Donor Stories
“My husband, Arnold, and I have two daughters, Kyra, 13, and Brynn, 15 months. I am a nursing student at a college in San Diego. When I'm not in school, I enjoy reading novels, putting together puzzles, hiking, and baking. I also enjoy listening to Broadway soundtracks and Creepypastas with Kyra.”
“In 2016, I was a breastmilk donor with Prolacta for 16 months. I loved the encouragement I received during that journey and appreciated that the staff was so involved with the donors.
After Brynn was born, I was producing more breastmilk than she could consume, and I didn't want my liquid gold going to waste. I had such an amazing experience with donating that I decided to return and donate again! Each donation is a blessing, and every ounce counts when it comes to feeding those precious neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) babies, so don't compare your donation journey to other donors who produce more or pack more ounces in each cooler. The families of NICU babies don't care if you're a high producer or a member of the "600 Club." The nutrition these little babies get is a result of your efforts, and that is what matters!
I am 13 months into my second donation journey and still going strong! The drive to pump and provide milk for Tiny Treasures Milk Bank has strengthened my breastfeeding journey with Brynn. As a result, I've been able to exclusively breastfeed for 15 months, with no end in sight for either journey.
My biggest donation achievement for this journey has been consistently packing the coolers with 600 ounces, which was a personal goal I set for myself. A smaller achievement has been developing a routine for freezing milk bags as flat as possible without having to purchase specialized equipment.
The challenge I've had to overcome is balancing pumping, and all that entails (washing parts, bagging/freezing milk, sanitizing, etc), with school and taking care of the baby. Letting my family know I need help has been crucial in managing this. Kyra and Arnold have really stepped up so that I'm not trying to do everything by myself.”