Red Nose Day: 30 years of support, compassion and saving young lives
Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, buses, taxis, garbage trucks - and even Constable Kenny Koala - will all be displaying red noses in the lead-up to Red Nose Day on Friday, June 29.
Nine babies and children die each day in Australia due to health complications at birth, including stillbirth and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. That’s 3200 children each year, which is double the national road toll death.
Red Nose is urging all Canberrans to support Red Nose Day so it can continue to offer much-needed bereavement support to families who have experienced the sudden death of a baby or child.
Red Nose chief executive officer Theron Vassiliou said the charity had been helping families in Canberra and the surrounding region for more than 30 years.
“We receive on average two new referrals every week and for every little one that dies, more than 60 people are impacted and may require counselling and support,” he said.
“Red Nose Day helps us fund support services along with research into the causes and prevention of the sudden death of babies during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood. We also educate parents, carers and health professionals on how to reduce the risk of SIDS and fatal sleeping accidents.
“Donations to Red Nose Day also go towards funding lifesaving and vital research. To date Red Nose has contributed almost $17 million to trying to find an answer to why some babies and children go to sleep and never wake up.''
Among those helping this week to launch Red Nose Day, were local firefighter Lloyd O'Keeffe and his wife Lara who tragically lost their second-born child, Lachlan, in September, 2013, when he was still-born at 37 weeks.
Red Nose says as an average, 43 families experience stillbirth in Canberra each year. Often the cause of death for these babies is undiagnosed.
Volunteers will be out in force selling Red Nose Day products and a host of retailers will be selling
merchandise until the end of the month.
You can buy merchandise online at rednoseday.com.au or at one of the partnering stores – Capital Chemist, IGA Supermarkets, Big W or Spotlight, or any CUA branch.