Losing a loved one is heartbreaking, but when it’s your own baby, the grief is gut-wrenching. The March of Dimes reports that four in every 1,000 babies never make it home from the hospital and are never cradled sweetly in their parents’ arms.
Not only is it crushing to cope with the loss of an infant, but many parents have discovered that they have absolutely nothing in which to bury their babies. The sweet wee ones who leave this Earth way too soon are too tiny to fit into even the tiny newborn outfits sold at stores.
When Sandi Fasano of Evergreen, Colorado, learned of this daunting dilemma firsthand, she felt a tug at her heartstrings.
An avid seamstress, this great-grandmother had sewn plenty of apparel items in the past. But when her own children experienced the loss of a baby, there was nothing she could do to take away their pain — except for one thing.
“This was the one thing I could do to honor the memory of a baby that was lost in our family.”
Fasano has sewn more than 100 infant burial outfits that she gently refers to as “angel gowns.” People are fascinated by the beautiful and serene clothes she creates for complete strangers facing the daunting task of burying their own baby. But it’s the incredible generosity of strangers who help make Fasano’s project possible.
She launched Front Range Angel Gowns to be able to officially accept donated recycled wedding dresses. PEOPLE shared how Fasano doesn’t even charge families for the gowns; she simply gives them away during one of the most difficult times of their lives.
“These sweet brides are donating their dresses filled with beautiful memories. Hopefully some of that happiness is passed along in the angel gowns.”
Satin, chiffon, elaborate lace, ribbons and roses are just a few of the materials Fasano handles when painstakingly designing the dresses. She shared on her Facebook page how one kindhearted person named Mary had donated her 21-year-old wedding gown. The roses that cascaded down the back of Mary’s dress now adorned the front of a few angel gowns. She is able to create eight to 36 angel gowns and vests from just one wedding dress.
Families are beyond blessed when presented with one of Fasano’s handcrafted gowns.
She distributes them to hospitals, medical clinics and funeral homes across Colorado.
“There’s such a demand for infant burial clothing and nobody talks about it. I shudder thinking that some parents have to go to toy stores to get gowns for their babies.”
Decades ago, parents never even were given the chance to see or hold their stillborn or deceased babies, Fasano shared. Today, hospitals only have swaddling blankets to gingerly wrap the infants in … unless they have an angel gown like what Fasano creates.
“They are able to dress the baby for the first, last and only time.”
A woman named Rhonda donated her wedding gown to Fasano in honor of her niece. She timed the donation to coincide with her niece’s heavenly birthday, Fasano shared on Facebook. As Fasano has progressed further into her Golden Years, she has turned to the group Angels Above Baby Gowns based out of Denver, Colorado, to help keep up with the sorrowful need for angel gowns.
This concept has grown in popularity and has even spread across the country. NICU Helping Hands Angel Gown Program has opened a branch in Australia and there other similar programs in other regions.
You can see how much Fasano pours her heart and soul into every single angel gown she makes in the video below.
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