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Milk Bank Hosts Donor Drive at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital
Wyandotte, Mich. -- Staff with Henry Ford Health’s human donor milk bank hosted what’s believed to be a unique event Tuesday at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital: a breast milk donor drive. Henry Ford Milk Bank - Jackson has had a strong and generous response from donors since opening in June.
Milk bank manager Erin McGreal-Miller says they have enough inventory to supply Henry Ford Jackson Hospital’s special care nursery with safe, pasteurized human donor milk for 14 months. As the milk bank team works towards supplying other Henry Ford hospitals and outpatients, they’re working to spread the word about donation to more people who are producing breast milk.
“We specifically chose to hold a milk bank drive in Wyandotte because we haven’t had any donors from downriver and we’d really love to start working with some families in this area,” McGreal-Miller said.
Breast milk’s short and long-term health benefits to infants are well established by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In instances when a mother would like to breast feed but can’t, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend donor human milk as the best alternative.“Breastmilk helps prevent diseases, boosts immunity, and decreases babies’ risk of diabetes and obesity down the road,” said Cari Gray, RN, at Henry Ford Hospital in Jackson. “And same with mom – it helps decrease their risk of breast and ovarian cancers and diabetes. There are countless benefits to both mom and baby.”
Those interested in becoming a donor could stop by the one-stop screening event to complete most of the donor requirements including a screening questionnaire, donor conversation, lab work and paperwork.
“What we hear from both our recipient and donor families is what a gift it is to receive and donate milk,” said McGreal-Miller. “We have some donors who started out as milk recipients. They had their baby, struggled with breastfeeding, received donor milk, and went on working with our lactation staff to breastfeed successfully. Then creating a surplus, they were able to give back the gift they received because it meant so much to them. It gives me goosebumps every time!”
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MEDIA CONTACT: mediarelations@hfhs.org