Today, on World Prematurity Day, Gloucester Cathedral will be lit up in purple to recognise the good work done across the globe to save the lives of premature babies.
World Prematurity Day on 17 November is a worldwide movement that raises awareness about premature birth and its potentially devastating consequences for families. Purple is its official colour.
Out of the 15 million babies who are born prematurely every year, 1 million do not survive.
Gloucester Cathedral has been lit purple previously for such causes as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
The city also has its own neo-natal unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Last April, the cathedral turned blue to thank NHS workers for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “17 November is a day of celebration as well as commemoration. The one million babies lost to premature birth is a tragic statistic, with each death causing heartbreak for families. But medical advances in the field of neonatal care means that more and more premature babies are surviving and thriving.
“As SPUC reported recently, baby Iris, born prematurely at 28 weeks last year, who contracted pneumonia after two weeks and had various other medical problems, will celebrate her first birthday on Saturday.”
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