This #bronsonpositivity note was left on our Mothers’ Milk Bank Memorial tree
This #bronsonpositivity note was left on our Mothers’ Milk Bank Memorial tree. It reads:
“Hello, you don’t know me, but I wanted to thank you for helping me grow.” –Zoey, born May 25th 2017, currently 3 pounds, 11 ounces
The memorial tree where this thoughtful note was placed honors the women who donated their breast milk to Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank after their own babies passed away. While these moms grieved their own losses, they selflessly donated their breast milk so that premature and sick babies whose own mothers were unable to provide milk would receive this valuable gift.
The tree, located in Bronson Methodist Hospital’s North Pavilion, was dedicated in 2015. It is made with clay and ceramic, and was designed and created by Kalamazoo artist Conrad Kaufman with beautiful glass leaves, created by local artist, Larry Galdes. The leaves are engraved with the names of 130 babies who have passed away. The tree trunk is inscribed with the following;
“There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world. This memorial tree honors the precious babies who have died and their mothers who donated breast milk to help other babies live.” The art work was funded by generous gifts to the Bronson Health Foundation.
Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank is a Bronson Breastfeeding Center initiative that started in 2006, to provide donated human milk to premature and sick babies whose mothers are unable to provide their own milk or who have a low supply of milk. Babies who receive human milk do much, much better and potentially shorten the time babies are in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. Bronson is one of 18 not-for-profit milk banks in the country and the only not-for-profit milk bank in Michigan.
