Angel Gowns

Since 1976 I have kept my wedding dress stored under whatever bed we had in the house.  This dress is not the dress I wore when Frank and I married....nope....it is from my first marriage.  I kept it for years hoping one of my daughters would wear it....but they didn't.  I kept it thinking I would donate it to a theater group for a costume.....but I didn't.  I has just sat....taking up room and collecting dust in the box it has been stored in for 38 years.  Today I got a facebook post from my cousin and a dear friend that broke my heart.  The post was about an organization that makes gowns for babies who die in the hospital.  They make them from wedding gowns. I know where mine is going now.  Next week mine will be heading to Ft. Worth, Texas to be made into angel gowns.  I thought I would share their story with you and if you have a gown you have been meaning to get rid of but can't seem to part with....maybe this is meant for you.
Angel Gowns

NICU Helping Hands’ Angel Gown Program began in 2013 because we recognized the  overwhelming need to support families who lost a baby while in the hospital. Our Angel Gown Program provides comfort for families by providing a beautiful gown for final photos and for burial services. 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.

Sewn with love by volunteer seamstresses, donated wedding gowns are used to create beautiful gowns for families grieving the death of their child.
It is an honor for us to provide gowns free of charge to any family or hospital requesting our Angel Gowns. Other non-profits providing bereavement services to families can also request gowns. Requests from hospitals and non-profits should be sent to angelgowns@nicuhelpinghands.org.
All urgent or time sensitive requests from families or hospitals should be made by calling 817-584-1437.  Please note: This program is available nationally. Not only do we accept gowns from around the country, we provide any NICU with these gowns. We welcome volunteer seamstresses in locations outside of DFW.

Gown Donation Information

Donation via Shipping:  Gowns can be shipped directly to us at NICU Helping Hands C/O Ideal Partners, 6913 Camp Bowie BLVD Suite 181, Fort Worth, Texas 76116.  We suggest that you remove the crinoline from the gown so that it is less bulky and expensive to ship. Folding the gown neatly into a small box is preferred and wrinkling is not a concern as our seamstresses will be pressing the gown during the sewing process.

Donation in Person: If you are local to the DFW you can drop off your gown Monday-Friday 1pm-6pm at Bliss Bridal, 4624 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107.

Gowns We Accept: We accept all wedding gowns. Even if there are stains on the gown, we can use portions of the gown that are not stained. We accept pale colored bridesmaid gowns and other ball gowns as these often provide beading and additional silk and satin fabrics that are useful in making the Angel Gowns.  Unfortunately at this time we are unable to personally pick up gowns from donors’ homes. Thank you for your understanding.  If you would like a tax deductible receipt please include this request PINNED to your gown at the time of donation. We must have your name and mailing address on the written request as well. 

Volunteer Seamstress Information

If you would like to sew Angel Gowns for our program please read NICU Helping Hands Best Practices Guideline and Sewing Pattern. Please fill out our volunteer sign up.  We will contact you. We will mail gowns to out of town seamstresses or schedule a time for local seamstresses to pick up a gown. Seamstresses who prefer to collect gowns in their local areas for us are welcome to do so. All completed Angel Gowns should be mailed or delivered back to us so that we can prepare them for placement in a hospital or with a family in need. We take special care in packaging each gown individually in tissue and placing it in a nice white box, along with an additional keepsake for the family. In addition to the Angel Gown box, we provide hospitals and families with additional information so that they can contact us should they need other assistance for the family.
We respectfully ask that if you are sewing for NICU Helping Hands that you allow us to place the gowns at hospitals so all necessary steps are taken to make sure the appropriate gown sizes and numbers are provided to hospitals and families. This also ensures that families know how to contact us for additional support that might be needed. 

Your gift of love is priceless to grieving families and we thank you

from the bottom of our hearts for helping us comfort them through this program.