Mae's Miracle

Mae's Miracle: May 9, 2018

As you all know, Mae is on an extremely specialized diet to protect her from complications related to her malabsorpotion. As a result, her formula is delivered to us monthly and we make her Ross Carbohydrate Free formula daily with 100% spring water and pure, non-GMO fructose. During pregnancy we did not anticipate an issue with her eating and our goal was to give her breast milk for the first year of life, just like Will and Luke. Despite our best intentions and hopes for Mae to receive the nutrient rich breast milk that has been proven to be the best for babies, we were forced to provide her with specialized formula. More than our boys, we knew that Mae needed this breast milk for brain development and growth, among other things.

Knowing this situation was out of our control was like a crushing blow to our spirits and we were saddened, confused, frustrated, and most of all mourning the lost emotional connection that is gained from providing breast milk to your baby. It was not like we chose to give her formula or I stopped producing milk- I had a TON of milk and Ryan and I knew we had to find a way to use it. We decided that instead of letting my milk 'go to waste' that we would seek out a donation center so that our precious Mae would continue to reach an unknown (and simply mind boggling/amazing) amount of babies and families. After all, the production of my breast milk would not have been possible without her. So, since her birth, Ryan and I have made it our mission to make collecting breast milk a priority, which means- pumping 5 to 6 times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time, getting up in the middle of the night to pump, arranging schedules to pump, washing extra bottles, sanitizing supplies, bagging and freezing milk, getting regular blood draws/samples, taking milk to the UPS store, etc... It is a tedious and tiring process, but, one that is important to us, near and dear to our hearts, and one that we feel privileged to do because of Mae.

After researching and talking with the doctors at U of M, we were directed to Bronson's Milk Bank in Kalamazoo, MI. Bronson's is one of ONLY 26 milk banks in the entire United States that collects, processes, and distributes breast milk. Bronson's ships milk to all of the major hospitals in the Great Lakes Region and provides Neonatal Intensive Care Unit babies with necessary nutrition for their tiny, fragile bodies. NICU babies are typically premature (or have health ailments) and are unable to digest formula. The majority of the time the mother has not started producing (and may not ever) produce milk. Human donor milk is used as a first resort to provide these delicate infants all of the nutrients they need for growth and development. A NICU baby drinks approximately eight ounces of breast milk a day as their stomachs are so tiny and their bodies too fragile to digest any man made formula.

As God has shown us, through Mae, there is Greater plan for her, our friends, our family, and strangers whom we will never meet but we are forever entwined with. To date (we are still donating), we have donated over 75 gallons of breast milk, which is over 9,600 ounces! Enough breast milk to feed a NICU baby for 1,200 days or a little over three years. The extent of this gift is immeasurable and we know in our hearts that because of Mae there is most certainly going to be change in this world. We knew that God put Mae here for reason and that she would make a difference somehow. The tiny lives that she is impacting and the moms, dads, grandmas, and grandpas, that are forever grateful for the milk is simply remarkable. She is truly a gift for everyone and we are so lucky to be her parents. Although we most likely will never know what it was or how this donation impacted people's lives, we do know that every ounce was only possible because Mae was born. She truly is a miracle.

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked. John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same." Luke 3: 10-11