Like most moms, Nicura was producing breast milk and in spite of her heartbreak she decided to continue pumping her milk as a way to help other babies — in honor of Colton. "I wanted some good to come out of this tragedy," she says. "I figured I could help other babies in need."

Nicura lives in Riverdale, Utah, and donates her milk at a drop-off location at McKay-Dee Hospital, but she says Colton lived at Primary Children's Hospital during his short life. The lactation nurse at Primary Children's, Sandy Johnson, encouraged Nicura to donate her milk.

"Initially, I didn't know there are local drop banks where you can bring in frozen milk and have it shipped out to a central location," Nicura says. "It was something I wanted to do, but I didn't know how. I have three other boys and I had a whole freezer full of milk for my previous son. I hated to see it go to waste."

She says donating was still a hard decision, knowing the milk should have been for her baby. "It's been hard, but I wanted to help other mothers who might not be able to breastfeed or pump," she says. "I know how important it is for fragile babies. It could save a life."

Nicura's goal is to donate at least 4,000 ounces, which equates to more than 800 baby bottles. She's already donated more than 2,900 ounces. She says her experience has definitely helped with her healing process.

Other Intermountain facilities with drop-off locations include Intermountain Medical Center, Utah Valley Hospital, Park City Hospital, Dixie Regional Medical Center, and clinics across the state. Here’s the full list of milk donation drop off sites.

All of the milk donated in Utah is transported to the Mountain West Mothers' Milk Bank in Colorado for processing. The milk is then sent back to Utah for babies here who need it.

Want to get involved?

The Mountain West Mother’s Milk Bank is holding a fundraising gala on Saturday, March 4, 2017, to raise money for the construction of a processing facility in Utah, and you can either attend or donate online.