Generous Milk Depot Donation

How would you define ‘heroic’? Maybe it’s a momentous, dramatic event. It can also be several small things that add up to a lot. I recently met woman who I’d call heroic. What she is doing is life-giving and generous. 

Elizabeth helps families with a preterm and/or medically fragile baby.

She is providing them with Donor Human Milk. A few months after her son was born, she brought her first donation to the Milk Depot in Ellsworth.  It was over 300 ounces! The next month, she donated over another 200 ounces. Over 500 ounces in total is generous and indeed life-giving.

Elizabeth understands the value of human milk for growing babies. When she heard about the Milk Depot in Ellsworth, she wanted to get involved. She completed the screening and became an official Milk Donor for the Mothers Milk Bank Northeast and has been donating regularly.

On a newborn’s first day, their belly can hold only teaspoons of colostrum at a time. However,  they feed often and soon take ounces at a time. Sometimes a baby only needs donor milk for a day or two while their mother builds her own milk supply. For babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, donated human milk is important for building their health. 

These donations make a significant difference for preterm babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Studies show that those who receive Donor Human Milk, instead of formula, have much reduced incidences of Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Also known as NEC, this is an infection in the intestines that can be fatal. That is why preterm and/or medically fragile babies are the priority for receiving Donor Human Milk. 

As people learn about this resource, there is more demand for providing Donor Human milk. There is great value in Human Milk and Donor Human Milk. These protect and promote baby’s health. And for the parents, the option of Donor Human Milk assuages their worries at a stressful time. “Knowing our baby was getting what he needed – and knowing there were people in the world kind enough to offer this sort of support to us – was and is still really important to me.” DHM recipient Leah.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing the health. Your donations will reach many babies. 

Learn more about becoming a screened donor at Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast. The Ellsworth Milk Depot is located at Anchored Women’s Health 710 Bucksport Rd. in Ellsworth. 

You can find current research about the benefits of Donor Human Milk on the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast website.