The NEC Society recognizes the importance of integrating patient-families into every aspect of our organization. At the NEC Society, patient-families co-lead research, co-chair meetings, and co-author manuscripts. Accordingly, the NEC Society is proud to welcome Amena Mebane to the organization’s Board of Directors.

Amena graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in American Studies Honors with an emphasis in Race, Law and Social Movements. After earning her undergraduate degree, Amena attended the University of Washington, School of Law where she graduated Order of Barristers. She served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the King County Prosecutor’s Office in Seattle for five years doing rotations in the District Court, Felony Trial and Domestic Violence units. After moving back home to California in 2016, Amena has enjoyed her work as a mother, wife, and estate manager. In January 2019, Amena and her husband Brandon lost their daughter, Makenna, to NEC when she was seven weeks old.

Shortly after their daughter’s NEC diagnosis, Amena and Brandon helped to raise the profile of the disease by opening up and sharing their story publicly.

In the days, weeks, and months after Makenna’s passing, the Mebane family held tight to each other and searched for ways to honor their precious daughter. Makenna has inspired the Mebane family to give back to babies and families just like theirs. They are committed to helping prevent other families from experiencing the overwhelming heartache caused by NEC. To honor Makenna and help other babies just like her, Amena donated Makenna’s breastmilk to the Mother’s Milk Bank in Colorado, a nonprofit milk bank dedicated to providing pasteurized donor milk to medically fragile babies in need. Mothers milk is one of the most effective ways to help prevent NEC.

Founder and Director of the NEC Society, Jennifer Canvasser, shares, “We are profoundly grateful to welcome Amena to the Board of Directors. As a Board member, Amena’s advocacy skills and personal life experiences will be fundamental to our vision of building a world without NEC.

The NEC Society’s 2019 Fall Webinar Series will be dedicated to Makenna Mebane. The October, November, and December webinars will focus on mothers own milk, pasteurized donor milk, and fortifiers, respectively. Webinar registration will open in early September and will be available at NECsociety.org. Stay tuned for more details!

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a devastating intestinal disease that primarily affects premature and medically fragile infants. The NEC Society was established in 2014 and is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building a world without NEC.