Mothers donate breast milk for infant of COVID-19 patient

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Apr 27, 2020 at 3:44 PM

Hong Kong: In the race against time during the global COVID-19 pandemic, a support group in China teamed up with some mothers of newborns made the most unusual donation proving a mother’s love is way beyond the boundaries of region and religion, culture and colour.

While the pandemic is bringing new COVID warriors to the fore, a group in Hong Kong city was found contributing to the most selfless cause of saving an infant’s life.

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They are some mothers who teamed up with the Hong Kong Breastfeeding, a social support group to donate breast milk for a four-month girl child of a COVID-19 patient Catherine Kosasih of Hong Kong city. Catherine, mother of two kids, one 21-month-old and and another four-month-old, was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. As per the protocol, she was immediately shifted to an isolation centre and her husband and daughters were quarantined.

The family was already going through a tough time battling the infection as the kids were too young to stay away from their mother. Catherine and her husband had no clue about how long her recovery from the infection could take. Also, the doctors informed the 33-year old mother that she won’t be allowed to breastfeed her child while she undergoing treatment for the milk could pass on the medication to her baby.

The couple was still trying to deal with the situation when they discovered that their youngest child was allergic to artificial breast milk substitute.

Left with no other choice, Catherine called up Gemma MacFarlane, the founder of Hong Kong Breastfeeding.
After listening to her plight, MacFarlane made an SOS call for online donation of breast milk and within a day, the distressed couple was stashed with more than 15 litres of breast milk donated by several mothers, who came in for support in the difficult times. That much amount of milk was enough for the four-year old kid to pass around two weeks.

Overwhelmed with the response from scores of mothers through the support group, the couple later expressed gratitude to volunteers of Hong Kong Breastfeeding and all the donor-mothers for their kindness towards her littlest family member.