When a baby is stillborn or passes away shortly after birth, it can be very difficult for families to find clothes to dress them in. Across the country, groups of volunteer seamstresses are taking donated wedding gowns and turning them into tiny dresses for these children. The angel gown program is bringing hope, comfort and a way to remember at such a tragic time for grieving parents.
The volunteers with the Alberta Angel Dresses group, which has about 18 members across the province, have been cutting apart bridal dresses and making them into angel gowns since 2015. Volunteer dressmakers like Metha Alberda from Edmonton are now donating these beautiful little outfits to families who have lost a child. They are used for final photos and to dress the babies when they are buried.
After her daughter, Brandy, died in 2023, she started making angel gowns to honor her and help other families. It has become a labor of love that has helped her heal. She says she has met many people who are touched by the story of her daughters and want to help others.
She has been able to supply hospitals in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and other areas with these special gowns, which are also available in California, Texas and Oregon. Mangiaracina says her favorite part of the program is hearing from the parents who receive the dresses. She once heard from a man in Puyallup who told her that his wife had passed away and he had never been able to hold her or celebrate any of her birthdays, holidays or special moments. The woman told him about the program and he agreed to donate his wife’s wedding gown.
Mangiaracina credits the success of her program to two very important things: the seamstresses and the brides who donate their dresses. The seamstresses, mostly retired women who are active in their church communities, make their gowns at home with materials, patterns and directions provided by the foundation. The women spend time throughout the week sewing the tiny outfits and are very careful to personalize them. For example, Edith Seymore of Spokane often stitches “heaven’s angel” or other phrases on her creations. Shirley Bryson of Coeur d’Alene adds antique buttons and even a bell, which is inspired by the ending scene in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, when Jimmy Stewart’s character rings his own bell to signal Clarence’s arrival in heaven.
If you would like to help support this incredible program, you can make a donation online. Then, you can follow your dress on its journey to a developing country (Guatemala is currently the chosen destination), virtually meet your seamstress and learn about her family and community. You can even choose to have some of your dress sent back to you, so you can continue the cycle of giving and healing. Learn more about this wonderful organization at sunshinestateangelsgowns.com. — By Judi Mangiaracina, a member of the news team at the Spokane Spokesman-Review.