A dad who recently lost his wife pled for breast milk for his son and got the support he needed and deserved.
Oregon native Alex Green was a dad to an 8-month-old baby, Brody. Around four months ago, the new family lost their mom, Catherine, in a tragic car accident. It was his wife's dream to feed the baby with breast milk until he turns one year, so he started asking donations.
However, since breast milk can be stored for up to half a year only, he had to throw the extra and eventually started running out. With a suggestion from his sister, he posted a message in a Facebook group called Portland Mamas.
Although the group is private, Portland Mamas shared in its description that it's a platform for parents in Portland area to share support, ideas, and resources. True enough, they didn't fail Green.
Green posted in the group that he could do everything for his son except breastfeeding him. Since his wife's death, he's been looking for breast milk donations. He had already tried looking around his area in Bend to no success. He then asked mothers with extra milk if they could give theirs and requested anyone who knows where to get or buy breast milk to share information.
It didn't take long before the Portland Mamas lent a helping hand to the duo. Aside from messages of support, he also obtained hundreds of ounces of milk for Brody, who consumes at least 16 ounces a day along with his favorite food, gravy and biscuits.
In his media interviews, Green downplayed the tag that he's a super hero dad. Rather, he gave credit to the mothers who made sure he would be able to meet his wife's wishes come true.
Breast milk is the most recommended food for newborns by the World Health Organization (WHO). It contains colostrum that offers the baby all the nutrients he needs to survive for the first critical months of his life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until six months and continuous breastfeeding along with complementary food up to two years.
