A Mumbai-based celebrity manager has decided to be a mother to Covid-19 orphans by donating breast milk and nursing them
Ronita Sharma with her three-month-old daughter, Alaya Rekhi
Among millions of requests for oxygen cylinders, beds, and medication, there is also a plea for breast milk donors for newborns in the pandemic. Many lactating mothers have stepped up to donate breast milk for babies whose mothers are battling Covid-19, or have succumbed to the infection. Ronita Sharma is among them.
The 35-year-old Mumbai-based celebrity manager remembers reading a tweet about a baby from Delhi who needed milk since his mother passed away after losing the fight to Covid-19. “While I am from Mumbai, I came to Guwahati to deliver my baby in December 2020, because cases were on the rise here. After reading a tweet about the Delhi newborn, I realised that cases were increasing in Guwahati too. Though, I couldn’t help the Delhi baby in particular, as a breast-feeding mother, I reasoned that I could assist other Covid-19 orphans by donating milk or nursing them. That’s when I decided to make a Twitter post,” shares Sharma.
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With her tweet going viral, she began pumping her milk and storing it for the babies. The milk needs to be frozen until it’s consumed. Her brother introduced her to the milk bank, to which she will be donating now.
“Because I’ve been in Guwahati for months now, I haven’t been able to reach out to orphans who needed milk in other states. However, lactating mothers have been inspired by my post and are assisting others. There was also a case in Thane where the mother had died and left behind a premature baby. Usually, premature babies require only mother’s milk. While I couldn’t step in, there were other mothers who reached out to me and were willing to help,” adds Sharma.
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It was not only mothers who reached out to Sharma. Several men, too, inspired by her mission, sent her messages, to say that they wished to encourage their wives to pitch in, too. “A lot of times, when you’re a lactating mother, you have excess milk, more than what your child requires in a day. So why not give it to kids who really need it?” she says.
Most people consider breast milk to be liquid gold because it is important for a child’s growth and development. “Just know- ing that you were able to help an orphan kid directly or indirectly gives you a sense of satisfaction, of saving a life,” Sharma says. When Sharma returns to Mum- bai, she plans to continue this initiative and assist any child in need of nursing.
Several of Mumbai’s human milk banks that cater to infants admitted to neo-natal intensive care units, have struggled to operate in the lockdowns. NICU babies are separated from their mothers, causing a problem with breast feeding. This is where donors play a part, says Sharma.
WHERE TO DONATE
>> KEM hospital, Parel
>> Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central
>> Sion Hospital, Sion West
>> Cama Hospital, Fort
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