'The one thing I could do for my son': Sask. woman donates 100 litres of breast milk after child's death
Sarah Brownridge's infant son died in June
Sarah Brownridge knows the pain of losing an infant.
"It is the most helpless feeling that you could ever have," Brownridge told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.
Now she is helping other families in the same heartbreaking situation with a massive donation of breast milk.
Brownridge gave birth to a boy named Creed last September, but he suffered from birthing complications.
"There's absolutely nothing that you can do for your child. It's out of your hands."
Creed died in June.
Brownridge pumped as much breast milk as she could while Creed was in hospital, hoping to improve his health.
"That was the one thing I could do for my son," she said.
"It made me feel like I was a being a parent because I could not do anything else for him at that point."
Creed spent time in palliative care in Saskatoon before his passing.
"You kind of have a revelation going through that process," she said.
"Knowing what you are going through and knowing that there are other families out there that are going through the exact same thing as you are."
Brownridge has now donated 100 litres of her breast milk to NorthStar Mothers' Milk Bank. She said it has helped keep Creed's memory alive while also helping other families.
Donation will help thousands of babies
According to Jannette Festival, executive director of NorthStar Mothers' Milk Bank, Brownridge's donation will help thousands of sick babies.
The milk will be put into batches which will help the sickest babies across Canada in neonatal intensive care units.
Festival said Brownridge is likely one of the top five donors NorthStar Mothers' Milk Bank has had. She said there is always need and encouraged other mothers to donate if they can, with the minimum donation set at four litres.
"In many instances it does save lives," she said.
- With files from CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning