Angel Gowns For Infant Loss
For families who are grieving the loss of their little ones, these gowns can help them say goodbye. They can take photos of their baby in a beautiful dress they can keep forever. The outfit is also a reminder that the tiny infant was loved. In the United States, 1 in 4 women will experience an infant loss. This includes miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or stillbirth. These are all very devastating times for families. The loss of an infant can be overwhelming and traumatic for many parents, as well as siblings. But there are a few things that can give them hope and comfort, including the gift of an angel gown, which is worn by their baby to take their last breath. The gowns are made from donated wedding dresses that have been cleaned, cut and sewed into small, beautiful burial gowns, or angel wraps for infants who do not survive after birth. The gowns are then given to hospitals, birthing centers and funeral homes free of charge to families. The idea behind the project came from a woman who lost her daughter at birth, Sarah. She had a beautiful photo of her and wanted to give her a special burial dress for a keepsake. She reached out to a local seamstress who agreed to make a gown. Mangiaracina now provides gowns to hospitals in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and other places in Washington state as well as Oregon, California, Texas, and Minnesota. One such place is UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. The hospital’s state-of-the-art Level III NICU treats babies from all over California, including Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC). In the 53-bed NICU, there have been countless families who have had to say goodbye to their infants. The hospital wants to express their deepest gratitude for the angel gowns that PVHMC receives from Mangiaracina and other volunteers. It is through the generosity of people like Judi Gibson and her team of seamstresses that these gowns can be provided to families. Gibson is a registered nurse at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis. Her granddaughters were born prematurely, and the girls passed away at a very young age. Judi says that the families she has worked with in the NICU have expressed a need for such a gown, and she hopes that her program can be a resource for others. Judi and her seamstresses work throughout the week to turn bridal dresses into these precious gowns. They even have a Facebook page that features the brides-to-be who have donated their dresses. The brides often keep their gown after the big day, but some will allow it to be repurposed for this program. Edith, a 66-year-old retiree from Indiana, first heard about the angel gown program when she read about it in her newspaper.