For families coping with the unimaginable loss of their newborn infants, a little piece of comfort may be found in special garments called angel gowns. Made from repurposed wedding dresses, the tiny outfits help parents say goodbye to their children in a way that’s both dignified and comforting. Lynn Gaber, a nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has seen many families struggle with the unfathomable pain that comes with the loss of a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). That’s why, when one of her colleagues put out a call on Facebook asking for seamstresses to serve families who need angel gowns, Gaber was quick to volunteer.
As a retired home economics teacher, Terry Bauer wanted to continue using her sewing skills for something worthwhile. Scrolling through Facebook, she stumbled upon a woman who sewed gowns from donated wedding dresses to be given to families who had lost their children. That was the moment she knew that creating angel gowns was what she was meant to do.
Bauer now sews at least 25 gowns a month for local hospitals and groups like Touching Little Lives, which distributes them across central Ohio and elsewhere in the country. She designed a pattern for the little gowns that also can be made into sleep sacks and overalls, if that’s what a family prefers. She adds embroidered sayings like “heaven’s angel” or “my angel,” along with antique buttons that she has saved from her own mother. She even sewed bells on the outfits, inspired by a scene in It’s A Wonderful Life when Jimmy Stewart’s character rings his bell to welcome Clarence into heaven.
After the Williamsons’ son Eli passed away while in the hospital, they found a local nonprofit group that makes and distributes angel gowns to heartbroken families like theirs. This week’s WESH 2 CommUNITY Champion, Judi Powell, runs the organization and has helped thousands of families say their last farewells to their little ones.
In a workshop full of wedding dress fabrics, Powell works tirelessly to create the garments for babies who are born too soon. It’s a process that involves deconstructing the dresses so she can make as many unique tiny gowns and wraps from each piece of material. She can often get up to 18 tiny gowns and accessories from a single wedding dress, and the result is beautiful.
Powell has donated her gowns around the country and in four other countries, including a recent shipment to a family in Australia who recently lost their baby. Despite the sad circumstances, she says she never loses hope for these families. “They just need some love and a little bit of comfort,” she says. “And this is just a small thing that I can do for them.” Watch the video above to see more about how the gowns are made and what they mean to grieving families. Then, click on the links below to learn how you can help.