John Wright, 81, shops at garage sales around Kansas City hoping to find old wedding dresses. He then takes them home to his wife, Diane, who cuts and sews the dresses into much smaller gowns.
“One by one I cut them apart and I save all the little bits and pieces of lace,” she told 41 Action News.
These dresses are known as angel gowns, which the Wrights donate to parents who have lost a baby. The infants include preemies who didn't make it as well as stillborns. Through the story of the brave Brittany Richardson from Georgia, it's easy to understand how painful such an experience can be.
"I've had a miscarriage and we've lost a child so I understand that grief," Mrs. Wright said while fighting back tears.
In 2013, NICU Helping Hands started the Angel Gown Program to provide “comfort for bereaved families through the gift of a beautiful custom made gown for final photos and for burial services.”
Like the Wrights, many other good Samaritans around the country have volunteered for the touching cause, including Jacki Cohoon from Iowa who got involved in 2014.
With just one wedding dress, Diane can make anywhere between 8-15 angel gowns.
"The parents would have to go buy something," Diane said. "I can’t imagine how hard that would be to go and buy a burial gown."
You can also help the couple by donating a wedding dress to the address provided at the end of the video.
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