In the grand tapestry of life, there are moments of intense joy and heartbreaking sorrow. When families find themselves mourning the unimaginable loss of a newborn, a light of hope often shines through. This ray of hope is embodied by a group of seamstresses who work tirelessly to make beautiful angel gowns for bereaved families.
The nonprofit Sunshine State Angel Gowns was founded by a woman who has had her own share of hardship and tragedy. Heather Mangiaracina, who also goes by the name Mama Heather, has lost four babies over a span of six years. She has a deep passion to break the silence surrounding infertility, miscarriage, early neonatal loss, and stillbirth. Her work as an Angel Gown seamstress allows her to use her creativity and talent to bring comfort to grieving mothers.
After Heather’s son died, she felt a calling to do something meaningful with her time. She began making angel gowns for bereaved families in her local area, and her work touched the lives of many. She also became an advocate for the cause, speaking wherever she could to raise awareness.
As the project continued to grow, she realized there was a need for the gowns in other parts of the country. That’s when she heard of a registered nurse named Judi Gibson, who started a similar program at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Judi enlisted the help of her friend Shirley Travelstead, who is a seamstress. Together, the women were able to create dozens of angel gowns and other accessories for infants that never made it out of their hospital’s NICU. But the need was so great, and Judi was unable to keep up with the demand.
When Brandy Spurgeon’s daughter Karolina was born prematurely at Riley, she spent her short four-day life in the NICU. During this very difficult time, she and her husband stayed close to Judi. She bonded with the little girl and often talked to her about their future plans for family vacations, careers, and more. Judi eventually gifted the family one of the angel gowns that Sunshine State Angel Gowns had been creating.
The experience helped Brandy heal, and she now volunteers with the program whenever she can. The gowns are now available in hospitals across the state.
Northridge Hospital is honored to be a part of this wonderful initiative and has received their first box of angel gowns. Pictured are Jennifer Wenzel, NICU Manager and Silvia Noriega from Angel Gowns of South Bay delivering the gowns to the NICU.
Stacy Cradock, seamstress coordinator for the Sunshine State Angel Gowns, was inspired to become involved with the project after donating her own wedding dress and experiencing such an uplifting and healing experience. She now tutors at her church’s Life Enrichment Center and serves on the Portsmouth Commission of Museum and Fine Arts, as well as homeschooling her three daughters. The gowns she makes are meant to be as beautiful and memorable as the life they will celebrate.