Mother-of-two Kelli Russell, from North Carolina, has made headlines this weekend for her decision to donate a staggering 38 gallons of her breast milk to premature infants across the United States.
Kelli was blessed with an overwhelming supply of breast milk after her second pregnancy, and realising that there are many mothers out there who, for some reason, cannot breastfeed their child, she decided to make sure that it did not go to waste.
The public health instructor wanted to help those babies most in need; with premature babies especially prone to a potentially fatal infection called necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) – which can be avoided through breastfeeding – Kelli wanted to help out those mums who couldn’t supply milk to their little ones.
“An issue close to my heart is premature infants – they need food, and breast milk is the best option for them. So why would I want my milk to benefit a body builder, or even researcher, when I wouldn’t know exactly where it’s going?” the 32-year-old told Yahoo Parenting.
Reports estimate that Kelli could have made upwards of $29,000 if she had sold her milk, but she preferred to donate to a very special cause instead.
Well done to Kelli. We’re sure her gesture will go a long way towards helping a lot of precious babies.
