(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- You’ve likely heard about donating food, clothing and even blood. But what about breast milk?
“There's a myriad of reasons why families might not have access to maternal milk or might not have enough maternal milk, so that's where we come in,” says Susan Urbanski, program manager at the Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.
The not-for-profit organization makes breast milk accessible to babies, thanks to local donors.
“We take it here, we pasteurize it, we pool it, we test it, we make sure everything is totally safe,” Urbanski said.
Some of the donor milk is available for families who meet certain criteria, but most of it goes to hospitals for babies in the NICU.
“We try to make sure that every baby has access to that milk so that they can hopefully thrive and go home,” Urbanski said.
With roughly 20 dispensaries across Illinois and Wisconsin, the milk bank -- headquartered in Elk Grove Village -- is a product of moms supporting other moms.
In some cases, moms who initially were unable to produce later become donors, Urbanski said.
“About 10 to 15% of our donors are moms that have lost their baby and they choose to donate their milk in honor of their baby's legacy,” she said.
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