One of life’s great joys is to become a parent, but for many families, that dream becomes a reality that ends in heartbreak when they lose their infant. One of the ways they can find solace in that loss is through garments repurposed to honor their tiny lost ones, known as angel gowns. The gowns are crafted by seamstresses who work at the University of Michigan Health-West NICU bereavement program.
It’s a small gesture, but a very big comfort for families struggling to cope with the unimaginable. Angel gowns are made from wedding dresses that have been donated to the program, and they are given to families who are mourning the loss of their premature or full-term baby. The gowns are designed to fit babies who don’t make it out of the hospital after being born due to complications from prematurity or other reasons, including stillbirth or miscarriage.
The gowns are made for boys and girls, in sizes that range from the tiniest preemies to full-term infants. They are provided free of charge to grieving families. It is estimated that more than a million babies are born in the US each year that do not survive before their first birthdays. The number does not include those who die during the pregnancy from miscarriage or stillbirth, according to MISS Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports families through infant loss.
In the past decade, the use of these special gowns has spread nationally. Many local hospitals now offer the program to help ease the hearts of grieving parents. In Michigan, the U-M Health – West NICU has offered the program for more than a decade to help families mourn their tiniest babies. They are crafted from donated wedding dresses and other formal wear, and they are given to families who have had to say goodbye to their babies in the neonatal intensive care unit or at a funeral home.
Each year, the U-M Health – West program receives hundreds of dresses from around the country. Those gowns are washed, cut and sewn into about a dozen angel gowns. The gowns are then embroidered with the initials of the baby or infant who will wear it. In addition to the gowns, the seamstresses also stitch a heart-shaped pillow for the baby’s mom and dad.
The U-M Health – West NICU’s angel gown program is only able to continue providing these meaningful gowns because of the donations from the public. Anyone who wants to donate a wedding dress to the program can do so through their website.
A former bride who donated her dress said the experience was a very emotional one, but that it gave her peace of mind. She is hopeful that more people will learn about the program and want to donate their wedding gowns so others can find comfort in the garment. Those who don’t have a wedding dress to donate can still help by donating monetary donations to the program to cover shipping costs.