Community Joins Forces to Transport Children to Medical Appointments.

News Editors and Health/Medical Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2000

The volunteer efforts of off-duty firefighters, coupled with corporate contributions and foundation grants, help keep the Care-A-Van for Kids program at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital rolling smoothly. But more help is needed to continue the good works.

Care-A-Van for Kids, which provides rides for patients and their families in outlying areas who have no means of transportation to the hospital, serves as a critical link for individuals like 19-year-old Jermaine Manuel Wilson.

Wilson lives in San Jose and makes frequent trips to the hospital for a severe congenital bone disease. "My mom works two jobs and home-schools my two younger brothers who have learning disabilities," he says. "If it wasn't for Care-A-Van for Kids, I don't know how I would get to the hospital."

The program has grown "beyond our imaginations," says project coordinator Donna Greenberg. It began operating two years ago with seed money from the Sobrato Family Foundation in Cupertino, a donated 1987 Chevy van and the volunteer efforts of five "very ambitious" firefighters, primarily from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Morgan Hill. Since inception of the program, more than 600 rides and 75,000 miles have been recorded.

Today, nearly 75 firefighters volunteer to drive sick and injured children to their medical appointments at Packard, and support staff at the forestry department and Salinas fire department coordinate firefighters' schedules with the kids' appointments. The program serves families in Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.

Agilent Technologies recently donated two new, fully equipped vans, and a third van was added with a contribution from the Harden Foundation in Salinas. Even with the new vans, though, many firefighters still drive their own vehicles and pay for their own gas.

"The program has grown rapidly with the help of generous support from our community," says Greenberg. "But we need additional help to continue supporting the many children who need rides."

George Haines, of the Forestry Department in Monterey, says he became a volunteer driver because he wants to give back to the community. "That's kind of a cliche, I know, but when you see what some people don't have that you take for granted, that really wakes you up."

Winston Jackson of the Santa Clara County County Fire Department agrees. "It just seemed like a good way to help people out, which is kind of an extension of what firefighters already do."

Driving the kids can be rewarding, if sometimes painful. One four-year-old boy with leukemia made so many trips to Packard that the drivers knew him well. After discovering he loved horses, the drivers made a brief side trip so the child could see horses grazing. "Unfortunately, he didn't make it," Haines says. "When we see the horses, we think of that little guy."

Most stories have happy endings. Jermaine Wilson knows well the difference the firefighters make in people's lives. "I've seen at least eight different doctors already, and I know that I'm going to need several different surgeries before I'm through," he says. "but I'm very hopeful that things are going to turn out just fine for me."

Most kids come to the hospital for long-term problems, like cancer or transplants, Greenberg says. One child required repeated trips to the plastic surgery clinic to rebuild his hand and arm after a farming accident. "Some communities don't not have the expertise to deal with these types of problems," Greenberg says.

More vans, volunteer drivers - particularly those who are bilingual in Spanish - and funds to cover operational costs are critically needed. Volunteers should have a clean driving record, at least four years of driving experience, and, ideally, a vehicle they can use. The program also requests a one-year commitment. Spanish-speaking volunteers are greatly needed. Contact Donna Greenberg at [phone] for more information.

Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is a 240-bed hospital devoted entirely to the care of children and expectant mothers. Providing pediatric medical and surgical services associated with Stanford University Medical Center, Packard offers patients locally, regionally and nationally the full range of health care programs and services - from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury.