A heartbroken mother has donated 500 ounces of her breast milk after her newborn baby tragically passed away due to a rare genetic disorder.
Sierra and Lee Strangfeld were overjoyed when they received the news that they’re expecting their second baby.
However, 20 weeks into the pregnancy, Sierra discovered that her baby was suffering from a rare genetic disorder known as trisomy 18. The condition is typically accompanied by birth defects and commonly results in stillbirth.
Two months before Sierra’s due date, the mother has given birth to baby Samuel who tragically passed away just hours after he was born.
Determined to not let her breast milk go in vain, the kind mum decided to collect it and donate it to help struggling mothers and potentially save the lives of other babies.
“Termination was not an option for us – that was never a question. We wanted to meet this precious gift, and we were going to do anything we could to meet him and treat him like any baby we would be blessed with,” Sierra said in an interview with Today Parents.
“I was able to do skin-to-skin with him and his heart rate and oxygen levels immediately raised. It was like he knew he was with his mom. We got a few squeaks out of him, and spent those three hours looking at every detail of his tiny body. Those hours felt like minutes.”
After the tragic passing, the mother has taken to Facebook to write an emotional post in which she explained her decision for donating her breast milk.
“I couldn’t save Samuel’s life, but maybe I could save another baby’s life. Part of me felt it was the only thing connecting me to Samuel here on Earthside. I sure hope he’s proud of me!” she wrote.
In the following 63 days, the mother has collected over 500 ounces of breast milk which she then donated to Mother’s Milk Bank.
“It was a good feeling, knowing I was going to help someone else in need, but it was also very emotional,” Sierra added. “I could feed a complete stranger’s baby, but I never got to feed my own.”
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