This World Human Milk Donation Day, we celebrate and thank the incredible women who have donated an astounding 850 litres of liquid gold to Wellington’s first Milk Bank, Pataka Miraka, located in Wellington Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Launched three years ago, this important and much needed service was funded by generous donations to Wellington Hospitals Foundation. Since then Pataka Miraka has:
- Processed over 850 litres of milk
- Welcomed over 113 donors
- Provided milk to nearly 300 babies in Wellington’s NICU alone, with additional babies in other units across the country also benefiting from our processed milk.
Donor milk banking is becoming a common practice around the world, and while milk from a baby’s own mother is always the first choice, when it’s not available, donor milk is the next best option. Preterm babies face many significant health challenges, and pasteurised donor breast milk can significantly reduce medical complications, giving these fragile infants a fighting chance.
To support the good work of the milkbank or NICU please donate today.