TODAY.
THANK YOU.
>>> THE NATIONAL BABY FORMULA
SHORTAGE HAS BROUGHT A LOT OF
ATTENTION TO WHAT OTHER OPTIONS
REMAIN WHEN THERE'S NO FORMULA
ON THE SHELF.
ONE OF THE GROUPS BENEFITING ARE
MILK BANKS.
AND JOINING US NOW IS SUSAN,
PROGRAMMING IN OF MOTHERS' MILK
BANK OF THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES,
WHICH SERVES WISCONSIN AND
ILLINOIS.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO DOES A MILK BANK WORK IN A
SIMILAR FASHION TO A BLOOD BANK?
>> YES.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
SO AS A MILK BANK, WE COLLECT
DONOR MILK FROM MOMS WHO HAVE
PLENTY TO SPARE.
AND WE BRING IT HERE TO OUR
FACILITY IN ELK GROVE VILLAGE.
WE TEST IT.
WE PASTURE YIEWZ IT AND --
PASTEURIZE IT.
AND MOST OF IT GOES TO BABIES IN
THE HOSPITALS OR IN MOTHER BABY
UNIT.
ABOUT WHEN WE HAVE ENOUGH MILK
AND WE DO NOW, WE'RE ALSO ABLE
TO PROVIDE MILK FOR PATIENTS AT
HOME.
>> SO WHO ARE YOU SERVING AT
HOME?
OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL IN THESE
CIRCUMSTANCES, JUST ANYONE WHO'S
AWARE AND CAN COME AND GRAB IT
OR TOUGH A CRITERIA FOR WHO GETS
FIRST DIBS AT THIS?
>> WE HAVE A PRIORITYIZATION --
PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA.
MEDICALLY COMPLEX BABIES HAVE
THE MILK FIRST.
WE HAVE A SYSTEM FROM THERE SO
THAT HOPEFULLY ALL BABIES HAVE
ACCESSES.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO
PROVIDE MILK FOR PATIENTS AT
HOME INCLUDING HEALTHY BABIES.
SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.
BUT PRIMARILY, WHEN WE'RE
WORKING WITHOUT PATIENTS, WE
NEED TO FOCUS ON THE BABIES WITH
THE COMPLEX MEDICAL NEEDS, SUCH
AS BABIES WHO NEED A SPECIALTY
FORMULA THAT THEY CAPITAL
CURRENTLY FIND.
>> IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS,
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION
SO WHY SOME EQUIPMENT AREN'T
ABLE TO BRES -- WOMEN AREN'T
ABLE TO BREAST-FEED THEIR
BABIES.
HOW --
>> THERE'S PLENTY OF REASONS WHY
MOMS MY NOTICE BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE THEIR OWN MILK.
VERY OFTEN IT'S A LACK OF
SUPPORT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS TRY
TO SUPPORT MOMS TO MEET THEIR
OWN GOALS.
AND THAT INCLUDES CONNECTING
THEM WITH LOCAL LACTATION
RESOURCES.
BUT FOR SO MANY REASONS,
SOMETIMES THAT'S JUST NOT AN
OPTION.
THERE'S MOMS WHO ARE TAKING
MEDICATIONS THAT ARE CONTRA
INDICATED.
THERE'S FAMILIES THAT HAVE NO
MOTHER THAT IS INVOLVED.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SITUATIONS
SUCH AS ADOPTION AND SURROGACY
OR MATERNAL CANCER.
THERE'S MANY, MANY REASONS WHY
HUMAN MILK MAY NOTICE BE
AVAILABLE.
SO WE LIKE TO COME IN AND HELP
IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
>> I'VE SEEN YOU DESCRIBE
THERE'S BOTH HAPPY AND SAD
REASONS FOR WHY SOME WOMEN OR
WILLING TO DONATE MILK.
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THOSE?
>> YES.
SO SOME OF THE HAPPY REASONS
THAT MOMS ARE ABLE IS BECAUSE
THEY JUST HAVE PLENTY.
THEY HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF MILK
AND THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH
OTHER FAMILIES IN NEED.
BUT SITTING RIGHT HIND ME, THESE
BEAUTIFUL STARS ARE HANDPAINTED
WITH THE NAMES AND DATES OF
BIRTH OF BABIES WHO ARE HONORED
ON OUR POPPY ICE DREAM BER
RECEIPT MILK DONATION MEMORIAL
WALL.
SO THESE ARE ALL FAMILIES WHO
HAVE CHOSEN TO DONATE MILK IN
HONOR OF A BABY WHO HAS DIED.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE STARS IS
VERY SPECIAL TO US AND I KNOW A
LOT OF THOSE FAMILIES
PERSONALLY.
AND THOSE MOMS ARE ABSOLUTE
HEROES FOR BEING ABLE TO OFFER
THEY'RE MILK IN A TIME WHEN
THEY'RE HURTING.
SO WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL
OF OUR DONORS, WHETHER IT'S
HAPPY CIRCUMSTANCES OR SAD.
WE'RE JUST GRATEFUL FOR
EVERYBODY.
>> YOU'VE SEEN -- YOU HAVE A
SURPLUS RIGHT NOW.
IS THAT DUE TO AN INCREASE IN
BOTH SUPPLY AND DEMAND DISMRP
ARE YOU SEEING MORE PEOPLE COME
IN AND BE AWARE OF THIS?
>> I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CALL
IT A SURPLUS JUST YET.
BUT THANKFULLY, YES.
WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN
DEMAND AND SUPPLY.
SO WHAT WE HAVE MORE PATIENTS
THAT ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR
MILK.
WE HAVE MORE DONOR MOTHERS WHO
ARE COMING FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE THAT MILK TO FAMILIES IN
NEED.
>> IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE NEED
TO DO TO DONATE, WHAT IS THAT
PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
>> THAT'S GREAT QUESTION.
WE LIKE TO TO MAKE THE DONOR
APPLICATION PROCESS AS SIMPLE AS
POSSIBLE.
EVERYTHING IS DIGITAL.
GO TO OUR WEBSITE,
MILKBANK WGL.ORG AND FILL OUT
OUR OWNER INTEREST FORM.
WE'LL GIVE A DONOR MOM THE QUAL.
WE'LL SEND A WRITTEN APPLICATION
THAT CAN BE COMPLETED ONLINE.
WE REACH OUT TO THE MEDICAL
PROVIDER FOR CLEARANCE AND WE
SEND THE MOM TO A BLOOD DRAW.
ONCE ALL OF THAT'S DONE, WE HAVE
A NURSE REVIEW THE APPLICATION.
AND THEN WE CAN APPROVE THAT MOM
AS A DONOR.
WE KEEP IN TOUCH WITH OUR DONORS
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THEIR
DONATION SO WE KNOW EVERYTHING
IS STAY -- STAYING SAFE FOR AS
LONG AS THEY'RE DONATING MILK.
>> HOW HOPEFUL ARE YOU THAT THIS
INTENTION WILL INCREASE FOR THE
LONG-TERM HERE?
>> I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED
BECAUSE UNTIL NOW, EVERYBODY
KNEW WHAT A BLOOD BANK WAS.
YOU MENTIONED THEM EARLIER.
BUT NOBODY HAD EVER HEARD OF A
MILK BANK AND THAT WAS ONE OF
OUR BIGGEST HURDLES, IS GENERAL
AWARENESS.
AND NOW PEOPLE ARE
UNDERSTANDING -- ARE STARTING TO
UNDERSTAND THAT MILK BANKING IS
A THING.
I HOPE THAT GOING FORWARD
EVERYONE REMEMBERS THIS IS AN
OPTION.
ONCE THE SHELFS ARE FULL AGAIN,
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FORGET
ABOUT THE OPTION OF MILK