MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Shalissa Smith estimates she's pumped close to 6,000 ounces of breast milk since her daughter Gianna Smith was born. She drove with an entire bag full of milk, about a month's worth, from Bristol to Shults Pediatrics Blount County in Maryville Wednesday, all to celebrate the opening of the Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee Milk Drop Depot.
The Maryville milk drop depot is the 21st location for the milk bank, which operates out of Murfreesboro.
"I decided to (donate) because I feel like God's truly blessed me with an oversupply of milk to give to others and I feel like that's my true meaning in life to give to others," Smith said.
The Milk Drop Depot is not a milk bank itself, however, donations that go through this location will be sent to Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee to be pasteurized and then shipped to units that work with newborns in hospitals statewide, aimed at helping babies who need it.
Dr. Stephanie Shults is the managing partner and pediatrician for Shults Pediatrics at its locations in both Knoxville and Maryville. She said the milk collection effort at her Knoxville office has been fruitful.
"It's been very successful, and there's not a location here in this part of the city to collect milk," Shults said. "So we thought it'd be more convenient for moms to drop it off here if they live close to this location, to drop it off here and get more donors."
In 2023, the Shults Pediatrics location in Knoxville collected 36,000 ounces of milk.
Safe, pasteurized human milk can help babies fight life-threatening infections if their mothers are unable to produce milk themselves, according to the Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee, and about 60% of NICU moms aren't able to breastfeed.
Susan Campbell is the organization's executive director, who was a neonatologist in Middle Tennessee for more than 30 years.
"I've been particularly honored to be here today with Dr. Shults," Campbell said. "Her Milk Drop Depot last year came in with the most milk collected across the state, and we had 17 (locations) at the time."
She said during her career she's seen many premature babies with the intestinal disease Necrotizing Enterocolitis, and that milk banks can help provide the human milk needed to help treat that condition. Often, the mothers of these babies aren't able to provide milk to the infants themselves.
Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee doesn't provide milk for mothers at home, but it's a goal for the future, Campbell said.
"We are very proud that within the last year, UT Knoxville came on board, so they are using some of that milk," Campbell said. "So some of the milk that Dr. Shults has collected could be going back to Knoxville babies."
People aren't able to walk in and drop milk off at the pediatrician's office. Instead, they have to work with the nonprofit to get approved and go through the proper protocols required by the Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee.
"Once they are approved as a donor they have to have a blood test, they have to have a letter from their obstetrician to say they're healthy enough to donate, and once they're screened and approved they can bring their milk to one of our drop-off depots," Campbell said.
For more information on how to become a donor, visit the nonprofit's website.
