Supporting Human Milk Banks

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Thank you for your generosity

To all who donated - thank you! Your generosity throughout this campaign has helped so many families and vulnerable babies this winter.⁠

With your donations, and Elvie's contribution, we've raised £18,782 for the Human Milk Foundation throughout December 2020.

If 2020 taught us anything, it's what really matters in life – the little acts that we can do to support one another.

Which is why, in December 2020, Elvie promised to match monetary donations made to the Human Milk Foundation, for a truly life-saving service that provides safe, screened, donated human milk to those in need – especially to premature and fragile infants, who are particularly vulnerable and at risk.

But, let's face it, 2020 was a hell of a year and we could all use a little extra support. So, we went one step further than matching donations - and Elvie gave an extra £12,000 to the Human Milk Foundation.⁠

The little things we can do to make a difference? They aren’t so little after all.

Saving lives, one drop at a time

Founded in 2017 by a group of parents, scientists, milk bank experts and doctors, the Human Milk Foundation (HMF) works to help more families feed their babies with human milk. In providing screened donor milk to sick, premature babies in NICUs, and to mothers with cancer and other conditions, the HMF helps scores of people get equitable access to donor milk – even when they don't meet NHS criteria.

The HMF works under three principles: to support parents to feed their babies with human milk; to supply information, education and training across the fields of human milk; and to fund ground-breaking projects in human milk science.

The real life stories

Recipient story: A life saved

"I'm a first-time mum, and receiving donor milk has made an absolute world of difference to little Indigo, and really, to us all as a family. Following three weeks in intensive care, Hearts Milk Bank, in partnership with the Human Milk Foundation, were able to support me for a good number of weeks that got us absolutely set up. The difference it made to know that after my feeds, if my son was still hungry, there was human milk there available. It just made the world of difference – it took the pressure and stress off me, and I was able to produce milk without the panic." - Kim, recipient

Donor story: Love in every drop

“We decided to donate my oversupply to sick babies that really need the milk. We just couldn't get through it all, and rather it going to waste, we wanted to do anything we could to help. And I say 'we' because it's completely a team effort. My partner helps to label up the bottles and pools all the milk in for me, and obviously my beautiful daughter who helps me create the milk... It means a lot to me to help parents who need milk – it makes me emotional actually – because really, all kids just deserve the best.” - Dani, donor

Raising money – and awareness

As well as matching monetary donations, we're raising awareness about the power of donor milk and the incredible work of the Human Milk Foundation, including debunking certain myths and stigmas attached to milk banking.