Dana Mordecai
Hometown: Columbus, MS
When you try to do something good, there always seems to be obstacles in your path. This particular day was no exception.
August was a busy time for my family. I was going back to work, my oldest son was beginning second grade and my youngest son was attending daycare.
One morning, I scheduled a doctor’s appointment before work and decided to ship my milk before the visit. The night before, I got the frozen milk from our deep freezer and took it up to the freezer in the house. During the night, I decided to add an extra 50 ounces to my shipment. At 5:30 a.m., I went back to the deep freezer to get more milk, when suddenly I panicked. The freezer didn't seal and the lid was cracked open a bit. Thankfully, my freezer full of liquid gold (1,900 ounces) was still frozen.
I packed up the milk and took my youngest son to daycare. I then traveled to the other side of town to buy dry ice for the box of milk. The store didn't open until 8 a.m., so I waited patiently in the parking lot. Once I got the dry ice, I went to the FedEx office, only to find it closed until 9 a.m. My appointment was at 9:45 a.m., so I called my mom who worked close by, and she came to the rescue!
After my appointment, I emailed The Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas to let them know I had shipped my milk priority overnight, and that it would arrive in the morning. About 30 minutes later, the Milk Bank sent me back a “thank you” message saying they were fresh out of milk to pasteurize. Given all of the obstacles placed in my path that morning, I just knew God had a reason as to why I needed to make the effort.
I am so blessed to have an abundant supply of milk for my sweet baby. I feel that it is only right for me to give back this wonderful gift by donating to tiny preemies that need it.