Forty air purifiers are being gifted to a Christchurch school to help clear the air for children with worsening respiratory issues due to the ongoing stench.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is giving the air purifiers to Bromley School, which has received comments from students and their families about headaches, difficulty concentrating, upset tummies and worsening asthma symptoms.
Foundation Chief Executive, Ms Letitia Harding, says she hopes the air purifiers help affected families breathe healthier, cleaner air.
"Every breath matters, especially for our children. So when we learned that students were struggling with worsening asthma symptoms because of the stench, we knew we had to help.
"Managing daily symptoms is challenging enough for our children - they should not have to endure this added burden."
Bromley School principal Scot Kinley says the ongoing air quality issues has taken a toll on his teachers and students alike over the past 18 months.
"Multiple students have been forced to stay home due to health issues arising from the foul-smelling air. It's simply unacceptable that our community has had to put up with this."
He thanked the Foundation for their kind donation, adding they will go to deserving families.
"This support is a breath of fresh air for our community, both literally and figuratively," Mr Kinley says.
"It's heartwarming to see organisations like the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation help make a real difference in the lives of our students and their families.
"This donation is a step toward helping families with a situation that should never have persisted for so long."
The air purifiers were donated to the Foundation by Mercury.
