Let’s start from the end of the story and work backwards this time. It was a gloomy day in Pittsburgh (as it typically is). Humid, sweaty, and tired (Maximo had missed his nap), we were walking back to our car about to embark on the seven-hour drive back to New York City. I was a little annoyed with his fussiness, and snapped briefly to remind him to stay “on the sidewalk.” As we were walking on the narrow concrete, we encountered another family walking in. Maximo came face-to-face with another little boy about his age, slightly taller, completely hairless (the telltale sign of chemotherapy and cancer), with a blank emotion on his face. This boy was holding a pack of bubbles. They both looked at each other for a few moments before I took M’s hand and guided him on his way with a friendly head nod to his weary looking mother and sibling. In true Maximo fashion, he turned around and waved and yelled, “Buh Bye!” The other boy waved back as they disappeared around the corner.
Now I know nothing about this family, but I welled up with emotion. For all the little idiosyncrasies that can get to us each day, and how we laugh and crack jokes about our happy, healthy, spoiled, entitled children – we need to realize how fortunate we really are. I don’t know what this family is going through, but I know whatever it is, it was a lot more trying and challenging than our seven-hour drive full of music, Chic-fil-A and pee stops.
So why was I in Pittsburgh and hanging out at the Ronald McDonald House that day? Let me give you a little background:
#MedelaRecycles
Having been a breastfeeding mom myself (we made it six months!), I know how difficult it can be. It’s a full-blown commitment when you don’t have anything else to worry about – like a baby in the NICU. I’ve seen and helped many friends work tirelessly at these efforts, breastfeeding doesn’t always come easily, including a mom having to leave the NICU to come home and pump on zero sleep to try and maintain that milk supply for the little girl waiting back for her in the Children’s Hospital. These pumps at the RMCH will help change that. And if I can make even the slightest change to help make another mom’s life just that much easier, I am happy to help.
I want to take a moment to really thank Medela for inviting us to be the Pittsburgh ambassador for their #MedelaRecycles program. Thanks to them, we’ve been donating hospital-grade breast pumps all around the country this year, including two here in my hometown at the Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh.
Supporting RMHC Families
With nearly 40% of the families served by RMHC caring for babies in the NICU, Medela asked RMHC to support mothers who choose to breastfeed their babies. In an effort to provide greater ease and comfort to RMHC families, while reducing the stress of having a baby in the NICU, Medela will provide moms with the same high-quality equipment they use at the hospital for their stay at a Ronald McDonald House.
As of writing this post – 4,536 pumps have been donated – are you next?
How You Can Donate Your Own Breast Pump
Medela is asking you to recycle your own breast pumps. I know you’re thinking – how does that work and is it sanitary? YES! You can print a shipping label here, and Medela will pick up the cost to send your Medela electric motor back to them.
Is it hard to part with your pump? I’ve taken my portable pump pretty much everywhere – including a Pittsburgh Steelers football game. I don’t need to elaborate on how fun it was to explain to the security guard what I was trying to smuggle into the stadium. But sometimes you just have to let go. Mine was sitting in storage for almost two and a half years. Will I use one again? Maybe. But why should I continue to hold on to something that is a “maybe” when it can immediately be offering help to someone in dire need of it.
Sometimes we go through the motions – we think about our actions and our decisions and how they may affect others, but we never really get to see that action ripple through time. This time I did. I realized that just this one act of kindness and giving would change someone’s life. It would make it easier, if only for a brief moment in time. And that’s what it’s all about right?
