IBMP provides donor
breast milk and funding for milk banks development from
the United States to children who have been orphaned by
HIV in Africa. In addition to the immediate health
benefits, breast milk provides orphans with a greater
chance of lifelong survival. According to UNICEF, less
than 10 percent of the children who have been orphaned or
made vulnerable by AIDS receive public support or
services.
IBMP made its first
shipment of donor milk in April 2006 to iThemba Lethu, an
orphanage in Durban, South Africa. A second shipment was
completed in May, and a third shipment of about 3,000
ounces is underway in October, bringing the total shipped
to over 6,000 ounces. 6,000 ounces is equivilent to 46
gallons of breast milk; about 1,500 4-ounce feedings; or
enough milk to feed 10 babies five feedings per day for a
month. The milk will help provide recipient babies with
lifelong protection against disease and infection.
IBMP will establish milk
banking programs at hospitals in developing nations to
maximize resources and ensure sustainability. Our first
planned donation of $2000 will establish two simple
sustainable milk banks hospital milk banks in rural
sub-Saharan Africa. The banks will be facilitated by Dr.
Peter McCormick, a local hero physician. Since the first
shipment four months ago, the program has logged over 1000
unique visitors to the website and nearly 50 moms have
applied to donate to the next shipment to South Africa.
IBMP is headed by Jill
Youse and Dorreen Rardin, R.N with an advisory board
consisting of Dr. Ramak Amjad, MD, neonatalogist; Patt
Stewart, certified lactation consultant; Dasi Schlup MSW;
Dr. Sharon Stephan, Ph.D; Dr. Emily Diznoff, MD; and Penny
Reimers, milk bank coordinator in South Africa. IBMP has a
15-person volunteer staff including neonatal nurses,
physicians, web designers, lawyers, salespeople and other
qualified, determined movers and shakers
Donors & Volunteers
Below are
personal notes from a few of our donors and volunteers.
Milk Shipment 3
Donor Photos
Some of our donors sent us photos from the third shipment
of milk -- check
them out!
Jill Youse: Donor
#1, Founder & Executive Director
When I first realized that I had a freezer full of breast
milk and nothing to do with it, I became hell-bent on
finding a way to donate it to the children in South
Africa. Most people laughed at first, thinking that I was
kidding when I would say, "I have enough milk to feed
babies in South Africa." Little did they know that
there are so many moms out there like me who don't know
what to do with their extra milk. Until you have sat
behind one of those pumps for an hour to squeeze out every
last ounce, you just can't appreciate the emotional pain a
mom would go through to watch her milk go down the drain.
I decided to develop the International Breast Milk Project
to help moms find a home for their milk with the babies
who are in desperate need of it. The project is still in
its infancy with about 9 months under its belt and 2
successful shipments to South Africa. Who knows what the
future will "deliver." Please feel free to
contact me at jill@breastmilkproject.org
with any time with your comments and suggestions. It is
the moms who make this happen, I just started the ball
rolling.
Dorreen Rardin
RN: Program Director When I first heard about
this program I just knew I had to get involved. I have
dedicated my life to improving the quality of life for
anyone with a life-altering, life-limiting or terminal
illness. In 1998 I started a Palliative Care program at a
local hospital with goals of making a difference in
someone's life. Being part of Jill's dream is very
exciting for me. Just knowing that feeding a child
breastmilk gives them a better chance at a healthy life is
so important. Helping Jill build the program will be such
a blessing to me. My goal is to go to Africa with Jill at
the end of the year and deliver the milk in person. I hope
my drive, passion and dedication will help this program
skyrocket.
Dr. Ramak Amjad,
MD: Advisory Board Member
Dr. Ramak Amjad is neonatologist at the University of
Missouri-Columbia Children's Hospital. He met Jill Youse
and her husband Dr. Jeremy Youse, through their mutual
friends, Dr. and Mrs. Ravipudi. Jill delivered her
daughter at Columbia Regional Medical Center in Columbia,
MO and Dr. Amjad helped care for the baby in the well baby
nursery. Several months later, Jill started the project
and told Dr. Amjad about it. He thought it was a great
idea and he was looking for a way to support the project.
After discussing the project with Judy Bildner (clinical
nurse specialist) and Dasi Schlup (social worker) they
decided to look for a way to help. They decided to offer
the option of donating the milk to mothers who had lost
their infant. Many times these mothers have a lot of milk
saved in their freezer as they are encouraged to pump
while their baby is too ill or premature to nurse. After
the loss of their infant, these mothers have leftover
breast milk and they usually discard it. We thought this
would be a good opportunity for these mothers to have some
good come from their loss, and also to take part in a
great project.
Erin A. Tidwell:
Web Coordinator & Donor
Erin earned a Master's of International Studies degree
from the Jackson School of International Studies at the
University of Washington in 2001. While a student, she was
appointed to a committee to manage student funds set aside
for technology, and slid from there into a computing
support position on campus. Today she works as a technical
communications specialist at the University of Washington,
while maintaining a strong interest in other cultures and
world affairs. Erin decided to breastfeed early on in her
pregnancy because she knew that breastmilk was the best
choice for babies. Despite the early challenges and going
back to work at 12 weeks postpartum, she and Vivian
maintained an exclusive breastfeeding relationship for a
full six months. She continues to nurse as Vivian enters
her second half-year of life. Erin used to say she wasn't
a baby person. Then Vivian came along. Now she's been
heard to say she wants to bottle her baby up because she's
so precious just the way she is. When she found that she
pumped extra milk, she couldn't imagine throwing it out
when she knew there were vulnerable babies out there
somewhere who could make use of it. She was excited to
come across the International Breast Milk Project while
researching donation options, and grateful that she and
Vivian can share their bounty with infants in need while
also contributing by managing the International Breast
Milk Project website.
Caroline
Pridemore: Volunteer & Donor
I have always had a special place in my heart for the
people of Africa. I don't know what has drawn me to this
special people group, but I have always had a deep
yearning to help with the needs there, especially the
needs of the children. When Jill's article ended up in the
local paper I had four different friends send me the link
to read about this exciting new ministry to the babies in
Durban, South Africa. I immediately got online and
searched for a way to become involved and sent many emails
to the contacts on each site. Within a matter of hours I
received an email letting me know that I too could share
my excess milk with these babies in need. Within a few
days I was able to send my first shipment through the IBMP.
It was such a rewarding feeling to take my 50 some bags of
milk over to Jill's house and know that they were going to
be put to good use halfway around the world. I love
getting to write my number on each bag of milk that I pump
now and hope to continue pumping indefinitely, as long as
my milk supply allows. I am so grateful for Jill and her
sensitivity to the needs of others. I am so proud to be
associated with an organization that provides such
life-saving nutrition to the souls of those less
fortunate. I hope to someday be able to adopt from Africa
and share more of the blessings to which I have been
given.