Kirkwood students from the Sustainability in the Apparel and Textiles Industry class made an exhibit on the second floor of Iowa Hall called “The Light They Left Behind,” highlighting the creation process and importance of angel gowns. Angel gowns are dresses upcycled from donated wedding dresses for infants who have died, whether through stillbirth, miscarriage or other circumstances.
Angel gowns are important because they upcycle unused wedding dresses into new gowns to be used which not only reduces waste but also gives the dress new life. Moreover, the existence of angel gowns allows parents to have a bit of solace in their grief as they have to deal not only with the grief of losing a child but also the stress that comes with their funeral.
Social science writer Melissa Weber remarked that upcycling “is a creative and innovative way of giving old or unwanted products and materials a new life by adding value.” Wedding dresses are a grand achievement, and a lot of thought goes into each one, with some people even having two — one for the ceremony and another for the reception.
However, after the wedding, most of them are often preserved and unused. If one does not have a plan for their wedding dress(es), then donating them to be made into angel gowns is a good way to upcycle while also helping multiple families going through tremendous grief and heartache.
The death of a grandparent, no matter how inevitable it may seem, is always burdensome for those left to live without their presence.
However, the death of an infant who may not even have gotten to breathe their first breath is equally, if not more, tragic because their life was taken before they could live it.
The Bridal Tip commented, “These garments not only provide solace to bereaved families but also symbolize unity and solidarity within the community of kindness and support that envelops those in times of loss.” Angel gowns give families whose lives taken away too early a bit of comfort, while also showing the grieving family that their community cares about them. Some people may downplay infant deaths — especially if the child never breathed — but angel gowns show that it does matter.
NICU Helping Hands, an American nonprofit dedicated to assisting babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, said, “Our program is made possible because of wonderful donors and volunteers who have often experienced the loss of their own children or of another loved one.”
The existence of angel gowns is heartbreaking, but they serve a crucial role for grieving parents. I suggest donating your wedding dress to NICU Helping Hands or any other organization that makes angel gowns.
If you do not have a wedding dress, financially supporting the production of angel gowns is another way to help. With every donation — whether material or monetary — you will experience the blissful feeling of helping another in need.
Categories: Editorials, Opinion
