NICU Helping Hands is a program that makes angel gowns for babies who never get to go home from the hospital. They are made from donated wedding dresses, and volunteer seamstresses make them for hospitals around the country. One woman who does this in Lansing is Bonnie Kalahar. Kalahar says she doesn’t meet the families, but she knows their loss. She’s been making the gowns for Sparrow Hospital for three years. The dresses are tiny works of art. They are made from silks and satins, beads, lace and embroidery.
The gowns are designed to fit the smallest of babies, from preemies to micro-preemies. They are embroidered with the baby’s name and birth date. They also have little hats and bow ties to match. They are given to parents free of charge, to honor their child and give them something to hold. Kalahar says it’s important to give the parents a memory of their child to share with family and friends. She says a lot of parents never get to see their child’s birthday or other special moments, so these gowns allow them to at least have something to remember the moment by.
Kalahar has been doing this work quietly for years. She doesn’t want recognition, but she wants to help families who are struggling. Her husband Mike says he is proud of his wife and the work she does. The gowns have been well received at Sparrow, and she’s even had a $500 donation from the local branch of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union for her work.
She says her work is about more than just sewing. It’s about giving hope to the parents who desperately need it. She hopes she can inspire others to do what they can as well.
Several people have reached out to her since the article was published, including a man from Puyallup who read the story. He said his late wife had a similar experience and would have wanted him to donate their dress. Kalahar says she’s been amazed by the response. “It’s really a beautiful thing,” she said.
Mayo nurse says the gowns are a way to honor their baby’s life
Lynn Gaber works in the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She’s one of the nurses who helps make the gowns for the tiny lives that are lost during pregnancy or at birth. The gowns are embroidered with the baby’s name, birth date and a heart. Then they are given to the parents to wrap their baby for a final photo or to bury.
These are just a few examples of the amazing work done by volunteers like these. If you’d like to learn more about how you can help, visit the NICU Helping Hands website. Dignity Health – St Mary Medical Center is committed to providing high quality, compassionate care for patients and their families. Located at 1050 Linden Ave in Long Beach, California, this hospital is one of the best in the state.