Central Coast moms send breast milk to baby of fallen Palm Springs officer

“In this family, no one fights alone,” these were the words printed on coolers filled with breast milk for 4-month-old Cora in Palm Springs.

Her mom, police officer Lesley Zerebny was killed in the line of duty over the weekend.

Zerebny’s family friend posted in a national moms’ group on Facebook asking for prayers. That post also said Zerebny’s daughter was having a hard time transitioning to formula.

Seaside mom Ashley Ruiz saw the post and reached out to that friend, who happened to be in Monterey.

“She’s only 4 months old, she will grow up, I’m sure there will be a lot of people reminding her how amazing her mom was, and videos and what not, but nobody can bring her back,” Ruiz said. “It gives me goosebumps to even think about.”

Ruiz, a mom of a 1-year-old with another one on the way, thought about what she could do to help.

“As a mom, breast feeding was so important to me, and I’d assume it was important to her, too,” Ruiz said.

And she answered the call on Facebook.

“Of course it tugged at my heart strings. I asked her if she’d be willing to take some breast milk back to Palm Springs with her,” Ruiz said.

Zerebny’s family friend said absolutely. Ruiz then asked for donations on a local Facebook page, and within 24 hours, about 15 women dropped off more than 500 ounces of breast milk.

Coming together for a cause close to Ruiz’s heart.

Ruiz, “I have a father who is a police officer, a member of the SWAT team in Massachusetts, and a baby brother, who just graduated from the police academy two weeks ago,” Ruiz said. “I wish that people would see that they are humans, too.”

The Palm Springs Police Officers Association said support has been pouring in from all over the country. The only thing the family is asking for now is baby food. The association is also in the process of setting up college funds for the fallen officers’ children. It will make that information available soon.

Here are other ways to donate:

Palm Springs Police Officers Association donation page: https://give.cornerstone.cc/palmspringspoa

Go Fund Me page for officer Lesley Zerebny: https://www.gofundme.com/2tejkxwk

Cora is currently on Enfamil Reguline, and you can drop off the formula at the Palm Springs Police Department: 200 S. Civic, Palm Springs, CA 92262.