The luxury mini cars allow patients at Rady Children's Hospital to 'drive' themselves to the operating room

A San Diego children’s hospital has unveiled a novel way to transport young patients to the operating theatre – in luxury remote-control toy cars.

The miniature BMW, Mercedes and Lamborghini are for patients aged 3 – 8 years at teh San Diego hospital

The collection of mini cars, unveiled yesterday at the Rady Children’s Hospital, allow young patients to ‘drive’ themselves to the operating room. They are part of a new program designed to make children more relaxed before their procedures and are actually operated by a nurse or a doctor.

The three miniature cars are for patients aged 3 – 8 years, and the young patients can chose from three luxury models – a BMW, a Mercedes or a Lamborghini.

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Andrea Destraio, 5, slaps hands with San Diego Harbor police officer Aldo Gutierrez and other officers whose charity donated to Rady Children’s Hospital to start a program that uses remote control cars to take young patients to the operating room

Doctor Daniela Carvalho remotely controls Andrea Destraio, 5, in her Lamborghini at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego

The program allow young patients to ‘drive’ themselves to the operating room but the cars are actually operated by a nurse or a doctor, and have been introduced to make children more relaxed before their procedures

High five: Little Andrea Destraio, 5, slaps hands with medical staff and invited police officers whose charity donated to Rady Children’s Hospital to start a program that uses remote control cars to take young patients to the operating room

The cars were donated by the San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Agencies through a teddy bear drive that raised money and stuffed animals for the children at the hospital, NBC Los Angeles reports. The goal is to make the hospital experience more positive for patients.

‘It’s not just for the child to feel like this is a fun thing to do,’ said Dr. Daniela Carvalho, medical director at Rady Children’s Hospital. But the stress of surgery falls on the parents too. When they see their child smiling, it makes the separation anxiety a lot easier.’

Andrea Destrajo, 5, indicated how successful the programme could be on Tuesday when she was pictured smiling broadly and having fun driving the cars at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

‘It’s a very stressful moment when kids come into the operating room for their families,’ said Dr. Carvalho told NBC Los Angeles. ‘When they see these cars they just light up. They are happy.’