A mother in Camden lost her baby through a miscarriage, and she was left with nothing to remember him by. That’s when she found a gown crafted by a seamstress who turns donated wedding dresses into infant burial gowns for families of babies who die at birth or shortly after delivery. The gowns, called angel gowns, are offered to hospitals, birthing centers, funeral homes and directly to families at no cost.
It’s a labor of love, and it takes hours to make just one. In the past four years, the volunteer has sewed more than a thousand of the tiny garments. It’s a small part of the work that’s done by volunteers across the country who help families who lose a baby to stillbirth or miscarriage, as well as those whose infants die in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The program is called Heavenly Oats, and the founder is Mary Beck. Beck and her volunteers snip pieces of donated wedding dresses, turning them into gowns, sleep sacks, blankets, overalls and more for families who have experienced a loss. It’s a small way to offer dignity to these families, Beck said.
The organization has been in operation since 2014, and it’s a 501(c)(3) non-profit. It is run entirely by volunteers and funded through donations. Beck said it’s important to her that the organization is not profiting from this work. “I think it’s important to the volunteers and the families that it’s not something they do for financial gain,” she said.
Beck’s organization has sent angel gowns to hospitals across the nation and into four countries, she said. Families who receive the garments, like those from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia, say it gives them a moment to hold and grieve their baby.
While it’s rare for families to need the gowns, they are there when they do. “A lot of families just don’t know what to do. And the gowns just kind of take away some of that stress,” she said.
Many families who have received the gowns say it’s a beautiful and meaningful keepsake of their child, Beck said. Often, the gowns are taken home to the baby’s parents, who put them in special memory boxes with pictures of their infant and a card.
The organization hopes to reach more communities, Beck said, and is always looking for donations of wedding dresses, fabric scraps in the right size, yarn, batting, elastic, sew-in Velcro, ribbon, soft fleece and sewing machines.
She’s also creating kits for people who want to try their hand at sewing an angel gown. She said it’s not for everyone, as the emotion involved can be overwhelming. She wants to give more people the opportunity to experience it before they decide if it’s what they want to do long-term.
The kit includes the fabrics and pattern, along with detailed instructions. It will be available through the organization’s website soon, Beck said. The group is also accepting monetary donations to purchase the materials needed for more gowns.