When a baby is born too soon or passes away in the NICU, many hospitals have programs that give bereaved parents special garments to dress them in, such as angel gowns. The dresses are lovingly remade from wedding gowns by seamstresses who want to help comfort families and offer dignity for their cherished infant. The repurposed wedding dresses can be as small as a toddler’s dress, and many include details like embroidery, beads, tulle, satins and pearls. Some seamstresses even sew tiny pillows, hats or vests to accompany the gowns.
The gowns and accessories are available free of charge to families whose baby is stillborn, died in utero or passed away before birth at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio. Allison Harris, an audiologist with the hospital, lost her daughter Leah at just nine months old, and she and her mother Susan donated four of their own wedding dresses to the organization. The dresses were washed, cut and sewed into a dozen or more angel gowns, as well as baby bonnets and sleeping bags, which will be provided to families at the hospital.
Providing the garments is a labor of love for seamstresses who volunteer with groups such as Hillary’s Cherished Gowns and Heavenly Oats. Often, the seamstresses have had their own experiences with loss and know that what they’re doing is helping others cope with a difficult situation. The volunteers say they’re grateful for the opportunity to be of service and to offer families a moment of peace.
The work of these seamstresses is being recognized by a national organization. The University of Michigan Health – West has a program called NICU Helping Hands, in which volunteers like Bonnie Kalahar transform the donated wedding gowns into the garments for families of babies who pass away in the NICU. The gowns are boxed and given to families for a final picture or to wrap the baby for burial. Kalahar says it’s especially meaningful to have the repurposed gowns on hand because her grandson, Andrew, was one of the first babies born at Sparrow Hospital and passed away at just 18 weeks gestation. She adds little touches like gold and silver bells to the outfits, a reference to the end of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, when Jimmy Stewart’s character receives his wings.
Heavenly Oats founder Sandra Beck’s mission is to give “dignity and honor” to grieving families through the repurposed wedding gowns she and other volunteers make. Her organization accepts donations of dresses as well as monetary donations to purchase embellishments, yarn, lap blankets and other items.
In Washington state, a woman named Sarah Mangiaracina started a similar group called The Giving Garden in Spokane after her son and daughter-in-law lost their pregnancy at 20 weeks. She and other volunteers turn donated wedding dresses into gowns, cocoons, buntings and outfits for babies who die at any stage of pregnancy or who are born too early. The outfits are sent to hospitals in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and other locations, including Oregon, California and Texas.