A young infant with cerebral palsy which affects his ability to walk and keep up with others is now is more mobile thanks to Z Energy and Gobabygo.
Mark and Uai Murray, jumped at the chance to get an adapted electric ride-in BMW for their active boy Jackson.
Volunteer-run charity Gobabygo changes the electric cars for users with impaired mobility, but it relies on donations from corporate supporters such as Z Energy.
Keith Murray – no relative – is a retailer operating a cluster of Z Energy sites across central Auckland, with premises between Glen Innes in the East and Mt Albert in the West.
When he heard about Gobabygo, he was keen to get involved in his area.
“Z Energy and its retailers are committed to helping communities,” says Murray. “We believe that when you’re part of a community, you naturally look out for it, and our business commits to a culture that promotes diversity and inclusiveness.”
Murray says that his company works with Geneva Elevator to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities within his sites, and Gobabyo and its mission to help children with impaired mobility by adapting cars specifically for each child seemed a natural fit.
“We are about solving what matters for a dynamic world, and helping Jackson to get around – and in such a cool little car – is just a different way of achieving what we aspire to,” says Murray.
Jackson has yet to get used to steering and operating the throttle in his new car, but his dad can use a remote control to move it around until he realises how to use the wheel.
The car also has a ‘buddy switch’ to operate the throttle in place of the foot pedal, fixed to whichever part of the car Jackson can most easily reach.
Meanwhile, Keith Murray and Gobabygo are awaiting other applications in his Z Energy region.
“It’s heart-warming to see a child with impaired mobility able to get around in a fun way, and able to race around outside with their friends and siblings,” he says.
