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 Tre’s. Read his story of impact below.
Meet Olivia, a cancer survivor, the mother of Baby Tre, and recipient of pasteurized donor human milk through The Milk Bank’s Medical Relief Fund. Here’s baby Tre and Olivia’s story:
Olivia had always planned to breastfeed her son, Tre. But when she was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant, it changed everything.
“They said they would let me breastfeed him for the first four weeks just to bond. But when they did tell me that I wouldn’t be able to continue, I reached out to my doula in somewhat of a panic, very upset,” said Olivia.
“I’m not going to be able to breastfeed my son. What am I going to do?”
As Olivia started to panic about how she would feed her son Tre, her doula recommended The Milk Bank.
Because of Olivia’s cancer diagnosis, she was able to receive milk through The Milk Bank’s Medical Relief Fund for baby Tre. The Medical Relief Fund assists families by removing financial barriers to accessing donor milk. Many families face challenges covering the cost of medical care and donor milk. This fund ensures that even families experiencing financial hardship can access the nourishment their babies need to survive and thrive.
Thankfully, Olivia was able to get baby Tre the pasteurized donor human milk he needed as she underwent cancer treatments. She believes this access to nutrition gave him the healthiest beginning. “He hasn’t gotten sick or anything like that because he has been on breast milk his entire life,” said Olivia. “It is life giving, lifesaving, and every single time I gave him one of those little bottles, I was just so grateful to give him that every single time.”
Baby Tre was one of the first babies served through The Milk Bank’s Medical Relief Fund. Now, Tre is a thriving eight year old, and his mother truly sees the difference in his health. “He is just such a healthy kid. Like, now this flu is going around. He had it for a few hours and then was fine. Other kids were out of his class for like a week, and I just think that his immune system and his body just had such a good start in life.”
Your support of Fund an Ounce includes our Medical Relief Fund, which is entirely supported through philanthropic giving. This fund helps families break financial barriers and gain access to donor milk based on income and medical need.
In 2024, we provided 227,466 feedings of pro bono milk through our Medical Relief Fund. Your generosity ensures that families who need access to human milk can get it, giving babies the best possible start in life.
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. Make a gift to Fund an Ounce today to provide feedings for babies just like Tre, and relief to mothers just like Olivia.
