CHARLOTTE — For families who lose a baby too soon, a special garment called an angel gown can help them say goodbye. They are crafted from repurposed wedding dresses and donated to hospitals, birthing centers, funeral homes and directly to grieving families, free of charge. The gowns can be worn by the baby or placed with them during burial or cremation, a comforting way to say goodbye. A Hot Springs Village woman has turned the first floor of her home into a workshop, ripping up wedding dresses and creating tiny gowns that are donated across the country. Colleen Angel, also known as Grandma Angel, began her work after losing a cousin in Camden who was pregnant with twins. She said she learned that these gowns are in need at hospitals everywhere and decided to start her own project.
She said she has been sewing for almost 10 years and started the ministry to honor life, no matter how short it may be. Angel has received many awards for her work, but she is most proud of the impact her ministry has made. She has worked with local families and has even shipped gowns to families in other countries. She said she will continue her work until there is no longer a need for the gowns.
She has four wedding dresses in her closet, but when she heard about the program at Riley Children’s Health, she decided to donate one of them. She said the maternity staff was extremely supportive, and it is important to provide families with as much support as possible at this most difficult time. She said it was especially meaningful to her when a mother named Brandy Spurgeon lost her daughter and received a gown from the program.
“It was so heartwarming to see that she and her husband were able to take this little dress of hers home with them and share it with their family and friends. It really made them feel like they had some kind of connection to her, and it just brought a lot of healing to them,” she said.
The gowns are sewn by volunteers, and each has a unique story. The program has grown so quickly that a waitlist has developed for families in need of the gowns. The program is expanding to more locations throughout the region as more people want to help make a difference.
PVHMC extends our heartfelt thanks to all the seamstresses who volunteer their time and energy in making these beautiful gowns for our tiniest patients and their families.
ANALANE POWELL: Right now you’ll hear the zigzag of her machine, and you’ll see fabric being cut as she works. Powell is a volunteer at Akron Children’s and has made infant bereavement gowns for a number of hospitals in the area, as well as in four other states. She says the gowns are very needed and a huge source of comfort for families at this most difficult time in their lives.