In the grand tapestry of life, there are moments of immense joy and heartbreaking sorrow. Parents whose babies are born stillborn or die shortly after birth often find comfort in receiving a special angel gown.
These one-of-a-kind dresses are made from donated wedding dresses, transforming them into tiny works of art that honor and comfort families who have experienced a loss. They are a beautiful way to celebrate a child who may never come home.
A few years ago, a nurse named Judi Gibson launched a program to provide these gowns at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis. She recruited local seamstresses to help make the gowns, but the need for gowns quickly became too much for just one person. That’s when Edith Wright came on the scene.
Wright, who lives in Portsmouth, Virginia, is a seamstress coordinator for the international program. She has been a part of the organization since 2015. Wright has given hundreds of gowns to Sparrow Hospital, now AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, and has even seeded other ministries through her work by sharing the patterns she uses to make these small works of art. “It’s a sad job, but it’s done with love,” she says.
The gowns are made from wedding silks and satins, beads, pearls, lace, and tulle. The women who make them spend about two hours a day sewing each dress. They use a small machine and a needle that is smaller than a sewing needle, making the process painless. Many of the seamstresses are retired or live on a fixed income and still find the time to devote to this project. They also find that it is a healing experience for themselves.
In the United States, it is estimated that more than 626,000 babies are born through stillbirth or miscarriage each year. For families whose children are born or lose their lives in the NICU, this one-of-a-kind gown is a meaningful and symbolic keepsake of their loved ones. The nurses who hand these dresses out to their grieving patients say they are the most precious thing they do.
Each angel gown is a symbol of hope, comfort, and love for the family who receives it. They serve to help the parents heal and move forward with their lives.
ND Angel Gowns has distributed the gowns to hospitals like Sanford and CHI St. Alexius Health and hope to continue to reach more families in need. “They are so beautiful, and they bring tears of joy, and that’s what I really want to see for these families,” said ND Angel Gowns director Michelle Bjornstad.
To learn more about how you can help, visit the ND Angel Gowns website or call (701) 580-4560. You can donate money or a new or used wedding dress to the cause. You can even get involved through volunteering. You can also find the Facebook page for ND Angel Gowns here.