Donor spotlight: Krysten’s story

When Krysten’s twins were born prematurely and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), her family faced an overwhelming new reality. Donor human milk from the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank helped give her more vulnerable twin daughter a stronger start. In time, Krysten went from grateful recipient to proud donor, giving back litres of her own milk so other fragile babies could thrive.

“On September 11, 2018, our first experience with the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank began the day our boy/girl twins were born prematurely at 34 weeks, 6 days and were admitted into the NICU.

“Unless you live it, you really don’t know what goes on in the NICU. It’s an extremely difficult place for any mother or father to have their baby or babies. It’s a place of unknowns, of uncertainties, of raw emotions, of stressful ups and downs. but also a place where we have seen so much hope, care, compassion and love.

“From birth, our twin daughter was more vulnerable in comparison to our twin son due to her lower birth weight, so we were immediately introduced to the possibility of donor breast milk. At that time, we were completely unaware that donor human milk was available. Since I was not able at first to provide enough of my own breast milk after delivering twins prematurely, it became the best we could have ever hoped for. Having breastfed my now three-year-old healthy toddler for an extended time, I was a firm believer in the insurmountable advantages of human breast milk and its healing properties. I remember thinking: how could I ever thank this mom or moms for donating this lifesaving gift?

“The donor milk gave our twin daughter the best and healthiest start at life by statistically and dramatically reducing her risk of serious medical complications and illnesses. Without a doubt, as a breastfeeding advocate and strong believer, I knew that this donated breast milk would positively impact her success rate in the NICU as a preemie.

“We count ourselves very blessed and lucky that our two little lives excelled and pushed through the odds in a challenging place. Our twin daughter thrived on the donor milk and fortified expressed breast milk (EBM), and our twin son was given little quantities of formula until my expressed breast milk was established. Along with this heartwarming donation, we cannot thank the exceptional team of doctors, phenomenal NICU nurses and staff enough who took care of our miracles around the clock. We will forever be grateful.

“When our twins no longer required specialized care from the NICU, which is now thankfully a distant memory, our daily journey was difficult, as one can imagine with twins and a toddler. We were constantly bottle-feeding EBM, and I was pumping around the clock and fortifying my breast milk for our twin girl. As the months went on, I was successfully able to breastfeed both twins exclusively at the breast. Thankfully, things seem to be getting a lot easier with time.

“What makes me so proud as a mother and woman is when I made my decision. With some patience, persistence, time and effort, it makes me so proud to say that I gave back to this amazing program. I accomplished something I never thought possible in a million years. I pumped more than five litres of my breast milk and donated it to the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank. I hope in my heart that my lifesaving milk will increase the likelihood of a baby or babies’ survival and help them thrive in the most fragile first moments of their lives. It is such an impactful gift for babies and families alike. We support this extremely important program for the most vulnerable because we’ve experienced it firsthand. Our hearts go out to the critically ill and premature babies who continue to fight for their lives. We cannot imagine the highs and lows that some parents will have to go through or are going through. This is my way to help a little in a big way.

“My advice for mothers of one baby or multiples is that in you is a strength you never knew existed. As women, we have the power to bring hope to those who are struggling with this incredible gift. If you are thinking about donating, I hope that my story can help you contribute your supplementary impactful breast milk to help save a life or two.”

Donated milk plays a vital role for families in the NICU, giving fragile newborns the nutrition they need during their most critical early days. Krysten’s journey from receiving donor milk for her preterm twins to donating her own milk shows how powerful this support can be for babies and parents. If you are interested in becoming a donor, please connect with the Milk Bank to learn more about how you can help.