The water tower set in the Cathedral Quarter, Lincoln, will be lit up purple to help raise awareness of World Prematurity Day.
Taking place on Saturday 17 November, World Prematurity Day focusses on premature birth, newborn health and survival. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, alongside Anglian Water, are supporting the cause by lighting up the impressive Westgate Water Tower purple.
Across the world, a number of buildings will be lighting up purple and in previous years has included iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building in New York.
Stacey Raynor, senior staff nurse on the neonatal unit at Lincoln County Hospital said, “Working on the neonatal unit means I see the amount of worry and apprehension they go through when they have a premature baby. Being able to support families through this time can be tough but also extremely rewarding and anything we can do to raise awareness really helps.
We are really grateful to Anglian Water for helping us support the day. Being part of this worldwide initiative is really important and brings everyone together to share experiences and offer comfort.”
Samantha Ross from Anglian Water said, “We’re really pleased to be able to help raise awareness on World Prematurity Day. We appreciate the significant impact having a premature baby can have on family life. We want to support our customers wherever we can, especially when they are experiencing a difficult time in their life.
“If you have a child under 12 months or a family member who is in a vulnerable situation then we would encourage you to sign up for our priority service register. We can look to provide extra help with bills and priority support in case of an emergency interruption to water supply. Visit www.anglianwater.co.uk/watercare to register and check with your electricity and gas suppliers who will also have similar schemes.”
As well as the lighting of the Water Tower, the neonatal unit will be decorated purple and the charity ‘Little Miracles UK’ have given the unit purple t-shirts for staff to wear. The unit was entered into a competition in which parents could nominate and they won.
- Premature birth is a birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy and its consequences are the leading cause of death for children under the age of five worldwide.
- Babies who survive an early birth can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities including breathing problems, vision loss, cerebral palsy, and intellectual delays.
- About 15 million babies worldwide are born prematurely each year, and one million of them die before their first birthdays.