A mother’s pledge to change a life of a child
The journey of various new born mothers shows the importance of donating milk to a milk bank.
To give cuddles, care, and plenty of nourishment – the most natural expectations of a mother are not always possible when her new baby needs hospitalisation, but breastfeeding women have an opportunity to help the newborns of other mothers with vital nutrition.
Nyasha Mhuru Rukure is one such parent-in-need. Her baby boy, Liam, was born in July at just 29 weeks old and was admitted into intensive care at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. For Nyasha, the journey to the hospital is a hurdle that she often cannot overcome, meaning that Liam’s urgent need for breastmilk must be met another way.
Read more: How mothers, though different, share a commonality
It is here that the new human milk bank at the facility, established in partnership with Netcare, makes an immeasurable difference in the life of Liam and many other tiny patients like him, says Verena Bolton, a neonatal nurse and national co-ordinator of Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks.
“Breast milk donors who have been tested for safe donation are a lifeline for babies admitted in hospital neo-natal intensive care units (NICUs), helping to ensure that they receive the specialised nutrition their bodies need – often in a fight for their life,” she says.
Qudsiyah Kassim, a registered dietician who manages newborn nutrition in the hospital’s NICU, adds that breastmilk is crucial in preventing infections and other complications but many mothers in the public sector struggle with the logistical and financial difficulties preventing them from seeing and feeding their little one every day.
Also read: World Breastfeeding Week: How to increase milk supply
“While Netcare has historically supported public sector facilities with donated breast milk from the five national Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks, the establishment of an on-site milk bank is an important step for the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. This will allow them to recruit donors directly at the facility and manage the processing, in partnership with Netcare,” explains Bolton.
In the spirit of paying it forward, Ivy Nyarkoah is donating her breastmilk to the human milk bank at hospital while her baby girl, Bregail, who weighed just 820g at the time of her birth, is admitted there. This first time mother endured heartbreak shortly after giving birth to extremely premature twins at 28 weeks, a boy and a girl. Her son tragically did not survive, but despite the ongoing pain of his loss, she is determined to make a difference in the lives of other babies by donating breast milk, as much as she is able to.
“When my babies were born they desperately needed the right nutrition and while we waited for my milk to come in they received donor breast milk – a gift which I am really grateful for. This experience has encouraged me to donate, and having the milk bank here at the hospital means I am able to do it easily.” She said her daughter is incredibly strong, and weighs 1.3kg, and because of this hoped she would be making her way home soon. “I plan to continue donating milk even after that and dropping it off every two weeks. After all, if others are willing to donate, then why not me?” said Nyarkoah.
Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.
Related article: The benefits of breastfeeding
