1 year old organisation supporting early and sick babies

Simplicity KiwiSaver – a one-year-old online not-for-profit KiwiSaver provider, has teamed up with The Neonatal Trust, providing a $10,000 donation to support young Kiwi families dealing with the stress of the arrival of premature or sick babies.

The Neonatal Trust Executive Director Neil O’Styke says “there is synergy in a fledgling organisation still in its infancy choosing to provide vital support to the youngest, and most at-risk, Kiwi babies”.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been selected by Simplicity”.

“The support was confirmed on the Friday before Father’s Day, when 350 Kiwi dads had their baby receiving care in a neonatal unit. This support from Simplicity enables practical and meaningful help such as our Fathers day support pack”.

He then added “There is a natural fit, with their great non-profit model and charity focused ethos, and our work in support of families going through the stress and anxiety of a neonatal journey”

Sam Stubbs, Simplicity Managing Director stated “We're so happy to celebrate turning one by helping those whose journey to one year old is full of stress and anxiety - by giving $10,000 to The Neonatal Trust”.

He then added “It’s a cause that resonates with all Kiwis. They do fabulous work supporting the families of premature or sick full-term babies as they make their journey through neonatal intensive care, the transition home, and onwards”.

“The donation is possible due to our strong growth and the overwhelming support from Kiwis for our fresh approach to KiwiSaver. We're already saving members over $40,000 a week in fees, which means we can make donations such as this to charity”.

Key neonatal statistics:

• There are 350+ incubators and cots in neonatal units across New Zealand

• Babies are classified as premature if they are born before 37 weeks gestation. A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. On average, every day 16 babies are born premature in New Zealand

• Approximately 1 in 10 of babies born in New Zealand every year arrive early. That's one every 90 minutes, and over 5,000 in total. Some arrive as early as 16 weeks premature (24 weeks gestation). Many more babies arrive full-term but require specialist care in a neonatal unit due to health issues

• Some stays in a neonatal unit last just a few days, others take a very long time. For example, from the personal stories on The Neonatal Trust website www.neonataltrust.org.nz:
* Charlotte, born 23 weeks 3 days, weighing 650grams - 132 days before going home for the first time.

To learn more about Simplicity, visit www.simplicity.kiwi

ENDS

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