International breast milk project: donate excess breastmilk to the world's most vulnerable children.

Like many breastfeeding mothers, in July 2006, Jill Youse found herself with a large surplus of breastmilk. Loath to dispose of her excess supply, and believing, as many of us do, that her milk was "liquid gold", she filled her freezer with the excess supply. As her freezer neared capacity, Youse did something that the rest of us never had. She researched and found not only a vast need for her breastmilk, but also a way to get her surplus and the need together.

She found that the orphanage, i Themba Lethu, in Durban South Africa had established a breastmilk bank in 2001. Babies infected with HIV, orphaned and abandoned because their mothers had died of AIDS, are cared for at the orphanage. In sub-Saharan Africa, three million children, age five and younger, are orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. Since the virus can transfer through breast milk, and formula is often mixed with unclean water by African mothers, iThemba Lethu relies on donated breast milk to feed the children and boost their immune systems.

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In April 2006, Youse's first batch of her own breastmilk arrived at iThemba Lethu. Through her online journal about her experience, other mothers became interested and wanted to contribute. In May 2006, Youse, in partnership with her brother, Will Harlan, established the International Breast Milk Project. The first shipment from the Project contained 23 gallons of pasteurized, tested, frozen breastmilk that was delivered to Africa free of charge by DHL. Within 6 months, 300 mothers across the United States applied to the Project in hopes of donating their excess milk.

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The second shipment, also 23 gallons was sent to i Themba Lethu in November 2006 compliments of Fed Ex. To date, over 800 mothers have applied to contribute to The Breast Milk Project, with the latest shipment leaving the U.S. on May 11 2007. Quick International Courier donated the shipping which contained almost 42 gallons of frozen milk.

The donated milk is collected by Prolacta Bioscience, which tests and processes the milk. The milk undergoes the most rigorous testing available in the world today, including at-home blood testing of the donor mother. Prolacta donates all of their services to the International Breast Milk Project. Currently, the donated milk not only goes to Africa, but also to premature and ill babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the United States who are in need of optimal nutrition.

A program operating within The Breast Milk Project, The Madison Cassady Program, offers a way for mother's whose babies have died or are critically ill to pump and donate their breastmilk. It is named after Geny and Bill Cassady's daughter, Madison, who died of a pulmonary embolism two weeks after she underwent life-saving heart surgery at 5 days of life. Geny had been pumping and freezing her breastmilk for the day when her daughter would be well enough to drink it. Unfortunately, that day never arrived. Women in this situation now have the opportunity to donate their milk to other very vulnerable children. This can be healing and emotionally fulfilling to the grieving mother, as well as potentially life-saving for the child receiving it. The milk donation is a living tribute and honor to the memory of the children who have died.

Women who are interested in donating milk can complete an online application and interview. There is no charge to the donor mother, and The Breastmilk Project sends coolers, hospital grade pumps and storage bottles with instructions to the donors wherever they live. Ongoing as well as one time milk donations are accepted. The Breast Milk Project also needs monetary (which they call non-milk) donations, and they have an online Give Milk store with a few products.

The Breast Milk Project has started local chapters across the United States to support, advertise and encourage their vision which is to "make breastmilk donation a global 'norm'".

Information on this productive, worthy and valuable program can be found at www.breastmilkproject.org