Jankee Parekh-Mehta, a singer and performer as well as the spouse of popular TV actor Nakuul Mehta, has garnered significant fame through her generous donation of 90 packets of expressed breastmilk at a human milk bank to help newborns in need. After receiving an outpouring of goodwill from followers and friends on social media, she became an open advocate for both premature babies as well as any baby needing assistance from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Jankee had no idea of how much she had expressed until posting the images of her milk after being frozen for approximately six months from the time she gave birth to her daughter, Rumi. One of the most touching images Jankee posted is that of herself tearing up and proudly accepting a “thank you” certificate from the hospital at the time she donated her milk.
The images caught the attention of thousands of people who were very moved by Jankee’s selfless gesture; therefore, many discussions arose around all elements of motherhood, milk donation, and how important it is to support babies that require it.
A Heartwarming Gesture Inspires Social Media
“A Labour of Love,” said Jankee in her emotional letter to both her fans and fellow mothers. In her posting, Jankee elaborated that donating her breastmilk was far more than merely giving away milk. Rather, it was an amazing labour of love that took her months of self-discipline, sleepless nights, and hard physical work. She stated that she could only produce expressed breastmilk through pumping it out multiple times per day, even with her extreme fatigue and her responsibilities as a mother to her daughter, Rumi.
She shared that each bottle was full of “work, love and sacrifice.” She said it felt hard to let go of the saved milk, because she was always holding onto it in case her baby would need it eventually. But after her daughter recently turned 9 months, and started eating solid foods (along with breast feeding), she felt ready to donate it.
Jankee also spoke to the remarkable strength of women’s bodies, and how women have the ability to feed not only their own baby, but other babies in need as well. Her comments resonated with many mothers and parents online who had shared similar experiences in their own emotional connection to breastfeeding their baby.
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Donating breast milk is important
Human milk banks are a vital resource for newborns and for premature babies who are admitted into NICU. Often times due to some type of medical complication, a newborn cannot receive his/her mother’s milk right away due to; having a traumatic delivery, not being able to produce enough milk or during a time of stress.
According to medical professionals, using donor breast milk provides newborns with important nutrients, immune system support and protects against serious illnesses. Donor breast milk in small amounts can help increase the survival and development rates of low birth weight babies.
The initiative by Jankee has been appreciated more than simply as a momentary act of kindness but as an initiative to raise awareness on breast milk donation in India. By using her social media platform to discuss breast milk donation, she was praised by a number of social media users for raising awareness on the life-saving importance of breast milk donation, as this is a subject that is often overlooked.
Celebrities and Fans Shower Praise
Celebrities, as well as her fans, shared their admiration for Jankee in the comments section shortly after her post went viral. Many of Jankee’s co-workers from television, as well as friends and followers, commented on her act of kindness, calling it “beautiful” and “inspiring” and “deeply touching”. Nakuul Mehta commented showing pride in and love for his partner, his wife Jankee.
Many commentators on this post pointed out how beneficial these types of stories are in helping to normalise the conversation about maternal health and breastfeeding. Many mothers commented about their own experiences with breast milk pumping and donations which helped to create a community of support in the comment section.
Raising Awareness Around Maternal Health
It is remarkable that as discussions about breast milk donation become more prevalent in India, Jankee is using her platform to shed light on this issue. Earlier this month, Jwala Gutta, an ex-Indian badminton player, shared that she donated 60 litres of breast milk to NICU babies at government hospitals.
As Jankee Parekh-Mehta publicly discusses her struggle to find adequate support throughout her breastfeeding experience, she motivates many other mothers and demonstrates how important human milk banks and community support systems are in helping provide health care for newborns. This event also reminds us that kindness can have a positive impact on many lives, even if it only takes minute actions by an individual to help others in need.
