New Breast Milk Donation Site Opens in Leon County
Local mothers looking to donate breast milk in Leon County now have a new opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of families and premature babies. Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition has partnered with the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida to become a milk donation site in Leon County. Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare and HCA Florida Capital Hospital (formerly Capital Regional Medical Center) depend on this lifesaving nourishment to thrive when their mother’s milk is not available. In addition, donor milk is often used by premature babies and older babies who cannot tolerate formula, have weakened immune systems or have special dietary needs.
“We are excited to partner with the Mother’s Milk Bank of Florida by becoming a milk donation site in Leon County,” said Chris Szorcsik, Executive Director of Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition. “In 2020, 11% of our babies in Leon and Wakulla Counties were born premature. Babies born premature depend on the lifesaving nourishment of donor milk to thrive when their mother’s milk is not available.”
Szorcsik notes that every drop of breast milk makes a difference in the long-term survival of a sick baby. Capital Area Healthy Start’s goal is to raise awareness of the need for donor milk, to encourage those who can to become a donor, and to provide a convenient location for local moms to drop off their excess milk.
Those interested in donating breast milk can learn more at https://capitalareahealthystart.org/milk-depot/ or by contacting Chris Szorcsik at (850) 488-0288, ext. 101. Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition requests that breast milk donors call ahead to schedule an appointment.
The Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida is a 501c(3) charitable organization that has collected and distributed over one-million ounces of breast milk to date. For additional information about the organization and the donation process, visit https://milkbankofflorida.org/faq/.
