Amanda Butler believes the first face her daughter saw was the
face of Jesus.
Hailey Grace was born and died Oct. 14, 2017, with a hole in her
heart and eyes not fully formed. She was nearly 4 pounds and 16 inches long —
perfect in the eyes of her parents. Though she died 21 hours after she was
born, she was a fighter, said Amanda, a resident of Winchester.
“It is amazing how something so little can touch your life,” she
said.
The last thing on Amanda’s mind was finding something for Hailey
Grace to wear. She couldn’t leave the hospital and was going to send her
husband out when someone suggested contacting Forever Angels of Virginia, a
nonprofit organization that donates burial garments created from donated
wedding dresses.
Amanda was familiar with the group, but “I didn’t understand how
important it was until I needed it.”
The group provided her with a dress and a bonnet for Hailey Grace.
Kimberly Violette began Forever Angels of Virginia, which became
a nonprofit in 2015, after learning of a similar organization in Texas. She
asked if others would be interested in helping as seamstresses or donating
their wedding dresses. Violette’s daughter was the first to donate her wedding
dress.
Since January 2016, Forever Angels of Virginia has donated 2,908 burial
garments, which have been given to hospitals to keep on hand and to people
across the country.
“There are stories behind each of the wedding gowns,” said
Violette. “One dress still had the tags on it. Another dress came from a
military couple married for 50 years. They thought there was no better way to
keep their own marriage alive than donating the dress for a good cause.”
When a family receives an angel gown, they also get a card with
the name of the bride who donated it and the seamstress who worked on it.
“Parents know what love was behind the gift,” Violette said.
Violette knows the pain of this loss, having suffered a
miscarriage several years ago.
Violette said these dresses are the only things the parents will
be able to give their babies. “When babies are born prematurely nothing fits
them. (We have) pouches for babies 20-24 weeks, size 1-3 for preemies, and
bigger sizes.”
“It’s one of the most difficult things I have ever done,” she
said. “It’s very emotional meeting the families. We pray the dresses won’t be
used.”
Volunteer seamstresses take the gowns, disassemble them and
donate their time and money for needed materials, said Violette.
“The seamstresses blow me away,” she said. “A mom and two of her
daughters sew on the weekends and have been helping since the beginning.”
Debbie Walker, treasurer and seamstress coordinator, said it was
difficult to take apart the wedding gowns at first. “You look at why you’re
doing it and it’s bittersweet,” she said. “You feel guilty being happy (to
help) because you know what it is going to be used for.”
Marie Miller, a parishioner of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly,
saw a WUSA9-TV interview about the organization and wanted to become involved
as a seamstress. She had three miscarriages.
“Part of the reason I do this is I believe we will see those
babies again,” she said. “The whole thing of making these dresses is a prayer
to God to keep those babies safe in his hands.”
Miller started sewing for Forever Angels nearly two years ago.
She has made around 75 dresses. Each seamstress creates her own designs.
Miller said she likes to get creative. “I made suspenders and a
belt out of shamrock material,” she said. “You can be really creative and then
you think about what you’re using it for. It’s gratifying to know you are
helping a family with this.”
“People don’t realize something as simple as a wedding gown can
impact someone at the loss of their child,” she said. “Material is a simple
thing. What better way to break down a wedding dress into so many dresses for a
baby who will never be able to be married.”
“Hailey Grace looked absolutely beautiful and that’s the way it
should be,” said Amanda. “At least I don’t have that regret, not having
something beautiful for her.”
Amanda said the organization made a huge impact on her. “People
need to know they are not alone,” she said. “It meant the world to me to get a
gown.”