A situation we hope never happens but does. A new life families are waiting for. Something happens and the little one is born premature and does not live or is stillborn. Families grieve. On top of that the family has to worry about a burial outfit for a tiny body.
NICU Helping Hands in Fort Worth, Texas was founded by Lisa Grubbs who went on to create 'Angel Gowns'. These are made by volunteers who use donated wedding gowns to make these little burial outfits. They say one gown can make 12 baby gowns.
According to the post: "There’s something hopeful about that start of life, about a wedding, and to me, it’s that full circle. This child who is so loved by its parents, being wrapped in love by a bride". According to Grubbs, "often times, babies would simply be wrapped in a towel or blanket, but with the donated gowns, the parents are able to give their babies something special to show how much he or she is loved." In fact, one of the seamstresses, LaJean Sturman who lost her infant son 30 years ago (and does this in memory of him), expressed that "if she had received such a gown for her son, it would have meant everything to her. She says she would have felt like she was saying goodbye to him in a special outfit, rather than one that was ordinary and perhaps didn’t properly fit him".
The NICU Helping Hands is a non-profit organization helping families whose baby has been hospitalized. Their services include parent support and education, sibling support, hospital to home preparation, memory archiving, antepartum support, transport support, bereavement, and baby gowns.
As Lisa Grubbs mom (who is also a seamstress helping with the gowns) says, "I’ll never know the baby, mother or dad, but I hope they know some sense of love and caring that went into the gown. My prayer is that none of these ever have to be used". Amen to that!
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