Breast Milk Donation to AIDS Orphans
October 7, 2006 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breast milk, donation of breast milk
In an extraordinary program, babies whose mothers died of AIDS receive breast milk donated by South African women to the IThemba Lethu orphanage in Durban, South Africa. ABC News reported on October 4:
When the children first come to the orphanage, they are so sick and malnourished they can barely cry…. Once they are fed, they thrive on the breast milk, and within a few weeks, they are full of life. They gain weight almost immediately and don’t get sick as often when they’re drinking the breast milk.
Jill Youse, a mother in Columbia, Missouri, read about the orphanage on the Web while she was nursing her 10-month-old daughter. She spread the word and collected 24 gallons of frozen breast milk from local mothers inspired by the success of the orphanage. Global express carrier DHL generously shipped the milk to South Africa free of charge.
You can watch the three-minute video of the entire ABC News story or read the full print version. If the story of the IThemba Lethu orphanage also inspires you to investigate breast milk donation either internationally or domestically in the United States, check out the International Breast Milk Project. The organization’s third shipment, consisting of nearly 47 gallons of mother’s milk, got underway on October 3 and a fourth shipment is planned for early 2007.
I saw a recent show on Oprah and I am very interested in finding out more information. I would like to know what I can do to donate breastmilk? Please send me information on the whole process. My mailing address is:
824 Washington Ave. Apt. H2
Alton, Illinois 62002
You can also send info to the above email address. Thank you and I hope to hear from someone soon.
Samantha, for more information you can contact the International Breast Milk Project through their website:
http://www.breastmilkproject.org/donate.html
or you can visit the website for the Human Milk Banking Association of North America:
http://www.hmbana.org/index.php?mode=locations
I feel compelled to comment on the quote cited in the last post:
“At $43 an ounce, it could cost more than $1,000 a day to feed a 10-pound baby with Prolacta – 10 times the amount charged by nonprofits….”
The author failed to include the fact that Prolactas milk products are meant only for preemies, babies who weigh less than 1500 grams- NOT 10 pounds. The babies in South Africa are recieving free milk, it is donated by the moms, and processed, tested, and packaged by prolacta.
You can get the whole story on this website:
http://www.milkbanking.net/ibmp/index.php
In the interest of presenting both sides of the story here are two links that give food for thought regarding the International Breast Milk Project and it’s connection to ProLacta.
http://www.breastfeedingsymbol.org/c…-milk-project/
http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/200…rnational.html
Carol – back in June I too had written about the information that The Lactivist helped bring to light:
http://www.breastfeeding123.com/should-you-support-the-international-breast-milk-project/