Thank you Janice for beating me to the punch!  I was at a *fabulous*
conference this morning in Washington D.C.  HMBANA was able to announce this
incredible turn of events:  working with the U.S. Navy (the NAVY!!) human
breastmilk donations ARE now going to make their way safely to Haiti.  For
now, milk will go to a NICU which has been set up on the USS Comfort.  The
milk will travel with the Red Cross, which will be bringing blood
donations.  On the ship, there is adequate refrigeration and storage for the
milk.  The milk will be processed by doctors, nurses and IBCLCs who are
aiding mothers of NICU babies.

The work "on the ground" by relief agencies to promote and protect
breastfeeding amongst the earthquake victims remains unchanged.

HMBANA has received unprecedented number of calls from mothers eager to
donate.  Their supplies were low to begin with (not uncommon after the
holiday season). As the press release (from HMBANA, USBC, ILCA/USLCA and
LLLI) makes clear:  milk donations that CAN go to Haiti will, but there
remains a need for human milk here in North America (remember:  it is the
Human Milk Bank Assn of North America, with a mission to serve infants on
the continent).  So those philanthropic women who have called HMBANA,
seeking to donate, should be assured that their donations will be
extraordinarily valued whether they get to Haiti or stay in the 10 North
America milk banks.

Coming so soon on the heels of the intense discussions here on Lactnet in
the past week, about the feasibility of human milk donations to Haiti, it is
really cool to learn that -- WOW --  this can happen, the procedure is
transparent, and donors (of milk or money) have an option now that was not
in place earlier.
-- 
Liz Brooks JD IBCLC FILCA (ILCA Secy 2005-2011, who knew nothing about this
very cool program until this morning!)
Wyndmoor, PA, USA

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