JACKSON COUNTY, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Pasteurized human donor milk helps support the health and well-being of infants, particularly those who are premature or medically fragile. In North Carolina, several more donor depots have been added in order to provide more resources to babies in need.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), in partnership with WakeMed, announced in August the expansion of the North Carolina Human Donor Milk Program, adding five new donor depots across the state — including one in Western North Carolina.

The state’s release says pasteurized human donor milk (PHDM) is often used in hospitals to reduce the risk of serious illnesses such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal disease that can be fatal for premature or low-birth-weight infants.

“PHDM also helps bridge the gap until a mother’s milk supply is established, promoting longer exclusive breastfeeding,” a release from NCDHHS says.

The program aims to make pasteurized human donor milk more accessible for all families in North Carolina when medically necessary.

One of the five new donor depots is located at Birthstone Breastfeeding & Wellness Center in Sylva. Owner and founder Brandi Harrison tells 828newsNOW the program aligns with their goals of providing critical resources to families.

“It is part of our mission to be a community resource, and to offer feeding support no matter what that looks like for each family,” Harrison writes in an email. “We believe families must have the option of receiving donor milk when they need or choose to supplement beyond nursing their baby.”

She says the center has received around 5,000 oz (almost 40 gallons) of breastmilk donations since they became a WakeMed Donor Milk Depot in March 2024. Those wanting to donate need to be registered through WakeMed.

The process is free, but does involve some blood testing among other requirements. Harrison says once donors are approved, they can bring their milk to the center located at 494 West Main Street in Sylva. Staff will meet donors at their vehicle with a cooler in order to transport the milk to their deep freezer which is exclusively for donations. All donations are recorded and then WakeMed sends a courier to pick them up for processing.

Harrison says this expansion is part of a larger mission to ensure families have access to breastmilk when needed.

“While all banked human donor milk is currently only available in inpatient settings such as neonatal intensive care units, the long-term goal is to establish more Depot sites and increase the number of registered donors so that we can create more dispensaries at hospitals and eventually offer banked human donor milk and outpatient settings with a prescription,” she writes.

She says there are several reasons that motivate donors, and many benefits to helping families in need.

“Becoming a registered donor helps mothers to feel like they are ‘giving back’ to the milk bank that fed their babies if they received donor milk in the hospital or the NICU,” she writes. “Bereaved parents also donate milk to honor their babies who were stillborn or passed after birth.”

CLICK HERE to learn more about Birthstone Breastfeeding & Wellness Center in Sylva, and CLICK HERE to learn more about the North Carolina Human Donor Milk Program.

The new donor depots are located in the following counties:

Jackson County:

  • Birthstone Breastfeeding & Wellness Center
  • 494 W Main St., Sylva, NC 28779
  • Phone: (828) 331-1592

Cumberland County:

  • LATCH Breastfeeding and Postpartum Wellness Center & Central Carolina Doulas
  • 154 Bow St., Suite C, Fayetteville, NC 28301
  • Milk drop-off hours by appointment only: Monday – Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Phone: 910-849-9221
  • Contact: Sarah Lester or Aida Algarin

Durham County:

  • Carolina Birth and Wellness
  • 5850 Fayetteville Road Suite 202, Durham, NC 27713
  • Phone: (919) 480-1423
  • Schedule a drop-off appointment online

Mecklenburg County:

  • Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
  • Novant Health Breastfeeding, “G” level Women’s Center, 200 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204
  • Phone: (704) 384-7515

Pasquotank County:

  • Sentara Albemarle Medical Center
  • 1144 N Road St., Elizabeth City, NC 27909
  • Phone: (252) 384-4348