Providing free bereavement gowns and wraps for babies
who have gained their heavenly wings far too soon.
I am a US Navy veteran, mother of three wonderful kids with a passion for sewing and giving back to the community.
I create bereavement items (gowns, bonnets, wraps and cocoons) for babies who have gained their heavenly angel wings far too soon. Each bereavement item is professionally sewn from donated wedding dresses. All bereavement items are donated to local hospitals to provide to families
free of charge.
Do you have a wedding dress you'd like to donate? Any wedding dress/formal dress/Christening Gown, etc. can be donated as long as it is white, cream, ivory, pale blue, pale pink, pale lavender or and other LIGHT colored dress. NO dark/bright colors can be accepted. Please see mailing instructions on how to ship.
I also accept new and unused ribbon, trim and lace--ONLY if it is white, cream, beige, ivory, pale pink, pale blue, pale lavender or other light color. No bright or dark colors can be used.
To mail your dress, please follow mailing instructions here:
I’ve been asked many times why I started “Bella’s Angel Wings”. I love to sew, knit, crochet and make things and I have my own business making custom items for customers. Bella’s Angel Wings was created as my way of giving back for all that I’ve been blessed with. No, I have not personally lost a baby and I thank the Lord for that. However, I have spent more time in children’s hospitals than I ever imagined. I spent ten days in the NICU with my second child. I never left the hospital nine of those days. It was one of the hardest times of my life. Then came my third child, who was born and left the hospital two days after birth with no complications...or so the doctors thought. He actually had several complications that weren’t caught until months later, after many, many doctors and specialists visits. He had so many surgeries over the next year, that I lost count of the number of times he has been put under anesthesia . So many countless visits and overnight stays at the children’s hospitals at Duke University, University of North Carolina and Harvard University. I will never forget the fear of the unknown each and every time we stepped into those hospitals. Not just for my son, but for all of the other families there also. I’ll never forget the look on the staff’s face when a child was lost or the screams from parents. I cannot imagine their pain—I do not want to either. When my son was 20 months old, he was finally cleared from all of his procedures and he has no complications today. To celebrate his victory, I wanted to do something to give back to not only those hospitals that helped him, but to all of the local hospitals that have a need. Most hospitals have a limited supply of burial gowns, especially very small ones. So this is why I donate my time to make these gowns...if you have read this far, thank you. I hope you will find a way to give back to others in your life too. Xoxo, Bella’s Angel Wings
If you would like to donate your wedding dress to Bella's Angel Wings, please click the "Mailing Instructions" tab above for more information. https://bellasangelwings.com/mailing-instructions
There is no need to clean it before shipping; I use a special technique to clean and revive the dress before transforming it into bereavement gowns/wraps.
***However, it must come from a non-smoking home.***
The dress fabric should be in good, usable condition. If there are stains, that is fine because I can cut around it, however if the entire dresses is stained it is not usable. If you have any questions, please click the "Contact us" button below.
I can also accept Christening gowns, satin and lace fabric as long as they are white, cream, ivory, light pink, pale lavender or light blue. No bright colors can be accepted because these are the color restrictions of the hospital.
No. All bereavement items are donated to local hospitals and provided to families free of charge. I accept wedding dresses and supplies to make the dresses only.
I can accept prom or bridesmaid dresses only if they are white, cream, ivory, pale blue, pale pink or pale lavender. No bright or very dark colors can be used.
I also accept new and unused thread, ribbon, trim and lace--ONLY if it is white, cream, beige, ivory, pale pink, pale blue or pale lavender. No bright or dark colors can be used.
No, my focus is only to create bereavement gowns to be donated to local hospitals.
Feel free to share my page to anyone to help spread the word. www.bellasangelwings.com
Some babies are too small and fragile to be dressed in a bereavement gown, so they are wrapped in tiny cocoons or wraps created especially for their size. Each wrap and cocoon contains special padding to protect them.
At this time, I can only accept dresses by mail. Unless you are a business who is looking to donate a large amount of dresses. Use the contact me button if you are a business.
Please click on the "Mailing Instructions" tab at the top of this page for mailing instructions. https://bellasangelwings.com/mailing-instructions
You can place the dress in the smallest box possible to mail--be sure to remove it from the preservation box before mailing, so you can save on shipping costs. All dresses are cleaned and pressed before creating bereavement gowns, so it is perfectly fine if it gets wrinkled during shipment. If you have any questions, please use the "contact us" button below.
***My current processing time is about a year after a dress is received; but not guaranteed. Please note that I do this as a volunteer and my time is limited. Also, I DO NOT charge for my services like most others do.
Yes! I process a few wedding dresses at a time so that I can use a variety of materials to make the bereavement items. I will create an album of the dresses that are used, along with the bereavement items made from them. Feel free to email me and I will send a photo if your dress is completed.
My current processing time is about a year after a dress is received; but not guaranteed. Please note that I do this as a volunteer and my time is limited. Also, I DO NOT charge for my services like most others do.
ATTENTION:
***Due to COVID-19, there is a delay in processing and donating to hospitals so you will not receive a tax-donation receipt until the hospitals start accepting donated gowns.
*** All tax receipts are directly from the hospitals.
I have a list of contacts at various hospitals that I work with directly based on their needs. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee which hospital will receive the gowns/cocoons.
Yes, please feel free to forward my information to a hospital or funeral home that may be in need of bereavement items. I can provide them with one immediately upon request.
I am NO LONGER accepting dresses and will update this message when I am. It will be awhile, if I accept them again.
Before emailing, please read status page: https://bellasangelwings.com/mailing-instructions
If you have a question OTHER than if I'm accepting dresses, please complete form. This is to help prevent SPAM. I am not accepting dresses and will update website if I have time to accept them again.
Current status:
I am not currently accepting dresses and will update this message when I am. It will be awhile, if I accept them again.
I'm a VOLUNTEER that makes the gowns in my free time for hospitals; I am not a business/charity. THANK YOU!
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