One in four women experience a loss during their pregnancy. While the loss is devastating, many parents find comfort in a small but profound gift: an angel gown. The garments are made from donated wedding dresses and offer families a way to hold on to memories of their babies, who sometimes pass away before birth or shortly after.
In 2023, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital began offering the gowns as part of a bereavement program for families who experienced infant loss, including those in the NICU and ER. The hospital’s NICU Manager, Martina Ruiz, and Silvia Noriega, a nurse in the NICU, recently received their first box of angel gowns.
The NICU at UCLA is home to a remarkable group of caregivers, including a team who work tirelessly to provide hope and support to infant and childbearing family members during the most critical moments of their NICU journey. Known for their innovative therapies, patient-centered care and exceptional emotional support, this team of compassionate health care providers is committed to providing the highest quality of care and a healing environment for all.
Judi Spurgeon, a registered nurse at Riley, has witnessed the grief that can accompany an infant loss. Her granddaughters, Karolina and Annabelle, were born prematurely and died soon after. Her heartbreak inspired her to found a local nonprofit, which makes and donates baby clothes for families experiencing similar tragedies.
She contacted me when she read that my column on Sarah’s story had touched readers. Since then, she’s received donations of wedding dresses from all over the country and sewed them into at least a dozen tiny gowns and matching accessories. She and other seamstresses have distributed the outfits to hospitals in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and beyond.
The seamstresses spend much of their free time sewing. Edith splurged on a new sewing machine that lets her stitch phrases like “heaven’s angel” onto the clothes, while Shirley adds antique buttons and even gold bells inspired by the movie It’s a Wonderful Life (in which Jimmy Stewart rings a bell to welcome Clarence).
Mangiaracina is now working to expand her efforts so more families can receive the angel gowns they need. She wants to see them offered in every hospital where the NICU and ER treat infants, especially those that care for preemies and micro preemies. She hopes the program will spread to other states, too. But her most important goal remains the same: To keep a smile on the face of every family who sees their angel’s outfit and knows they’re not alone.