150 litres of milk. Over 50 tiny lives. One mom who decided to give what she could and ended up changing everything.
Western Cape, South Africa (11 August 2025) – Sometimes the smallest thing you do ends up touching lives you’ll never even meet. For Amber Jade de Beer, that thing was giving what she had in abundance… breast milk.
Amber, a mom of two, has now donated more than 150 litres of life-giving milk to the Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks, enough to help over 50 babies get the best possible start in life. It all started after the birth of her first child, when she joined a mothers’ group at Stork’s Nest Clinic at Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital. Like so many new moms, she was navigating postpartum depression, but she found comfort in the community there and a new sense of purpose when she learnt about breast milk donation.
“I happened to have an oversupply of milk,” Amber says.
“Being able to give back in this way gave me an added sense of purpose during those early months, and when I had my second baby recently, I didn’t hesitate to donate again.”
The thing is, for premature babies, donated breast milk isn’t just good for them, it’s lifesaving. If a mother can’t produce milk for her own baby, donor milk gives these tiny humans the nutrients and antibodies their developing systems desperately need, and it dramatically lowers the risk of life-threatening illnesses. Since 2017, the Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks (part of the Netcare Foundation) have provided this donated milk to over 4,690 babies across both public and private hospitals, completely free of charge.
For Amber, the realisation of what she was doing hit one day at a support group. She’d just dropped off a donation and had a cooler box with her. When another mom asked about it and she explained, three moms came up to thank her on the spot. Their babies had all been in the NICU and had needed donated breast milk. That was the moment she truly understood the ripple effect of her generosity.
Candice Willemse, the milk handler at Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital’s NICU, jokes that she wants Amber to “keep having children so the freezers will always be stocked.” But she’s also quick to point out that donors are few and far between and every single drop counts. Between her first round of donations in 2022 and her most recent ones this year, Amber has become a quiet hero to dozens of newborns.
“Her selfless gift is benefiting babies not only at our hospital but across Netcare facilities. Despite her busy family life and career, her willingness to help hasn’t wavered. To us, Amber is a Supermom,” says Candice.
Amber’s message to other moms is simple: “If you’ve ever thought about pouring excess milk down the drain, please know there’s another option. Your donation could save a life.”
And that’s the magic in this story… the idea that something you might take for granted could be the very thing that gives someone else the chance to grow, to thrive and to live.
Women who are interested in becoming breast milk donors can contact any Netcare hospital with maternity facilities for more information or visit the Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks web page by clicking this link.
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