Saving Luke.

Enjoy the following blog submitted by a mother who receives donor human milk from the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin for her son. She shares her emotional trials of finally having a son, not being able to breast feed, watching her child not tolerate formula, and finally, receiving life-giving milk from compassionate milk donors to the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin. Thank you, Monal, for sharing this story!

My husband and I have been happily married for six years. Most of those years were spent trying to have a baby.  We encountered heartbreak after heartbreak, miscarriage, being told my eggs weren't good enough to conceive, that I couldn't carry a baby to term.  We felt hopeless and broken. Finally, through a wise acupuncture and IVF team, and the help of a great surrogate-mom, we finally have our precious baby boy, Luke.  He has been a long-pined-for blessing in our lives.

From the beginning, we wanted our son to receive the most wholesome, healthy, nutritious food on the planet - breastmilk.  Pediatricians, nurses, La Leche league, and friends alike told us that the healthiest start in life a baby can have is through his diet of breastmilk.  It was heartbreaking for me, as a mom, because I couldn't provide breastmilk for our son, even though I tried through acupuncture and various holistic means.   Our pediatrician appealed to our milk bank.  Our milk bank has provided for Luke since his birth.

Austin Milk Bank has been a blessing of epic proportions for Luke and in our lives.  It's the dedication and hard work of the men and women of the milk bank that has kept Luke getting his milk, getting healthy, thriving... Our second enormous blessing is the selfless mothers out there, who donate milk to the milk banks, so that families such as ours, can get safe, healthy food for our baby.  

When our son was three months old,  for a brief few weeks, the milk bank ran low on milk -  when milk donations are low, fragile preemies and ill infants who desperately need breastmilk to survive, are given first priority in the distribution of breast-milk. We support this structure fully, and feel very blessed that our son is healthy. During this time of getting no donor milk our son was on formula.  We found out very quickly that he simply could not digest formula. We tried three different brands in three weeks. He was constipated, threw up with every bottle, and rapidly lost weight. He became dull - his eyes were listless. We were in tears. We were so scared for our son. 

Mercifully, the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin understood our plight, our fear; and because wonderful moms were donating more breast milk, they were able to send us milk again.  Once Luke was back on his milk, he began gaining weight, meeting his milestones, (we call them milk-stones :)), enjoying his food... we breathed huge sighs of relief.

 

When you look into the eyes of your precious baby, and see that you're meeting their needs, you feel like a parent.  When you're providing milk for your baby, do you see the joy, peace, and contentment in their eyes? Thanks to amazing moms like you, I see that look in my son's eyes as well. If you're a mom who's contemplating donating your milk, please let our story reach your heart.  When I, as a mom, can't produce milk for my baby and provide him with much-needed nutrition, it's heartbreaking. We don't know what we would do without the Mothers’ Milk Bank.  We can't imagine how hard they work to appeal to moms, to raise awareness for the need for milk donations, and to raise milk donations.  So many moms we talk to simply don't know there's such a huge need for breastmilk.  If you're donating your milk, please know that you are heroes for us.  You are our life-savers. You may never have to administer CPR, or jump into a pool to save a life. But with your milk donation, you are saving lives every day. Tiny, fragile infants, clinging to life, get your milk and survive.  Ill infants get your immune system protection through your breastmilk and survive.  By donating your milk, you've helped pull a baby through its darkest hours.

When our child drinks your milk, please know that we say silent prayers of thanks and blessings to whoever has donated their milk.  Please know that we are deeply grateful for your incredible generosity.  Your role as a mom and human being is vital in our lives.  When we get our weekly breastmilk, we feel so relieved - I get very emotional when I put away the MMBA milk in our freezer - we feel your kindness.

A wise president once said "There, but for the grace of God, go I". Any one of us could be a mom who can't conceive, or produce her own milk. Any of us could know the terror of having a premature or ill baby. Where would we turn to for getting nutrition and immunity and strength into our baby?  For us, we turn to you through the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin. Our son is smiling, happy, thriving, because of you.  When our son is older, we will teach him the lessons that you wonderful moms and the milk bank is teaching us - donating, giving of yourself, understanding the painful plight of people around you and having great empathy for them, acting on that empathy and with your heart- that is the essence of a human being and parent.   We send your profound gratitude and blessings.

For the hardworking, compassionate, and incredible people at the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin - we have such regard and gratitude for you.  We know that every ounce of breastmilk you send us is earned through sheer dedication of mind, body, spirit.  Words cannot express our thanks. You do more for us than you will ever know. Who you are and what you do makes a life-changing difference in our lives.  We owe the joy of our son's health to God and to you. 

Thank you!

  

With love and thanks - Jeff, Monal, Luke