By Grant Warkentin
A new service at the Campbell River Health Unit is helping moms across BC struggling to breast-feed their newborns.
Quadra Island mom Freya Bellamare was featured this week by Island Health, highlighting the local Donor Milk Collection Depot which opened last fall.
“I wasn’t aware that some babies rely on donated milk because they can’t have formula,” she said. “And there is always a need.”
Bellamare’s son is six months old, and after feeding him every morning, she often had extra milk. After she heard about the depot during an immunization appointment for her son, she decided to help out and was the first donor at the Campbell River depot. So far she’s donated 2.4 litres of milk and says it’s been a meaningful experience.
“It’s rewarding. It feels good to be able to do it,” she said.
Island Health points out that donor milk can save new lives, providing crucial antibodies for babies born prematurely and babies born with medical conditions. Donated breast milk helps babies fight diseases and infections.
Donated milk is frozen and transported to the Provincial Milk Bank in Vancouver where it’s pasteurized, then distributed to neonatal intensive care, maternity, and pediatric units around the province.
The Campbell River depot is the third to open in the Island Health region. The first was opened in 2016 in Victoria, the second in Nanaimo in 2019. Since then, donors at both sites have provided 3,683 litres of milk for babies in need.
Moms interested in helping out with the program can contact the Public Health Unit for more information.
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