BUMBLEance announces expansion into Donegal and North West

The service will directly support sick children throughout Donegal and the North West region.

Bumbleance provides a national service throughout the island of Ireland for critically ill children who require transportation between their home and children’s hospitals, hospices, national treatment centres and respite centres. Bumbleance also provides a very unique and specialised service through its end of life Angel Trips. An Angel Trip is designed for a child in palliative care who is making his or her final journey on earth.

The BUMBLEette service is specifically designed for critically ill children who need to avail of vital transportation but who do not require a paramedic or EMT on board. Through the development of this initiative, Bumbleance can provide crucial support to even more children in need of assistance nationwide.

Since its launch in September 2013, Bumbleance has been supporting sick children from both Donegal and the North West of Ireland. Tony Heffernan, Founder and CEO said: ‘The new Donegal and North West BUMBLEette vehicle will be the first in a series of regional BUMBLEettes to be launched in Ireland. Many areas in the North West of Ireland do not have major transportation links suitable for sick children who are required to travel to and from hospital on an ongoing basis, thus BUMBLEance and BUMBLEettes are the only solution for these young patients and their families.’

Bumbleance are currently looking at exploring suitable bases for their brand new regional BUMBLEette vehicle. This Mercedes Benz 171 B vehicle can carry a driver plus five seated passengers. BUMBLEette will enable the transportation of two sick children in wheelchairs with one care giver/ parent each, or a driver plus a fully operational stretcher and four seated passengers. Bumbleance will also employ a local, fully trained and Garda vetted vehicle driver to ensure the smoothest and safest journey possible for both the sick child and their primary care giver and this service will be launch in 2017.

BUMBLEette will have all the amenities of a fully operational Bumbleance and will be fully equipped with a fun filled entertainment system that includes a TV, Xbox, DVD’s, sensory lighting, Music, books, games, consoles, Wi-Fi, Social Media streaming and a PlayStation. Additionally, the bright and fun exterior and interior décor of the BUMBLEette will provide a distinctively positive and reassuring first impression to young patients who are often facing a challenging and somewhat daunting journey from two to five hours all over Ireland.

The Donegal and North West BUMBLEette will also function as a Children’s Chemo Cab service as it will transport critically ill children suffering from a variety of cancer specific illnesses to and from hospitals and critical care centres. The Chemo Cab service will be supported by the existing Bumbleance fleet for higher risk and higher intensity need children.

Bumbleance provides a free service for families in crisis who are in need of vital transportation. Tony Heffernan, CEO, said: WWe want an Ireland where the fear and stress of an ambulance journey for a child no longer exists, that is our main goal. We know our goals can be realised through the hard work and dedication of our BEE Team as well as our wonderful friends and supporters nationwide. We cannot wait to get our first BUMBLEette service on the road and we look forward to helping even more sick kids nationwide at a local level.’