Mercy Place aged care resident – and massive James Bond fan – Robert Hagan has always loved cars.
In the late 1950s, Robert’s first car, a white FJ Holden, allowed him to venture from his family home in Brunswick out to “the bush” in Bacchus Marsh (now a lively Melbourne suburb) to put his car’s horsepower to the test.
Robert Hagan
Robert is the first to admit that he has always liked to push the limits when it comes to driving and he wasn’t shy of burning rubber in his younger years!
Now 79, Robert is described by Mercy Place General Manager Tara Chandrasegran as a “really respectful gentlemen and one of the very first people to come and welcome me to Mercy Place when I first started”.
When Tara first heard about the revised Imagine Fund project, recently launched by Mercy Health Foundation, Robert was one of the first residents she wanted to put forward.
“We thought of Robert straight away because of his love for cars, and because it’s not something he ever would have been able to experience, before coming to Mercy,” says Tara.
Robert’s love for James Bond films throughout the years led to his love for luxury cars, specifically James Bonds’ car of choice – an Aston Martin.
Determined to make Robert’s dream a reality, Tara and the Mercy Health Foundation team set to work. A few phone calls later and the Foundation’s friends at Zagame Automotive were on board with an Aston Martin.
“When we told him we could get an Aston Martin, he was so excited, mouth wide open, smiling ear to ear and he said, ‘Are you serious? Is this happening?!'” says Tara.
A few weeks later, and with the help of many, including our incredible Imagine Fund donors, the big day had arrived.
Robert enjoying the brand new Aston Martin
In true James Bond style, Robert was dressed in a dapper tuxedo, purchased especially for the day.
As Robert walked out the front doors of Mercy Place, the eyes of his fellow residents on him, he could not wipe the smile from his face, especially when he saw the brand new 2022 Aston Martin Vantage convertible idling outside.
“Oh my god… that is superb,” Robert exclaims as he walks closer to the car “I can’t believe this is happening!”
Sitting in the Aston Martin, tuxedo on, roof down, and smile plastered from ear to ear, Robert looked right at home – a true James Bond.
As the car, engine roaring, drove off from Mercy Place, General Manager Tara shed a tear seeing how happy it had made Robert.\
“I don’t often get emotional, but seeing Robert so happy has really done it,” says Tara. “He has just been so excited and so grateful… and he’s so deserving of this”.
Robert was almost at a loss for words when he finally returned to Mercy Place after a morning of recreating his favourite James Bond moments. “It was absolutely marvellous,” says Robert.
Dreams like Robert’s are at the heart of the new ambitious Imagine Fund program, officially rolling out to all Mercy Health residential aged care homes in 2023.
“We have created this new program as we wanted to structure and expand the Imagine Fund to make more dreams come true for our residents,” says Mercy Health Foundation Chief Operating Officer Milva Bello.
“This is an ambitious and life-changing program that gives Mercy Health residents the opportunity to experience something that may have otherwise been out of reach.”
The Imagine Fund is only possible with the support of generous donors, so this Christmas please consider donating to help make dreams come true for more people like Robert.
“Thank you for your generosity and for making these dreams come true,” says Tara.
Last reviewed December 7, 2022.