GM FYI Blog

By David Gibbons
Plant Manager, GM Shreveport Assembly

A couple of weeks ago Hummer extended the loan of 12 H3s, already in use in post-Hurricane Katrina cleanup, for another year to the state of Louisiana.

These vehicles have already been used to transport food, relief workers, medical supplies and water to those in need. They’ve been to Mardi Gras and have been employed as high-water response units for an area police department.

In the town of Shreveport, La., where the HUMMERs are built, a new custom version of the H3 has been deployed for the use of children in need.

At Sutton’s Children Hospital — a still-under-construction 65,000 square-foot facility being built at Christus Schumpert St. Mary’s Place hospital in Shreveport — two child-sized replicas of the popular H3 have taken up residence thanks to GM Shreveport.

The HUMMERs are being driven by little patients on their way to surgery, something that doctors say helps the children to relax and have fun, rather than focusing on what could otherwise be a frightening experience. If a child is anxious, it can affect his or her blood pressure or heart rate in a way that is difficult for doctors to control.

“This is a way to alleviate some of the stress, fear and nervousness,” said Mark Brown, a surgeon at the hospital. “We are truly appreciative of GM’s donation, which is quite fitting since the HUMMERs are made at the Shreveport plant.”

Brown said that one child has already enjoyed a ride in the bright hospital HUMMER.

Whether it’s helping children cope with surgery or providing emergency services to local residences, we’re proud to have HUMMER playing a role in making lives better in Louisiana.