Cambridge City Hall will light up purple for World Prematurity Day
Posted Nov 17, 2015 12:00:37 AM.
Last Updated Nov 17, 2015 09:07:49 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian Premature Babies Foundation will help light up the country in purple today in honour of World Prematurity Day.
The event was created in 2008 and aims to raise awareness for preterm birth and associated health complications, which can last into childhood and sometimes adulthood.
According to the World Health Organization, one in 10 babies worldwide is born prematurely, and premature newborns comprise the largest pediatric patient group in Canada. Based on recent statistics, one in 12 Canadian babies is born prematurely.
Carolyn Leighton-Hilborn is with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation and helped create Preemie POWWR, a local support group for parents of prematurely born children. Hilborn told 570 News that the City of Cambridge will try and honour the day.
“Thankfully we were able to get the City Hall over at Cambridge to light up purple. They’re joining in on a global movement where other cities across the world are lighting up landmarks or buildings in purple– which is the colour for World Prematurity Day. We’ll be inviting families to come out and when the lights go on out dusk they can take photos and we’d love to see them on social media.”
Other Canadian cities that will be lit up purple include Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Moncton, Mississauga and Halifax.
Lights will be on all night at the Cambridge City Hall.
For more information about prematurely born babies and local support, you can visit Preemie POWWR’s facebook or contact the group by e-mail at preemiepowwr@gmail.com.
