Jaeli FAQ’s

To see the main information page about Jaeli.

New Question! Can I Mail a Check Directly to the Milk Bank?

YES! New development. If you want to mail a donation straight to the milk bank in Jaeli’s name – just mark any check in the memo line or with a sticky note “Baby Jaeli” and they will keep it in a seperate account for her.

New Question – What is Jaeli’s medical condition exactly?

I do not know the name of her chromosomal disorder exactly – it’s not like Down’s Syndrome where it’s fairly common and doctors know a lot about it. It’s so rare they didn’t even diagnose her right away. Her conditions are numerous but most pressing is: the intestinal fistula (the opening of her intestines is not her rectum) which makes her prone to infection and decreases her ability to absorb and tolerate food and  her heart condition including two holes in her heart.

The main concerns for the doctors right now are getting Jaeli’s weight and size up to a place where she can tolerate corrective surgeries. There are good signs that the holes in her heart may close on their own as she grows, and she’ll be able to avoid open-heart surgery. They want her much bigger before doing the intestinal surgeries. Hence the need for quality milk she can tolerate.

Isn’t the mom able to nurse her own baby?

Brandy is nursing Jaeli on a regular basis, and trying to pump in between for any extra she can get and to keep her supply as high as possible. Jaeli’s suck reflex is weak and sleepy, in part because of her heart condition and in part because of the medications she is on. Brandy often has to wake her to feed her. She is on supplements/herbs to increase supply.

Can’t the baby have goat’s milk?

According to Jaeli’s doctors goats milk is unsuitable for her condition and cannot be given to her at this time.

Why do I have to take a blood test to donate milk?

The donor agreement form for private donation is the same form you would use if you were giving milk to a milk bank. The only difference is that instead of giving your milk to a milk bank where it must then be purchased by the ounce, you would be shipping your milk directly to Jaeli. The hospital will still only approved screened milk though, regardless of the source. The blood tests check for serious diseases that can be passed through breastmilk.

Have other questions?

If you have any other questions let me know or leave a comment and I’ll try to answer as best I can. Brandy is online rarely as Jaeli is still in the hospital right now so answers may be delayed. Meanwhile, please consider donating to her milk fund or passing the word along to mothers you know who may be able to help with milk donations. You can email me directly at ang.england [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Angela <><