NICU Helping Hands’ Angel Gown® Program began in 2013 because we recognized the overwhelming need for better support for grieving families. Our Angel Gown® Program provides comfort for bereaved families through the gift of our beautiful, custom made angel gown® garment for final photos and burial services.
In 2014, after a local news company ran an intimate piece about the Angel Gown® Program, word spread like wildfire and our story went viral. Brides from around the world donated 15,000 wedding gowns to support the bereaved families we serve.
We are often asked about the process of converting donated wedding gowns into our angel gown® garments. It is a long process but one our volunteer team of over 180 seamstresses throughout the United States is honored to do.
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The journey from wedding gown to angel gown® is one that takes time and attention to detail and quality so that our garments reflect the gifts of love from both a bride and a seamstress honoring a precious baby and their family.
This year, NICU Helping Hands celebrated the 5 year anniversary of the Angel Gown® Program during the annual Angel Gown® Sewing Retreat in Fort Worth, TX. Martha Pullen, internationally recognized for heirloom sewing was our special guest this year. In addition to two full days of classes and live demonstrations taught by their peers, our seamstresses were also able to hear directly from the Snelson family who experienced the death of one of their twins and received an angel gown® from our organization.
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The Angel Gown® Program is made possible because of donors like you. There are several ways you can directly impact the care of bereaved families:
If you would like to be added to the waitlist of donors wishing to donate a wedding gown please click HERE.
If you are a hospital, organization, or another support resource for families who have experienced the loss of an infant and are interested in receiving our Angel Gown® garments, please submit your request HERE.
There is no greater gift that can be given to a grieving family than affirming the importance of the life of their child by offering this simple gift. Your gift of love is priceless to grieving families and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining us in providing comfort to them through this program.
Over the past 5 years, NICU Helping Hands spent more than $40,000 sending garments to homes and hospitals. We need your help. With our wedding gown donations currently on a waitlist, our focus is on getting our gowns into the hands of families and hospitals that need them. As our efforts continue to ensure families across the nation have the proper support and resources, our shipping costs are rising due to demand. Even the smallest amount helps tremendously.
Our efforts, no matter how small, can make a lasting difference…
