25 bottles of a Brummy mum’s magical milk delivered by our very own Mr. Christmas  | News

25 bottles of a Brummy mum’s magical milk delivered by our very own Mr. Christmas 

christmas Our Santa’s sleigh isn’t powered by magical reindeers, and our presents aren’t neatly wrapped by little elves, straight from the North Pole. Instead, we have our own version of Christmas – just as magical, that happens all year around.   

Christmas at Birmingham Women’s Hospital is powered by our magical mums who produce and donate their breast milk to our sick babies across the UK’s Neonatal Units, delivered by our Santa bikers who ensures our magical milk is gifted to sleeping babies across so many hospitals every year.  

Last year, our milk bank received 7,870 litres of milk donated by 138 generous donors, with 6,570 litres of this milk being sent to neonatal units across the UK. Our Milk Bank colleagues are keen to support our mums to help us to keep on completing the milk round this Christmas.    family

We caught up with one of our magical mums from Northfield, Nicola McCavana about how she donated 25 bottles of milk last Christmas with the support from her family and husband Owen. The 34-year-old mum gave birth to her little bundle of joy, Fionn in June 2021, weighing at 8lb 5oz who will be celebrating his second Christmas this year.

Despite the challenges that our Brummy mum faced, including posterior tongue tie, mastitis, blocked ducts, over supply and under supply,

Nicola said “All of it was worth it – if I’ve helped at least one baby, then that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. There are babies out there that need milknicola to get better and hopefully, home in time for Christmas”.    

Our Brummy mum was also visited by our very own Father Christmas named Max Christmas, aged 56. Our brilliant volunteer milk delivery bike rider delivers and picks up our milk, ensuring it reaches our Northpole freezers for storage or goes out to all of the little babies in need of a bottle. Max volunteers his time, along with over 50 of other volunteers at the Midlands Freewheelers Group, to deliver milk bottles to Neonatal Units across the UK.    

Mr. Christmas said: “My daughter was born prematurely 29 years ago at just 4”2oz and was in need of milk, we had to feed her through a syringe through her nose and the milk donated really does make a difference to families. I finally decided to volunteer my time when I was visiting my dad at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital who was terminally ill. I kept seeing these ‘Blood Bikes’ delivering between the Women’s and the QE. I’ve been riding a motorbike since I was legally old enough to drive one and I thought I’d combine my love of motorcycles with being able to give something back to the NHS.      

max"I’d recommend anyone to join us, even if you don’t ride a bike, you can help us to fundraise or co-ordinate our rides so that we can successfully deliver milk to more babies in need, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For me, it’s a small part of giving something back. I use my weekends and holidays to do this and I’ve been doing it for about 8 years now, it gives me a chance to decompress from a busy job in the automotive industry.”    

Nicola’s milk has gone on to help so many babies across the UK in need of the important antibodies that natural breast milk lends to infants. Local hospitals that we send our milk donations to include City Hospital, Russell’s Hall, Heartlands, New Cross, Walsall Manor, Bromsgrove and Worcester, as well as other medical locations across Hereford, Warwick and Coventry. In the wider areas, our milk bank donations reach as far as hospitals based in Llanfrechfa, Glangwili and Bodelwyddan in areas of Wales.      

Nicola said “Helping with milk donations – it's really hard to put into words how it makes you feel. Helpful, content, it’s nice to help where I can, it’s a little hit of oxytocin, to really put some love out into the world. It was brilliant, it was so speedy too. I’d 100 percent recommend to other women if they are able or feel comfortable enough to donate.    

nicolaWe’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our magical mums, our brilliant Milk Bank colleagues and our generous volunteer delivery bikers from the local Midlands Freewheelers Group and the National Association for Blood Bikes this Christmas. If you’re interested in donating this Christmas to our Milk Bank, your welcome to get in touch with our Milk bank team  

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