Legacy donor spotlight: Bicky’s story

Over the past decade, the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank has received generous support from milk donors across Ontario. Recently, we caught up with legacy donor Bicky Nguyen.

Bicky first connected with the Milk Bank in 2013, after giving birth to her first child. Her youngest child was born prematurely, and in the first weeks of his life, she was unable to produce milk. When her milk supply finally came in, she thought about other families in similar situations. That experience led her to become a Milk Bank donor.

“My youngest child was around five weeks old when my milk supply came in. Once it did, I was fortunate to produce a lot of milk. I would joke that I was soaked in it! I would pump on one breast while nursing on the other, then put the pumped milk in storage bags right away.

“It’s been close to a decade since I was a donor, but I’ve always talked about the Milk Bank to moms. I had both of my babies through in vitro fertilization (IVF). I was introduced through friends to a couple who also had their baby through IVF. They mentioned that their premature baby received donor milk in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 2013, around the same time I became a donor. It made me feel really great to see the family on the other end receiving donor milk. It was truly fulfilling and a very full-circle moment. The Milk Bank also sent me a thank-you note after I made my donation, which brought tears to my eyes. It really made me feel proud.

“It’s in us to give, and if you can do it, someone else can benefit from the natural antibodies and nutrition. You’re helping premature babies who need it.”

Thank you, Bicky, for sharing your personal experience as a Milk Bank donor. Hearing from Bicky, one of our earliest donors, is also a full-circle moment for the Milk Bank team.