Sewing support: Angel Gowns for Dignity offers comfort to grieving mothers

It all began with a Facebook post.

In April 2014, Micci Robertson used the social media platform to share her personal story: She had miscarried three times, and wanted other mothers who’d gone through similar heartbreak to know she was there for them.

Robertson lost her first two pregnancies, a boy and a girl, at five months, and her third at six weeks. She also gave birth to four healthy babies: a now 15-year-old daughter, a 10-year-old daughter, and twin boys, age 4.

click to enlarge Sewing support: Angel Gowns for Dignity offers comfort to grieving mothers
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICCI ROBERTSON
SOLIDARITY: The gowns are created from donated wedding dresses, which volunteers deconstruct and cut into new patterns.

“It’s kind of a crazy story,” she said. “I knew I wanted to share my story, because there’s just so many people that don’t share their stories, and women who go through this, they just don’t know who to turn to or who to ask for help.”

So when Robertson shared her tale of motherhood via Facebook nearly three years ago, that was her intent: Be someone those women could ask for help. But it became so much more.

Robertson’s friend, Susan Breshears, read the post and reached out to Robertson, asking about her experiences with angel gowns—elegant outfits for stillborn children, to wear for either photos or funeral purposes. The two friends realized that Marian Regional Medical Center lacked an angel gown organization, so they decided to start their own.

Angel Gowns for Dignity was launched via Facebook, where Robertson and Breshears put out a call for old wedding dresses. Donors came forward, and the friends were able to convert those dresses into angel gowns and donate them to Marian.

click to enlarge Sewing support: Angel Gowns for Dignity offers comfort to grieving mothers
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICCI ROBERTSON
STARTED WITH A POST: When Micci Robertson shared the stories of her miscarriages on social media, a friend reached out with the idea to start their current nonprofit, Angel Gowns for Dignity.

“We picked the name ‘Angel Gowns for Dignity’ because we wanted to bring some dignity to these families and these babies, so no parents or grandparents had to go out and purchase doll clothes for these angels,” Robertson said. “Some of these babies are so tiny it’s difficult to find clothing for them.”

The organization took off from there. When Angel Gowns for Dignity asked for volunteer seamstresses, an “outpouring” of locals offered their help, Robertson said. By September of 2014, Angel Gowns was an official nonprofit organization. And though it started in Santa Maria, the program has grown across 11 states, with more than 100 volunteers nationwide.

Angel Gowns donates to any hospital that reaches out, not just those in the Dignity Health network. This year, they’ll expand into Stanford hospital, as soon as they have the inventory for it, Robertson said.

“All we really wanted to do was give back to the community and give back to some of these women who were struggling,” she said. “We were able to do that.”

Angel Gowns gives back in more than just material ways. Robertson said some of the organization’s board members and volunteers have been through losses themselves.

“Now that they get to sew and volunteer, it’s their way of closure and working through their losses,” Robertson said.

She added that the organization’s members often act as resources for mothers who need to talk about the experience.

“We provide a little bit of comfort for them,” she said. “Not just an angel gown.”

The Santa Maria center doesn’t currently need wedding dress donations, but Robertson said they expect to start taking donations again in late February. Until then, volunteers are always welcome, either to deconstruct wedding dresses, cut out patterns, or sew the angel gowns. 

Anyone interested in volunteering can email [email protected] for more information.

Comments (0)
Add a Comment