Angel Gowns For Infants Who Lose Their Lives Before They Leave the Hospital

In a lifetime full of joy and heartbreak, there are few experiences more difficult than losing a child, especially in the neonatal intensive care unit. For grieving families, it often feels like one more cruel blow. But one selfless bride-to-be is using her wedding dress to help a very special cause. Lisa Grubbs of Fort Worth, Texas, collects bridal dresses and turns them into angel gowns for infants who pass away before leaving the hospital. Her efforts are a beacon of hope for families in their darkest moments.

“I feel like it’s my calling,” she told KHOU. Grubbs founded NICU Helping Hands, which is collecting dresses from all over the country and turning them into gowns for babies who lose their lives before they leave the hospital. She and a handful of seamstresses have been sewing the gowns for about a year, but they’ve had a tremendous response since a news story on the effort was published in March.

A man in Puyallup, Washington, who read the story saw himself in Sarah’s shoes. He retrieved his late wife’s dress from the attic and donated it to the project. Grubbs has even had people from as far away as California contact her, wanting to contribute to the program.

Each gown takes about 12 to 20 hours to make. Grubbs’ team is making more gowns as fast as they can, but they need more to meet demand. She’s hoping the news story will spur more women to donate their wedding dresses, and she also hopes the program will encourage others to become seamstresses and make these gowns themselves.

The gowns are being donated to hospitals in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, but the program is growing nationwide. Last week, it was announced that UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital will start receiving the gowns this summer. The hospital specializes in pediatric oncology, pediatric neurology, pediatric critical care and more. It’s the largest children’s hospital in the country and has an unwavering commitment to family-centered care and the comfort of every patient and their family.

The gowns will be used for all tiniest patients, from newborns to infants and young children who lose their life before they leave the hospital. Families can choose to keep the gown or have it returned for another use. The hospital extends its heartfelt thanks to the seamstresses who volunteer their time to make these precious angel gowns.