W
e often talk about the lack of awareness around pregnancy and infant loss. Parents affected by these tragedies have experienced well-meaning people saying the wrong thing or not saying anything at all. There are gaps in the health care system that make it challenging to prevent some of these deaths or obtain necessary care when a loss occurs. There is much work to be done and so many areas that can improve.
However, sometimes it is good to recognize the positive things happening in this space, too.
There are thousands of people across the United States who have contributed time, talents, and treasures to create burial gowns, blankets, hats, diapers, and more for babies who are gone too soon. Many of them do this in memory of a baby they love and miss. There are also many who haven’t had a loss of their own, but empathize with these families and want to support them in a special way.
For example, Bonnie sews gowns in memory of her great granddaughter. Kaonou loves to sew and wanted to have a project that was meaningful. Last month, we received over 300 wedding gowns for this project. Some have a personal connection, but many don’t.
Star Legacy Foundation is grateful to all of these amazing people because they helped us donate more than 6000 items to hospitals and families across the county in 2017. Many are made from these gowns. Many are made from soft fleece or flannel with soft patterns. Some are simple, some are intricate, and everything in between. They are all made from the heart.
Some more examples: Sarah has used her social media connections to collect hundreds of wedding gowns. Janice donated fabric from her past projects. Erin gathers her friends and family to help take dresses apart. Kim creates wraps for the tiniest of babies to be surrounded by beauty and love. Joann found a local cleaner who will assist with laundering for free. Jackie continually asks for more dresses to take home to take apart. Marlene sews blankets and matches them with cloth diapers and hats and sent us nearly 1400 sets of these items in 2017. Maria calls hospitals to see if they have a need for items we can donate. Amy asks local fabric stores to donate fabric remnants and notions. Susan is a dry cleaner and donated gowns that have never been picked up.
The list goes on and on. We are beyond grateful to them for their time, resources, effort, talent, energy, and compassion. It is heartwarming to know so many wonderful people are working together to provide items for these babies and families.
And the families that have received these beautiful items are so very grateful…..
“Thank you so much for the beautiful gown and blanket. Our baby was so very tiny and we would never have found something to bury her in. It meant so much to know that someone cared enough to take the time and pour so much love into such a precious gift”
“The little flannel diapers were so perfect – we are a cloth diaper family and it was so meaningful to have this special diaper for our son.”
“You never in your wildest dreams think that you would find yourself in such agony and your lovely gifts for our baby were so very meaningful.”
“There simply are no words. The blanket, hat, diapers and clothing told us that we are not alone on this journey and your gift will always mean so much. “
If you have helped with these projects – THANK YOU! Know that our appreciation goes beyond words. And that you truly understand that Every Pregnancy Deserves a Happy Ending.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities with Star Legacy Foundation – contact us at 952-715-7731 or email to [email protected]
One Comment
Thanks, friend 🙂 one day, perhaps!