Mum-of-one: “My dad drinks my breast milk”
Daddy’s girl Jill Turner has gone to unusual lengths to try to help her father beat cancer
hen Jill Turner discovered her W beloved dad Fred had been diagnosed with cancer, she was understandably heartbroken. The 64-year-old had beaten bowel cancer once before, but relapsed in March last year and is now having ongoing chemotherapy.
Desperate to help in any way she could, Jill, 30, came across research that had found breast milk may help fight cancer.
HEALTH BENEFITS
So the 30-year-old mum – who’d been breastfeeding her sixmonth-old son Llewyn – started expressing her milk and adding it to her dad’s coffee in a bid to help him beat the disease.
Jill – who lives in Rugby with her partner Kyle, 30, and their son – explains: “When I found out my dad had relapsed I was devastated; I was determined to do anything to help him. I came across a Facebook group that had posted an article about the health benefits of breastfeeding.
“A scientist had found a protein in breast milk that can help kill off cancer cells without harming other cells. The research is in its early stages, but I don’t see any harm in trying it. Now I express milk and give it to Dad in his coffee. He’s only been drinking it for a month, so we don’t know if it’s helping yet. People might think it’s strange, but if it gives my dad more time, I’ll do anything.”
BITTERSWEET TASTE
The first time Jill mixed it into Fred’s coffee, she added a bit of cow’s milk too.
“Dad said it tasted bittersweet,” she says. “But it wasn’t too bad. I’ve since bought a double pump so I can express more. I breastfeed Llewyn, then express milk at night for Dad. I keep it in the fridge so he can help himself. It lasts for eight days, so I put a sell-by-date on it. I hope he starts having it on his porridge too.
“Mum’s supportive of it, as are my friends. Dad’s treatment is ongoing and we don’t know how long he has left. But I’ll do everything I can to spend more precious time with him.”
Fred says: “I’ll do anything to fight cancer. I’ll try Jill’s breast milk in porridge, but I wouldn’t drink it on its own. I don’t feel different yet, but I hope it helps.”
❛i breastfeed My baby son, then express Milk at night for dad❜