Welcome to the Fund an Ounce Reveal the Impact series! The Milk Bank’s largest fundraiser, Fund an Ounce, ensures that the most vulnerable babies continue to have access to the safe donor milk they need.
Each week, we’ll reveal stories of babies and families who have been impacted by The Milk Bank across our 20-year history. Thanks to your support of Fund an Ounce, we’ll be able to continue serving families just like baby Christopher’s. Read his story of impact below.
Sensitivity warning: This story involves infant loss.
Meet Mary, a participant in The Milk Bank’s bereavement program. Mary’s son, Christopher, was born at 32 weeks and faced multiple health challenges. Below, Mary shares Christopher’s story and how The Milk Bank’s bereavement program played a role in her bereavement experience.
“When I was pregnant with Christopher, we learned at 19 weeks that he had severe complications with his brain, kidneys, and heart. Doctors told us to “enjoy the pregnancy” because they didn’t expect him to survive.
Christopher was born at 32 weeks, weighing only 1 lb 8 oz—closer to the size of a 24-week-old. He had a cardiologist, hematologist, pulmonologist – like every doctor. He just kept fighting. Of course he was medically assisted, but all this stuff would go wrong, and we thought, ‘okay, we got through that.’
He had 5 heart surgeries, and it was just one of those things where he just kept fighting. Like, ok this thing is wrong, and then he’d overcome that. He got pneumonia and healed. He grew from 1 lb 8 oz to 4 lb 10 oz, and about at that point it was really obvious his body couldn’t handle more.
He lived for 111 days. He went through so much and just kept going. We say he’s our strong and brave little boy. His body was like a pin cushion, and he never really cried, never got upset.
I was never able to nurse him, but I did pump. He was able to get breast milk through a tube. It was one of those things that just being able to feed him – by holding up a syringe of breast milk – I thought, ‘oh gosh, we got to be able to take care of my kid!’ It was one of the closest things to parental assistance. It was a scary place and a scary situation, but we feel lucky that we got to meet him and spend time with him for almost 4 months. We didn’t know we would have that.
We weren’t able to help him be healthy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help other people’s babies and show appreciation for the most frail and helpless. The Milk Bank is one of those places, and it’s part of the reason why I became a milk donor.
It goes to help feed babies who need breast milk the most. These little babies need that nourishment. It feels like love. It feels like – when you breast feed your baby – I’m making this for you. If I can’t, it’s wonderful that someone else can.
Christopher’s name is on a leaf at The Milk Bank up, next to Josie, whose mom I’ve met in network of mom’s who have lost a child. Tony and I came to the dedication ceremony and it nice to know that he’s there. As someone whose child only gets to live in the stories we tell and the people we know, it means so much. There are more people who know about him than just me.
You know the term ‘rainbow baby?’ I get it and I think it’s beautiful, but I don’t want to think of Christopher as a ‘storm.’ He didn’t hurt us. Yes, it was very, very hard, but I wouldn’t give a day of it up because that was the experience I got to have with my son. And I think The Milk Bank has allowed me to think that some of his story and life has gone on to help other babies go on by sharing what we endured.
It has gotten easier to tell his story, and I appreciate any time I get the opportunity.”
Your support of Fund an Ounce not only provides safe, pasteurized donor milk to fragile babies but also strengthens our Bereavement Program, funded entirely through financial donations. This program offers vital support to families who have experienced infant loss through support groups and the opportunity to honor their babies through milk donation.
In 2024, 45 lives were honored through milk donation, and 10% of our milk donors are bereaved mothers. Every dollar raised helps feed fragile babies and sustains this program, ensuring no family faces loss alone.
Thank you to every financial donor who has contributed to Fund an Ounce so far! Every $5 raised provides up to three feedings of safe pasteurized donor human milk for infants who need it. When you make a gift to Fund an Ounce today it will ensure families like Mary and Christopher’s get the bereavement support they need during the most difficult times.
