In this time of heartache for many families, a simple gift can bring hope and comfort. Specially made garments known as angel gowns or angel suits provide a way for babies that have been stillborn, miscarried, or died during pregnancy to be dressed in something special. This one-of-a-kind, beautifully embroidered garment provides a way to hold and remember these precious infants.
A local woman is working to give families in the Spokane area this opportunity by sewing angel gowns from donated wedding dresses. RoxAnn Walker started her journey in 2019 when she bought a dress at a thrift store to make a gown for her granddaughter. She has since made 80 gowns and is hoping to expand her reach.
Her story inspired a column in the Spokesman Review. It prompted people from across the country to reach out to her, offering a way for their loved ones who have suffered a loss to find a little bit of beauty in a very difficult time.
The organization that Mangiaracina works with, Angel Gowns of Washington Valley, has already sent gowns to hospitals in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. It has also given them to hospitals in Idaho, Oregon, and Montana and in California. It has even helped establish a Butterfly Room at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where bereaved families are offered time and space to say goodbye to their infants.
Every year, more than 626,000 babies are born through still birth or miscarriage in the United States alone. These beautiful angels deserve to be clothed with dignity, and these angel gowns will allow them to be held in their parents’ arms for first and last moments, photos or memorials.
Each gown is made with love from a donated wedding dress. Volunteer seamstresses take the dresses apart, arranging the fabric to maximize how many tiny gowns and wraps they can make from each dress. They can often get as many as 18 unique tiny gowns and wraps from just one dress. They use pinking shears, fabric scissors, sewing pins, ribbon and lace to create the gowns.
If you’d like to donate a wedding dress, contact your nearest group that makes angel gowns. They also need supplies, including sewing paper, lace, and men’s bow ties to make little bow tie angel gowns for boys.