Families who lose babies during pregnancy, no matter the stage, suffer an overwhelming sense of grief at a time when they had anticipated such joy. 

Houlton Regional Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Nurses recently reached out to a national organization to better help families that experience infant loss. Vicki Goodwin, RN explains that while they have had a program in place for this devastating circumstance, she and Gina Vargas, BSN,RN felt that their program was missing that “extra special something”; especially when it came to a garment to place on the infant.  Goodwin did a little research and was able to connect the Hospital with the NICU Helping Hands’ Angel Gown ® Program.  This free heartfelt program transforms donated wedding gowns into bereavement gowns for families who have lost a baby. The wedding gowns are donated from brides all over the world. There are hundreds of volunteer seamstresses in the United States that that refashion the donated gowns into custom made, majestic, outfits that families can use for their precious babies to wear on their final journey. Department Manager Cheryl Quint, RN is very appreciative of the Labor and Delivery Nurses for their desire to support grieving families by implementing this program. She and the entire department hope these simple gifts of love for grieving families will help bring some comfort to them and help to symbolize the importance of the life of their precious child. 

To learn more about the NICU Helping Hands’ Angel Gown ® Program or to make a donation please visit, www.nicuhelpinghands.org