Pascagoula mother starts GoFundMe for formula shortage

Although baby formula shipments have been arriving in the U.S, shelves are still empty across South Mississippi.

Mothers are turning to social media to help get formula and one mother started a GoFundMe to help her baby and others across the Coast.

Brianna Boren is apart of the WIC program, but after WIC was not able to get the specialized formula for her three-month-old daughter Ivy, she went to the stores only to find out they were all out of formula as well. “We had to pay out of pocket for our formula and it’s a specialized formula that costs $50 a can so it’s been a little rough on us to try to pay for that.”

Boren’s daughter has cow milk protein allergies and the only formula she can tolerate is Puramino. After getting down to her last can, Boren tried substituting the formula which led to her having to call the paramedics for her daughter. “She’s kinda aspartate a little and couldn’t breathe so it’s really important that people’s babies are able to get the kind of formula that they need.”

After that scary encounter, Boren decided to take matters into her own hands and create a GoFundMe to help pay for her formula and help other mother’s struggling. “I have gotten formula shipped to me from Alabama, Indiana, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky.”

With baby formula scams on the rise, Boren says she was skeptical, but thankful all her cans have been authentic. “Thankfully, we have managed to get nine cans of formula.”

Tiffany Hills, a lactation consultant with Memorial Hospital, says for mothers who are struggling to find formula, there are other alternatives. “If you can’t find formula and you’re not breastfeeding, there are milk banks that you can buy breast milk from.”

Boren says it is a long road ahead, but hopes this shortage will never happen again.

If you would like to donate to Boren’s GoFundMe go to gofundme.com/f/Puramino-formula.