Central Coast residents are being encouraged to visit a stall near Big W at Erina on Friday, August 12, to show their support for Red Nose Day.
The stall will sell plush toys, noses and car noses in support of Red Nose Australia’s annual fundraiser.
A spokesperson said Red Nose Day is needed now more than ever, with demand for key Red Nose Day-funded support services up almost 50 per cent.
“It’s estimated that every year about 200,000 Australian families experienced a miscarriage, almost 3,000 have a stillbirth and a further 700 babies die within the first 28 days of birth,” the spokesperson said.
“In the last couple of years, due to COVID restrictions, many grief-stricken parents went through the trauma of losing a baby alone, without much-needed in-person support from family and friends.
“New data shows that demand for Red Nose’s specialist and around-the-clock grief and loss support services continued to spike during Australia’s pandemic.”
From March 2021 until April 2022, Red Nose: delivered more than 22,147 support sessions to devastated families whose baby or young child died – up 8 per cent on the previous year; and delivered 3,417 Treasured Babies items to families whose babies had died – up 9 per cent on the previous year.
The orgsanisation hopes to raise more than $$800,000 on Red Nose Day this year.
Red Nose Australia CEO, Keren Ludski, said the organisation needed support to continue to meet unprecedented demand for its support services.
“We provide extremely specialised and evidence-based support to parents who lose a baby – and this support is completely free for them to access any time – day or night,” she said.
“Please donate to Red Nose Day if you can, because every dollar makes such a difference.”
Donations can be made at rednoseday.org.au
Source:
Media release, Aug 8
Red Nose Australia