(KNSI) – A local woman is lovingly crafting dresses meant to take the burden off a grieving family experiencing infant loss at CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Sue Madison had never heard of an angel gown until a co-worker, who knew she sewed, asked her to make one for a relative who had lost a newborn. After researching how they are made, she got to work and immediately felt the weight of what she was doing. “When I first cut that first dress, I was terrified because it’s somebody’s memory. It’s somebody’s dress that they wore down an aisle to say ‘I do,’ and they’re trusting me to make it into something else.”
She says her mom taught her how to stitch, and she passed away a year and a half ago, making every gown like an ode to her.
CentraCare-St. Cloud Hospital/Facebook
A recent donation drive collected more than three dozen dresses for the program. Madison was shocked at the outpouring of support. “I thank everybody for everything, whether it was kind words, whether it was messages to me personally or wanting to donate a dress. I mean, all of this has just been overwhelming.”
To learn more about the NICU Helping Hands program, click here.
___
Copyright 2025 Leighton Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be broadcast, published, redistributed, or rewritten, in any way without consent.
