How lucky am I to have a job that is part of something that makes a difference in the lives of babies …
In both a sad, yet overcoming chain of events I was presented the opportunity to work with Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas in 2004. I consider my position a dream job.
I have worked with the organization for nine years now. From washing recycled bottles and acquiring donated office furniture and materials, to handling the finances and working with hospitals, my job has reached every crevice of the operation.
My journey to Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas began in 1999 when at age 42 I found myself expecting another child. Emily Anne Irene Davis was born at just 24 1/2 weeks. Dr. Sward arrived in my hospital room the next day and informed me about the problems Emily had. The outlook did not look good at all. Sadly, Emily passed away later that evening.
I would encounter Dr. Sward on several other occasions in the following years. My oldest daughter Allison was a technician in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cook Children’s Medical Center and often shared a booth with Dr. Sward at the Cook employee craft sale each year. I would tag along to help and Dr. Sward would talk about starting a Milk Bank here in Fort Worth.
Several years later my daughter called and said Dr. Sward was prepared to set up the Milk Bank. She wanted to know if I was interested in coming to work there. I jumped at the chance to do something that was going to make a difference.
I also endured hardship in 1984 when I lost a son at eight months along, and had several miscarriages in other years. Though hard, my experiences enabled me to be a comforting assistance to other bereaved mothers interested in the process of donating milk. I could relate to their pain. They knew I cared about them.
When Amy Vickers was hired in late August 2004, we quickly became the perfect team. The early years of Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas relied on thrifty thinking, community donations and hard work. We learned the milk pasteurizing process and would pasteurize donated milk twice a week and then deliver the milk to hospitals.
Both Amy and I were determined to do whatever it took to make the organization succeed, even if it was occasionally volunteering our husbands to go around and pick up these donations. You can say Amy and I did it all, whatever it took to get the job done.
Now we have a wonderful staff of dedicated workers today that I believe we have passed on the passion for this milk bank to. I miss the days of talking to the donors, but today I get to talk to the hospitals and out patients that order milk.
I have invested my life in this Milk Bank because I am very passionate about what we do, and the difference it makes. I have met wonderful donor moms and recipient babies. Some I will never forget. Amy and I often say we will retire at the same time. As for now we do not see a date for that yet as we plan to make sure we leave this Milk Bank in very capable hands that are as passionate as we are about the work we do are.