Campaign sparks Hutt City bridges to ‘Light Up Purple’

10 November 2015

Global prematurity campaign sparks Hutt City bridges to ‘Light Up Purple’

Landmarks around New Zealand will be lit up alongside international landmarks in a campaign for World Prematurity Day on 17 November.

This is the second year New Zealand has taken part in the “Lighting Up Purple” campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the 15 million babies born prematurely worldwide each year.

In Hutt City, the Ewen Bridge and Melling Bridge will both be illuminated purple to support this awareness campaign.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace stated ”‘Lighting up Purple’ is a fantastic campaign Hutt City Council is proud to support by lighting up two of our bridges that connect our river city: Ewen Bridge and Melling Bridge. Both bridges will be decked out in purple lights for World Prematurity Day on Tuesday 17 November to shine a light on the important work of The Neonatal Trust.”

Over 400 babies pass through the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) in Lower Hutt hospital each year.
In addition, many babies from the Hutt Valley are among the 1,000+ that go through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Wellington hospital. These babies are either born premature, or require additional care due to complications or illness.

Among the other buildings turning purple across New Zealand are Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre, the Christchurch Airport Terminal, Oamaru Opera House and the Clock Towers in Blenheim, Gisborne and New Plymouth. Past international participants include the Empire State Building, Niagara Falls and the Trevi Fountain.

New Zealand’s lighting up campaign is headed by The Neonatal Trust New Zealand. The Trust supports families of premature and sick full-term babies across New Zealand.

A premature baby is born every 90 minutes on average in New Zealand. That’s more than 5,000 or 10 percent of all babies each year who have to go through a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU). In addition, sick full-term babies are admitted to the NICU. The complications these babies face are often only apparent once the baby is born.

“The charity works to support neonatal families as they make their journey through a neonatal unit, the transition home and onwards” said Neil O’Styke, Executive Director of The Neonatal Trust.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive and the willingness of these incredible landmarks to get involved. It’s just another example of the incredible support the New Zealand community gives charities.”

Many New Zealanders are personally affected, or have friends and family who have experienced premature births or had a sick baby require specialist care.

“It’s an issue which affects a significant amount of our population, and we are excited to see the New Zealand community get behind our campaign” he adds.

ENDS

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