A PROLONGED hospital visit is enough to flatten anyone’s batteries, not to mention the one in your car that’s been sitting out in the car park for days, sometimes weeks on end without a start.
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Tamworth mum Stevie Clarke knows hospitals only too well, wearing a path to and from the Westmead Children’s Hospital for the past 18 months with her daughter Zoe Hartley.
Little Zoe was born with a medical condition that’s left her without muscle in her legs.
“Zoe has already had five surgeries and is down for knee construction next year, so we are grateful for anything that keeps her distracted from the pain and her continual treatments,” Ms Clarke said.
On one of her visits to Westmead, Ms Clarke and Zoe met some charged-up blokes, keen to make a difference in the lives of sick kids.
Battery World Blacktown franchisee Paul Simpson has persuaded his fellow franchisees across the state to donate a swag of batteries to the children’s hospital for kids during their hospitalisation.
Mr Simpson said it was the endless callouts he’d attended at Ronald McDonald House there, to change flattened batteries, that gave him inspiration for the statewide group effort.
“You would meet with people who were really doing it tough,” Mr Simpson said.
Tamworth Battery World franchisee Keith Sammon was one of the first to get on board the promotion, saying it was “an easy decision for us”.
“Anything we can do to improve the quality of children’s lives is important to us and we look forward to supporting the hospital in the years to come,” Mr Sammon said.
“There is so much trauma in people’s lives when they have sick kids. I’m a father of four and grandfather to two and I thank God every day they are well.”
Thanks to his powers of persuasion, 22 NSW and ACT franchisees have embraced the idea and opened up their pockets to donate a swag of batteries.
Hospital volunteers are now them handing out to patients for use in children’s games, toys and consoles.
“So many of the kids are in hospital for such a long time and their games keep them entertained, and can distract them from the pain of their treatment,” Mr Simpson said.
Tamworth Battery World franchisee Keith Sammon was one of the first to get on board the promotion, saying it was “an easy decision for us”.
“Anything we can do to improve the quality of children’s lives is important to us and we look forward to supporting the hospital in the years to come,” Mr Sammon said.
