In a NICU at the University of Michigan Health – West, garments that celebrate one of life’s great joys are repurposed to lend dignity and peace for families coping with one of the greatest sorrows. Sewing enthusiasts repurpose donated wedding dresses to make burial gowns for NICU babies that have passed, a service known as angel gowns. Grandview UMC member Diane Wright seeded the ministry through a connection with a local nurse practitioner who worked at the hospital and whose granddaughter is an accomplished seamstress. Wright began sewing the gowns and spreading the word, and now a network of local and international groups makes them in their own communities.
Wright, who has also sewed for a few military units, has a special place in her heart for NICU families. She’s been making the gowns for about 10 years. “This is my passion,” she says. “I want to help as many families as possible.”
Every year, in the USA alone, more than 626,000 babies are lost from miscarriage or still birth. “One baby every minute,” says Wright, “who doesn’t get to go home with his or her parents.”
Gowns made from donated wedding dresses are called angel gowns and may also be referred to as angel suits or angel wraps. Volunteers take whatever material is available—including beading, lace and embroidery—and fashion tiny gowns for babies that died at or near full term. For boys, a vest or bow tie is added. Sewers also make one-of-a-kind blankets from the white fabric for the tiniest of babies who cannot be worn in a gown and have very fragile skin.
Camden mother Haley Clark was among those who received a gown from Wright. Her son, Noah, was born via emergency C-section at Baptist, and later died in the NICU of Ouachita Memorial in Camden. She credits the gown she received with giving her something to remember her son by.
As the networks of angel gown sewers spread throughout the country, so too have the stories of those who have helped them. And with the advent of social media, many people from all over the world have contacted Wright to ask about how they can help. If you have a wedding dress that you don’t plan on wearing, or you are decluttering your closet, check out the website of an angel gown group in your area. They also need sewing supplies like ribbon, lace, bobby pins and pinking shears. Some groups also need men’s ties to make little bow ties for the boys’ gowns and wraps.