Methodist Health System | Methodist Dallas Medical Center | Shine | Winter 2015-2016

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Winter 2015–2016 SHINE 33
It’s easy to give
Donating breast milk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas (MMBNT)
is easy.
Just follow these four steps:
➊ Call 817-810-0071 or (toll-free)
866-810-0071 to complete a
phone screening.
➋ Complete and return a donor interview form.
➌ Visit a designated laboratory for a
blood draw.
➍ Deliver your milk to a milk drop-off site, like
Methodist Richardson Medical Center, or ship your milk to MMBNT.
“I put my application in one day and was approved the next day,”
Jennifer Tiner says. “They were awesome.”
Detra delivered Dekevyon via
cesarean section on Sept. 6, 2014,
only a couple of weeks after the Tiners
buried their daughter.
Because Dekevyon was so
premature, the hospital offered Detra
the option of using donor breast
milk, if needed.
“That was the best thing that
happened,” says Detra, who was
unable to produce enough milk for
her infant. “With the donor milk, he
started gaining weight quickly.”
As Methodist Richardson’s perinatal
education and lactation services
coordinator, Jackson says breast milk
makes a tremendous difference.
“Babies that receive breast milk
have a lower risk of infections and are
healthier,” she says. “They thrive on
breast milk, whether from their own
mother or a donor.”
A blessed encounter
Jennifer dropped off her breast milk at
Methodist Richardson only two days
after losing Bella. She knew that other
infants could benefit from a gift she
had hoped to give her daughter. Based
on the timing of Jennifer’s donation,
one of those infants might have
been Dekevyon.
When the two mothers met, Detra
asked Jennifer to play another large role
in her son’s life: “I knew Miss Jennifer
would be a perfect godmother.”
Cuddling her new godson that
day, Jennifer cooed, “I will pray for
you — a lot.” She recalled the words
of scripture (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
on Bella’s nursery wall: “‘For I know
the plans I have for you,’ declares the
Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.’”
ARE YOU
ELIGIBLE? For a list
of the breast milk
donor eligibility
requirements, visit
“Babies that receive breast milk have a lower risk of infections and
are healthier. They thrive on breast milk, whether from their own
mother or a donor.” — Linda Jackson, MA, IBCLC, LCCE
Because of breast milk
donated to the MMBNT,
little Dekevyon Payne had a
chance to thrive.
After the loss of
her daughter Bella,
Jennifer Tiner
(left) donated
breast milk to the
MMBNT. Detra
Chappell (right) is
one of hundreds
of mothers whose
infants have
benefited from this
gift of life.
SPECIAL DELIVERIES “I would
recommend to everyone to have their
babies at Methodist Richardson,”
Detra Chappell says. “They did
an excellent job.” Learn more at