Giving Tuesday – Find its soul in remarkable stories like this one

This is a beautiful and very personal story that exemplifies the soul of Giving Tuesday: a Global Generosity Movement. Trisha reached out to Epica a couple of years ago and we contributed several journals for her moms in Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICUs). This is her story...

Island Angel Gowns by Trisha started in 2016 due to my best friend losing her son at birth, he was so little and tiny! The hospital really had nothing but a blanket to wrap him.

I knew right then that with more than 12 years sewing experience, I could help make something for her deceased son that was suitable for his service.

So I went to work and I created a beautiful burial gown for him.

It later struck me - it was likely that a lot of other hospitals in my area did not have anything for their sleeping babies either. I have always wanted to give back to my community in some way, and even as a stay-at-home mom at the time with four little ones of my own, I felt this was something I could do. And so, from the comfort of my home, I began to provide a little assistance for these grieving moms and their families.

I had been in many wedding buy-swap-sell-trade groups on Facebook so I put out a call-to-action and posted pictures of the burial gown I had made along with my sewing link to really prove to these ladies that I could sew. I posted requests, asking for old wedding dresses and how I had hopes to provide them to hospitals all over the east coast for no charge.

The response was amazing! So many ladies wanted to donate their dresses, too, and in such a meaningful way.

Along this journey my cousin, unfortunately, had her baby born too early and they were both in the NICU. After sitting with her and her son for weeks on end I just knew that something had to be done.

Once again, I reached out, this time to many local businesses in hopes that they would provide an item or two that would bring some sort of comfort to the mother or baby within our new NICU care packages. And once again, the response was heartfelt and plentiful! People were donating books for moms to read to the babies, soft and cozy leggings for moms to wear in chilly hospitals, top of the line shampoo & conditioner, etc; the list was long and filled with many of the simple and everyday things a mom and her baby needs.

And then, I met the owner at Epica who graciously donated several really nice leather journals for our moms. That was really special - having a fine journal and not just a common notebook - something nice to write in about their NICU Journey. It provided a way for the mothers to get so much off their chest in a very personal way and without having to confide in another person. The moms truly loved the journals that were donated by Epica.

I recently just returned back to work and I am not sewing as many angel gowns these days. Regrettably, this also means I do not have as much time to request donations from companies for our NICU care packages but it’s still in my heart to keep the program going. I am so thankful that Epica reached out again this year for us to be a part of their Giving Tuesday program. Thank you very much! Trisha