Ronald McDonald House charities, UMC unveil new ‘Cart with a Heart’ program

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Ronald McDonald charities and UMC unveiled a new program called Cart with a Heart on Wednesday.

The program was in the works for five years; they got it up and running today after it was delayed by COVID.

This hospitality cart will be rolled into patient rooms, carrying a multitude of goodies - from snacks and blankets to tooth brushes and toys.

Dr. Brian Payne is Chief Medical Officer at UMC Children’s Hospital.

“They will have a cart that will serve families, from coffee to if the kids need toys or even snacks, and they go out to those families and serve them rather than the families finding them,” Payne said.

The cart won’t just provide comfort for children, it will also be accessible to nurses, doctors and patient families who may not be comfortable leaving their child during treatment.

“To make sure that every child has that care and support they need to get through their crisis...and to be able to have that life and joy they had before they even came in the hospital,” Dr. Payne said.

Emmanuel Ramirez, President and CEO of RMHC, says the cart is free to anyone on the pediatric floor and is made possible through donations. The Ronald McDonald House already has a room inside UMC where families can get coffee, snacks and freshen up, but Cart with a Heart will bring them right to their bedside.

“We will be on every pediatric floor: NICU, PICU, anywhere where there’s women and children, our services will be there.” Ramirez says the cart will be restocked when items go low, and this program will expand to more hospitals in the spring.

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