Third Strand

IN 2022, THE UNITED STATES EXPERIENCED AN UNPRECEDENTED SEVERE SHORTAGE OF INFANT FORMULA AS A RESULT OF THE 2021-2022 GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS COMPOUNDED BY A LARGE SCALE PRODUCT RECALL. THE SHORTAGE BEGAN IN THE SPRING OF 2022, AND, BY MAY 2022, THE NATIONWIDE OUT-OF-STOCK RATES HAD SURGED TO OVER 70%, WHERE THEY REMAINED THROUGH THE START OF JULY 2022. THIS CRISIS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED THE AMOUNT OF DONOR MILK DONATED TO THIRD STRAND, AND, THEREFORE, SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED THE NUMBER OF BABIES ABLE TO BE FED BY THIRD STRAND AND THE AMOUNT OF DONOR MILK DISTRIBUTED. DURING THIS TIME, THIRD STRAND WORKED DILIGENTLY TO ADVOCATE FOR FAMILIES IN THE HOSPITALS AND WHO WERE SEEKING DONOR MILK FROM MILK BANKS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, WHO BEGAN TO RATION DONOR MILK AND INCREASE COSTS. WE SUCCESSFULLY ASSISTED OVER A DOZEN FAMILIES, WHO MET OUR MISSION, IN SECURING DONOR MILK FROM SAFE AND REPUTABLE SOURCES DURING THIS FORMULA SHORTAGE. THIRD STRAND DISTRIBUTED 35,000 OUNCES OF MILK.TO DATE, THIRD STRAND HAS DISTRIBUTED DONOR MILK TO FAMILIES IN 48 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS YEAR WE DISTRIBUTED TO 14 STATES.THIRD STRAND CONSULTED WITH 6 HOSPITALS. THIRD STRAND SERVES AS AN ADVOCATE FOR FAMILIES IN SITUATIONS WHERE DONOR BREAST MILK IS NEEDED/DESIRED. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MOST HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED STATES EITHER LACK POLICIES ADDRESSING MANY OF THESE SITUATIONS, OR THEIR POLICIES ARE GROSSLY OUTDATED. IN SITUATIONS WARRANTED, THIRD STRAND ADVOCATES FOR FAIR AND JUST TREATMENT, FOCUSED SOLELY ON THE BEST INTEREST OF THE NEWBORN BABIES AND THE WISHES OF THEIR PARENTS (AND/OR ADOPTING FAMILIES). WHEN REQUESTED, THIRD STRAND CONSULTS WITH HOSPITAL LEADERSHIP TO ADDRESS HOLES IN THEIR CURRENT POLICIES AND TO DRAFT NEW POLICIES WHEN NONE EXIST. THESE EFFORTS REQUIRE MANY HOURS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH EXECUTIVE STAFF OF HOSPITALS. IT IS OUR STANCE THAT NO HOSPITAL POLICY (OR LACK THEREOF) IS EVER ALLOWED TO TRUMP A PARENT'S WISH FOR WHAT THEIR CHILD IS FED. WE HAVE SEEN A HIGH SUCCESS RATE IN THESE EFFORTS THAT WILL BENEFIT, NOT ONLY THE FAMILIES SERVED BY THIRD STRAND, BUT ALSO FAMILIES WHO FACE SIMILAR SITUATIONS AT THESE HOSPITALS IN THE FUTURE. TO DATE, THIRD STRAND HAS CONSULTED WITH DOZENS OF HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO MAKE SURE THAT NEWBORN BABIES, WHOSE MOTHERS ARE NOT ABLE TO BREASTFEED, HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS ANY OTHER BABY WHEN IT COMES TO FEEDING.ALL DONOR MOMS ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A COMPREHENSIVE APPLICATION TO BE SELECTED AS DONORS. EACH APPLICATION IS CAREFULLY ANALYZED, AND AN ORAL INTERVIEW IS SUBSEQUENTLY CONDUCTED. DONATIONS ARE, THEN, EITHER DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THIRD STRAND, OR, PICKED UP BY THIRD STRAND. OCCASIONALLY, THIRD STRAND WILL COVER THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SHIPPING MILK DONATIONS TO THIRD STRAND IN ORDER TO BE DISTRIBUTED. HOWEVER, NO INCENTIVES ARE PROVIDED TO DONOR MOMS FOR DONATING THEIR BREAST MILK. DONOR MILK IS SELECTED, TRANSPORTED AND STORED ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS WHICH FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES OF THE INDUSTRY.EVERY YEAR, THIRD STRAND BOARD OF DIRECTORS SELECT ONE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION (501C3) TO SUPPORT THROUGH A YEAR-END DONATION. WE BELIEVE IN PAYING FORWARD THE GENEROSITY THAT HAS HELPED THIRD STRAND GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. ORGANIZATIONS ARE CHOSEN BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND A $1000 CHECK IS PRESENTED TO THE ORGANIZATION AS AN UNRESTRICTED DONATION. THIS YEAR, THIRD STRAND SELECTED THE INFANT LOSS LIBRARY AT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS. THIS ORGANIZATION PROVIDES READING MATERIAL TO FAMILIES WHO EXPERIENCE THE LOSS OF THE INFANT CHILD. THE READING MATERIALS ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED BY NURSES AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF AN INFANT. THE LIBRARY IS DEDICATED TO THREE INFANTS WHO DIED SHORTLY AFTER BIRTH, CARRIGAN, NOAH, AND HARRISON. THIRD STRAND WAS BLESSED TO WORK WITH TWO OF THESE FAMILIES BY EITHER PROVIDING MILK DONATIONS OR ACCEPTING MILK DONATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THIRD STRAND DEVELOPED A DONOR APPLICATION MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR MOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST A CHILD, CALLED CARRIGAN'S PROJECT. IN 2022, THIRD STRAND DISTRIBUTED DONOR MILK TO 25 BABIES - 2 BABIES WHOSE MOTHER DIED; 16 BABIES WHOSE MOTHER WAS UNABLE TO BREASTFEED DUE TO CANCER TREATMENTS; AND, 7 ADOPTED NEWBORNSIN 2022, THIRD STRAND WAS A FINALIST FOR BEST OF AMARILLO 2022 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEARTHIRD STRAND CONTINUES TO BE A "SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE TO DONOR MILK FROM MILK BANKS" BY PHYSICIANS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. MANY OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE SERVED BY THIRD STRAND ARE REFERRED TO THIRD STRAND BY THEIR TREATING PHYSICIAN AND/OR HOSPITAL.