March 28, 2016
Gwen Ganske, with her seven-month-old son Sullivan Woitowicz, presents public health nurse Laura Burt with the first donation to the new NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank milk drop location at the Johnstone Crossing Community Health Centre in Red Deer.
Story and photo by Heather Kipling
For newborns, the ideal nutrition is their mother’s milk. Once in a while however, it’s not possible for a mother to provide milk for her baby.
When a mother’s own milk isn’t available, the next recommended choice is pasteurized donor human milk. This is especially ideal for premature or ill babies admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) like the one at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC).
“We are thrilled to be working alongside NorthernStar mothers milk bank on this initiative,” says Lori Henneigh, Alberta Health Services (AHS) Public health area manager for Red Deer. On Feb. 8, AHS and NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank opened the Red Deer Milk Drop, the first site in the city.
Located in the Johnstone Crossing Community Health Centre, the site allows approved mothers to drop off donated milk, which is then sent to NorthernStar’s lab to be pasteurized and dispensed to sick babies in hospitals and communities across the country.
Jannette Festival, executive Director of the NorthernStar mothers milk bank, says the non-profit organization is committed to helping sick and fragile babies across Canada.
“To babies in the NICU, donor human milk is medicine, and premature babies depend on human milk,” she says. “There are many health benefits to breast milk. It contains the proper nutrients infants need, it’s very easy to digest, and it’s protective, helping fight infections.
“On average, the use of donor human milk can decrease a baby’s stay in the NICU by about two weeks.”
Mothers interested in becoming donors are screened by NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank, which includes a medical history and blood testing.
The Red Deer Milk Drop is one of 11 milk drops opening on the Prairie provinces this year and donated milk from NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank is already used at RDRHC.
For Gwen Ganske, who delivered the first official donation to the Red Deer drop site, being able to help both moms and their newborns is a heartwarming way to give back.
“I started thinking about it when I had my first son and I’d ended up having to throw out excess milk that I’d pumped,” Ganske says.“ I learned about the milk bank during my second pregnancy and wanted to get involved as soon as I could.”
When her second son Sullivan was born premature, Ganske saw firsthand the need for donated breast milk, and learned more about how valuable it is for fragile and sick infants.
“It’s so important to have breast milk available for babies in the NICU,” she says. “You hear a lot about preemies and the health challenges they can face, and to be able to give back in a way that, like a blood donation, could save a child’s life is a great feeling.”
This year, Festival predicts the milk bank will dispense more than 4,500 litres of donor human milk, with about 80 per cent of the milk going to NICUs. the rest is given to mothers in the community who need it.
“Milk is triaged, ensuring the sickest babies receive the milk first,” says Festival.
For more information, visit the milk bank’s website at northernstarmilkbank.ca.
