As a leader in Women’s and Infants’ Health, Sinai Health offers world-class care to some of the tiniest, most vulnerable babies. The Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank plays a critical role in the care of many preterm babies at our own Newton Glassman Charitable Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), but also for medically fragile babies at 52 other NICUs across Ontario and Atlantic Canada. As the only accredited milk bank in Ontario, Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank delivers high-quality donor human milk to more than 1,500 hospitalized preterm babies annually, giving the best possible start to these tiniest of patients.
Last spring, our incredible donor community stepped up in response to our Milk Bank fundraising campaign to purchase a much-needed on-site milk analyzer. This specialized device optimizes the nutritional composition and quality of pasteurized donor milk, with the potential to cut processing times by 60 per cent. Along with a generous matching gift from the Rogers-Hixon Foundation, the community rallied to raise more than $304,000.
“We are so grateful to donors for believing in our mission, for supporting families during some of the hardest moments of their lives, and for helping babies get the best possible start.”
With the milk analyzer set to be fully operational at our site in the coming months, we'll be able to better analyze and optimize donor milk provided through the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank for the 70 per cent of hospitalized preterm infants who do not have a full supply of their parent’s own milk. This enhanced precision in nutrition helps to further:
- Support protection against life-threatening illness and serious medical complications
- Strengthen the immune and anti-inflammatory benefits of donor milk
- Provide critical immune system support and anti‑inflammatory benefits
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Born from one family’s NICU journey, Maliyah’s Hike has become a powerful tradition of giving back
As further testament to the dedication of our community in supporting Sinai Health’s Women’s and Infants’ Health program, this marked the sixth year of Maliyah’s Hike—an annual community fundraiser led by proud father Dylan Riches. His daughter, Maliyah Abigail Riches, was born prematurely in 2020 at Mount Sinai Hospital and spent two weeks in the NICU before she was able to go home with her family.
This year, Maliyah’s family and friends braved a cold and rainy November day to hike 126 km through some of Toronto’s iconic neighbourhoods to raise awareness and funds for the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank. The hike raised more than $30,000 for the Milk Bank in honour of Maliyah, building on this community’s generous support for NICU families at Mount Sinai Hospital and beyond.
“When we had the chance to tour the [Milk Bank], it really brought into perspective the scale and impact of what they do every day. I’m truly grateful that we were able to contribute in a meaningful way.”
The incredible support raised from this year’s hike will support the Milk Bank’s first phase of a pilot program to make safe, pasteurized donor milk accessible as a bridge for parents of vulnerable infants (including recent NICU “graduates”) who are in the process of establishing breastfeeding but are having some difficulties. This is part of the Milk Bank’s future expansion plans to help more infants across the province.
