Donated breast milk can save lives. These Quebec moms are urging others to step up
Héma-Québec's Public Mothers' Milk Bank seeking 100 new donors per month
When a pregnant Sounithtra Vongsaphay began having contractions at 27 weeks, she thought there was no way.
No way could her first child be arriving almost three months early.
But in 2017, after staff at a Montreal hospital managed to delay her labour for another week, the inevitable happened.
"My son William decided he wanted to meet with us earlier," said Vongsaphay, now able to joke about the serious situation.
"He was born at 28 weeks. Even his bedroom wasn't ready yet."
Neither was Vongsaphay's body.
Like many mothers who give birth prematurely, Vongsaphay wasn't yet producing breast milk.
But this source of nutrition can be the difference between life and death for an infant. It's one of the most effective ways to stave off necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially deadly gastrointestinal infection to which preemies born before 32 weeks are particularly vulnerable.
LISTEN | Vongsaphay shares her story:
Unable to produce her own, the mother from Westmount, an on-island suburb of the city, was introduced to donated breast milk from Quebec's only human milk bank.
Vongsaphay overcame her initial skepticism and used the bank's milk for four weeks. She credits the generosity of other Quebec moms for saving her son's life.
"William is doing great right now," she said of her lively six-year-old, who was kicking a soccer ball and climbing atop a playground set Thursday afternoon.
"I don't think he would be this healthy if it wasn't for the milk that we received."
Bank seeks 100 donors per month
Héma-Québec's says about 1,000 premature babies a year benefit from the generosity of mothers who share their surplus milk with its Public Mothers' Milk Bank.
But the agency says keeping a steady stream of donors is a challenge.
"It's due to the nature of the donation, of course," said Josée Larivée, a spokesperson for Héma-Québec.
"Mothers don't produce milk for a long time so the process eventually ends."
The non-profit organization therefore works to recruit 100 new mothers per month in order to collect 4,000 litres of breast milk per year to meet demand. The milk is given to babies born at 32 weeks or less.
"We pasteurize it, we analyze it and then we store it and we distribute it to neonatal units in hospitals everywhere in Quebec," said Larivée.
Only mothers with babies under a year old can donate to the bank, as eventually, breast milk stops containing the nutrients preemies need.
Just like donating blood, donors must also go through a screening process. For example, donors must be non-smokers and in good health.
"If you have a healthy baby in your arms and you're producing milk, you can give it a try," said Larivée, saying even 15 millilitres makes a difference.
"It's just a few drops to share, and it can save a life."
'Share this liquid gold,' says donor
Pascale Bourdages, a mother of two from Lévis, Que., began donating her breast milk after experiencing firsthand the horror of wondering whether her child would live or die.
During her second pregnancy, her son Raphaëlle, now thriving at five months old, was misdiagnosed with Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome — a severe genetic condition with a high mortality rate for infants.
"It took us 10 days before having the news of [the] misdiagnosis," said Bourdages. "So for the 10 days, we were at home crying and wondering what would be the future for us with our baby, and at some point, I decided that whatever happens, I'm going to donate my milk."
With her healthy son now by her side, Bourdages pumps up to three litres a day — way too much for him to eat. So every day, she puts aside her surplus for Héma-Québec. She also gives her milk to a mother with breast cancer and her five-week-old baby.
"I think it's really nice that he shares his milk," Bourdages joked about her son's supply.
She says the process of donating is also very simple. "The hardest part is sterilizing the pumps."
WATCH | Quebec mother explains why she donates her breast milk:
Héma-Québec provides mothers with sterile bottles in which to collect their breast milk, which they then freeze.
The agency sends a courier to collect the bottles from homes in the greater Montreal and Quebec City areas. There are also drop-off points in various regions across Quebec.
When asked to describe how it feels to give her breast milk to help newborn babies, she said it's hard to find the words to explain it.
"It's a very strong feeling inside of me that what I'm doing is for the best because … people understand that donating blood is giving life, but for babies, donating milk is life also," she said.
Bourdages says although the sterilization process can sometimes be tiresome, she urged people "to share this liquid gold."
"As a mom, you already know what it is giving yourself for someone," she said. "And just this teeny, tiny bit of liquid gold can help somebody else's child.
"You would be so grateful for someone who would do that for your baby."
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with files from Sharon Yonan-Renold