Cot death day to benefit Canty

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 9

Cot death day to benefit Canty

By

DEBORAH

McPherson ' Canterbury cot death fund-raisers have been assured the region will benefit from a national fund-raising day. The Canterbury Cot Death Research Fellowship Trust had been upset that the Cot Death Division of the Child Health Research Foundation would hold a national “red nose day” on September 8 to raise $1 million to help combat cot death. The Canterbury appeal organisers were annoyed they had known nothing of the appeal until it was announced in the newspapers. A spokesman for the Canterbury Cot. Death Fellowship, Mr George

Begg, said that he was now urging Canterbury people to get behind the “red nose day.” “We have an assurance from the Cot Death Division in Auckland, who are organising the appeal, that we will see the benefits down here,’”' said Mr Begg. A full-time researcher into cot death in Canterbury is expected to start work early next year. The $440,000 raised so far by the Canterbury Trust has been given to the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation to administer. The foundation has appointed a trust committee to advertise and appoint a research fellow to be based in the department of pediatrics at the - Christchurch School 9f Medicine.

‘“We will be asking for a research nurse to assist the fellow, and maybe follow that up with further requests for funding of research projects here.” The Canterbury Cot Death Society and Christchurch’s community pediatrician, Dr Rodney Ford, yesterday indicated they also backed the national “red nose day.” A spokeswoman for the society, Ms Felicity Price, said the “red nose day” would be a light-hearted way of focusing on a serious subject. “We are hoping to have people from all over Canterbury wearing their red noses and having fun,” said Ms Price. v