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potentially very sick or small recipient babies. Chloe Wright, of the Wright Family Foundation, met with Jacqui in September to become the financial backer of the organisation, providing freedom from financial pressure to ensure the organisation could focus on the work at hand. Following shortly afterwards, Sir Patrick Higgins, of Higgins Family Holdings, provided sponsorship of a custom built pasteurisation unit. The stories soon followed - babies born at 24 weeks now thriving thanks to donor milk, parents who were continuing their breastfeeding relationship thanks to the support of a few feeds of donor milk, women who had come to the organisation with their newborns as recipients being so well supported by the team and their work that they returned as donors. Medical professionals sent referrals and spread the word through their work in the NICU, as LMCs, and throughout the community. The wrap around support of the organisation’s lactation consultant designed to make the use of donor milk a short term assistance while the parental supply was established made parents confident, passionate and fortified to continue breastfeeding their children. The committee expanded to include more parents who had been directly supported by the community of compassionate donors who had facilitated their own breastfeeding journeys and now wanted to give back. Returning to May 19th, 2021, the official launch brought together all these various groups to celebrate the achievement made here in Te Papaioea. Representatives from the DHB, the NICU, LMCs and Lactation consultants, Child Birth Educators, representatives from Rangitāne and the Māori Women’s Welfare League, recipients and donors joined the committee for a celebration and acknowledgement of the work achieved and the work yet to come. With her daughter and donor milk ambassador on hip, Chairperson Amie Brown spoke on the name of this group - ‘Whāngai Ora Milk Bank’. Not only is the acronym WOMB so apt for a group like this, the layers of meaning in the name reflect the deeply held values of its volunteers. ‘Whāngai’ means to feed and nourish bodily, but it also means to adopt or surrogate a child. ‘Ora’ speaks to vitality and the essence of being alive. That is what this organisation seeks to provide for the families of the region - an option to be nourished wholly. Physical nourishment with safe donor milk for the infants, and soulful nourishment for the parents of these children through support and a sense of community, one clearly evident at this event.

The work for this group of women continues. Now a registered charity, the groundwork has been set, but the need for funds, equipment, support and most notably donor milk is ongoing. If you have any of these to spare, require donor milk for your infant or support on your breastfeeding journey, please feel free to get in touch at @whangaiora on both Facebook and Instagram, or via email at info@whangaiora.org. nz. Further information about the organisation can be found at www.whangaiora.org.nz

Congratulates

Ashley and Patrick Osman

For winning a Treatment, Cut and Blowwave for being a current Palmerston North Patents Centre member

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