Jocelyn’s Rotary Minute --- Rotary Community Breast Milk Charitable Trust Inc.
This is the brainchild of PDG9970 Liz Courtney and was established to address a shortage in NZ’s donor milk supply. Christchurch is the only centre in NZ and it is situated in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. It is supported by Rotary Clubs of Garden City, Christchurch, Papanui and Riccarton as well as having received a District Grant and monies from several other trusts.
Banking on the Future Human Breast Milk is sometimes a short term gift to a mother and baby but this will have a significant impact on the short and long term health of babies. Some women have challenges in establishing and maintaining their breast milk supply and many would rather use donor milk supply before infant formula.
Human Breast milk protects babies from gut, chest, ear and bladder infections because of immune factors in the milk and ongoing support for immune system development. The World Health Organisation says donor milk is the next best thing for babies after milk from the baby's own mother, and WHO suggest that human milk banks should be made available wherever possible.
Rotary wants to keep this service free of charge and requires $30,000 per year for the pasteurisation of breast milk through the District Health Board and the nursing technical staff to make this possible. Volunteers including many Rotarians help staff the centre. There is a Give-a-Little page to help with funding.