Mothers' Milk Bank celebrates 40th anniversary, Colorado families grateful: "We love the service they provide"

The Mothers' Milk Bank helps countless families in Colorado. For the past 40 years, it's been a critical resource for families. 

"Today, I'm picking up a day-and-a-half supply of milk," said John Dinglasan, clutching a backpack with a smile. He's a frequent visitor at the Mothers' Milk Bank in Arvada.     

"We have a parade of dads that come in and they are typically very tired," laughed Rebecca Heinrich, Director of Mother Milk Bank at the Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation. "But they're here to support their families and take that back to the baby so mom can get some rest."

That's exactly what Dinglasan's goal is. The milk is essential for his little girl, Avery Rose. She's 41 weeks old but arrived early.

"It helps with antibodies and other nutrients that don't get provided by formula. She's getting a little bigger and requiring more milk, so we have to come more frequently. It's just been everything for us, and she's always hungry, so she's got to eat. It's great and we love the service they provide."

Avery Rose is one of millions of babies across the country the Milk Bank has served over the years.

"It is our 40th anniversary. We started in 1984, by mom Joyce Ann Burgett who realized the best food for her premature infant would be mother's milk. It was a very small operation back then and grew into the amazing organization that it is now," Heinrich said.

The facility gathers milk from generous donors, makes sure it's processed safely, and then distributes it to those who need it most.

 "Most of our milk goes to hospital NICU's, they're the most fragile premature infants. Typically, donors are moms who look in the freezer and say, 'This is more milk than my baby needs - what do I do with that?'" said Heinrich. "It's one of the largest milk banks in North America so we have a huge responsibility."

It's a huge responsibility and a huge relief for families.

"It relieves the stress and knowing we can use something that's just as good donor milk for her and my baby as well," said Dinglasan.

The Milk Bank is always taking donations. A screening is required beforehand. To learn more, visit milkbank.rmchildren.org.