Chinese Police Officer Breastfeeds Quake Babies

[Anonymous]

Wow...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/22/china.breastfeed/index.html

JIANGYOU, China (CNN) -- A Chinese policewoman is being hailed as a hero after taking it upon herself to breast-feed several infants who were separated from their mothers or orphaned by China's devastating earthquake.

Police officer Jiang Xiaojuan, 29, was feeding nine babies at one point.

Officer Jiang Xiaojuan, 29, the mother of a 6-month-old boy, responded to the call of duty and the instincts of motherhood when the magnitude 7.9 quake struck on May 12.

"I am breast-feeding, so I can feed babies. I didn't think of it much," she said. "It is a mother's reaction, and a basic duty as a police officer to help."

The death toll in the earthquake jumped Thursday to more than 51,000, and more than 29,000 are missing, according to government figures. Thousands of children have been orphaned; many others have mothers who simply can't feed them.

At one point, Jiang was feeding nine babies.

"Some of the moms were injured, their fathers were dead ... five of them were orphans. They've gone away to an orphanage now," she said.

She still feeds two babies, including Zhao Lyuyang, son of a woman who survived the quake but whose breast milk stopped flowing because of the traumatic conditions.

"We walked out of the mountains for a long time. I hadn't eaten in days when I got here and my milk was not enough," said that mother, Zhao Zong Jun. "She saved my baby. I thank her so much, I can't express how I feel."

[sunnyskies]

God, it just makes me cry. All those poor babies that lost their parents and all those poor parents that lost their babies. Their sorrow must be unbearable.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine how is she is feeding all those babies, but kudos to her. She is true hero.

[Anonymous]

What a hero! This truly shows the power of "supply and demand"!

[Anonymous]

this gives us perspective as well !!