for Emily, but that doesn’t make them any easier.
To help ease the stress, Emily's family finds little ways to bring her comfort - such as taking rides in the medically accessible Starlight Radio Flyer Hero Wagon, a proven soothing experience for Emily.
“When Emily is in the Hero Wagon she knows no ouchies are going to happen,” Emily’s Mom Judy shares, “ ... There are days that we don’t have to use [her anxiety] medication at all because the wagon brings her so much peace.”
Emily's Constant Companion
The wagon is Emily's constant companion in the hospital. From the moment she wakes up to when she goes to bed, Emily wants to be in the wagon. Judy spends 8-12 hours a day pulling her in the wagon, walking laps around the pediatric unit.
Judy recalls a story of how the Radio Flyer Hero Wagon has changed their hospital experience:
“During her hospital admission in the spring, when we went down to pre-op, the anesthesiologist told me to go ahead and pull her around the unit until it was time to go back for her scopes. When it was time for her to go back, they allowed me to take her to the OR in the wagon. It has made transitions so much easier.”
That moment in the OR was just one example of how the medically accessible Starlight Radio Flyer Hero Wagon has made hospital life easier for Emily and her family. More recently, after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Emily rapidly gained weight and outgrew her wheelchair. Now, the Radio Flyer Hero Wagon allows her family to easily transport Emily and the medical equipment she relies on.
“Without the Hero Wagon there is no way I could carry Emily, feeding pump, oxygen tank, and IV pole. The Hero Wagons make life in the hospital a little more accessible.”
- Judy, Emily's Mom
The hospital will always be a part of Emily's life, but with the right support, it doesn't have to be so overwhelming.
Thousands of hospitalized kids face similar challenges every day. With your support, Starlight can continue providing programs that deliver happiness when they need it most.
Give today to help more kids like Emily feel safe and supported.
What Makes the Starlight Radio Flyer Hero Wagons Special?
Made with the hospital in mind, the Starlight Hero Wagons are medically accessible for pediatric patients. Kids can go on a joyride and explore the hospital environment, finding comfort and easing anxiety along the way.
“The Hero Wagons have been life changing for our family during hospital stays. As a parent you can feel so helpless when your child is in the hospital. Knowing that the wagon gives Emily a sense of peace and calms her means the world to me as her mom. It takes so little from me but gives her so much.” - Judy
