A mum-of-three “didn’t hesitate” to breastfeed the crying baby of a recovering drug addict who couldn’t feed her child.
Piripono Brown, 24, from Hamilton in New Zealand, says she helped the woman who was unable to produce her own milk or afford formula because her benefits were delayed.
Ms Brown said she didn’t think twice about “giving the baby the boob” and would do it again if she saw another mother in need of help, Stuff reports.
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” she told Stuff.
“Baby was hungry right then and I had milk that would have gone to waste.
“I just wanted to feed her straight away instead of running off to get formula. It is all natural anyway.”
The 24-year-old says that she experienced poverty as a youngster after her mum turned to alcohol following the death of her husband.
At times the large family of eight kids did not know when they were getting their next meal.
“My mum tried really hard to provide for us but it was expensive to feed eight kids,’’ she said.
To keep the kids fed, her mum would source supplies from foodbanks or generous neighbours.
Though Ms Brown doesn’t look back at her childhood as being “bad”, she admitted she and her siblings didn’t always “get a feed every day”.
She says she is appreciative that she is now “fortunate enough” to help others in need.
“My kids are happy and healthy and have a home, whereas there are others who don’t have those things,” she said.
As well as helping mum feed her baby, Ms Brown also gifted her $200(£105)-worth of groceries.
The mum-of-three has done the same for more than 50 families in Tokoroa, on New Zealand’s North Island.
Her charitable endeavour started with a Facebook group called Tokoroa Free Kai, where people in need can find enough food to get them by.
She works part-time for a leading New Zealand security firm, and is studying Māori worldviews and working towards a career in healthcare.
“I don’t want anything in return. I just like to help and it makes me happy seeing others happy,” she said.
