Angel dress makes the joy of one family the comfort of another family – Daily Breeze

2021-12-08 05:36:38 By : Ms. Cindy xu

Artist Gayle Fleury fully understands the heartbreak of the unfulfilled hope of losing an unborn child.

The San Pedro resident has never been able to conceive a full-term baby.

After many years of miscarriage, including two miscarriages that started in the second trimester, she and her husband Bill finally adopted a child. Moreover, with the help of their friends, they become another person's surrogate mother.

Years later, Fleury turned her silent grief into a solace for other parents who grieve for the loss of their children.

She began to change her wedding dress into a funeral to provide funerals for babies who were lost prematurely. This is a landmark mission: to extract joyful fabrics from one family and transform it into alleviating the despair of another family.

Fleury founded Angel Gowns of the South Bay in 2018. This non-profit organization provides Fleury, her volunteers, donors and beneficiaries with a way to heal... and communicate complex emotions.

"This is one of the uncomfortable things people talk about and think about," Fleury said about losing a child, whether in the womb or at a young age.

Fluery-a designer of clothing, jewelry and handbags-meets with her volunteer tailors monthly to design angel robes in San Pedro.

Waterfront Studios is Fleury’s artist studio on Pedro Waterfront, full of loving stitches. The finished gown was donated to the family through 12 local hospitals.

In just three years, Fleury said that Angel Gowns' growth rate exceeded her expectations.

“In the beginning there were only a few women, now we have 20 to 30 women helping each month,” Fleury said.

The San Pedro team also inspired others in South Bay.

Didi Egnatuk established an angel dress satellite group in 2019, with 12 women volunteering at the Catholic Church of St. Lawrence Martyrs in Redondo Beach.

Egnatuk said: "This is very meaningful for our participants. We do feel the connection with these beautiful angels that we respect, a very important spiritual connection."

Egnatuk said her daughter Erica Barrios saw the organization's Facebook page.

"For these dresses, it is really something of giving and love. In my daughter's case, it is a dress without happiness," Egnatuk said. "She is divorced and has other feelings. In this way, we can turn that dress into a beautiful dress that is loved by the recipient."

After the gown or shroud was completed, Egnatuk drove them to San Pedro, where Fleury and her volunteers performed the final touches.

Gayle Fleury founded Nanwan's Angel Dress in February 2018. On Monday, August 23, 2021, the San Pedro artist and resident worked with her volunteer team to transform the donated wedding dress into a San Pedro baby gown or shroud. (Photo) Author: Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Angel Gowns in South Bay was founded by San Pedro artist and resident Gayle Fleury in February 2018 to transform donated wedding dresses into baby funeral gowns or shrouds. This is an example of a gown and parent souvenir completed in San Pedro on Monday, August 23, 2021. (Photo: Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

LR Gayle Fleury, Jan Moore, Helena Zuvich, Eva Hooker and Nancy Puliselich volunteer at Angel Gowns in the South Bay of San Pedro on Monday, August 23, 2021. The organization transforms donated wedding dresses into mourning gowns or baby shrouds. In addition to dresses, sad parents will also receive a necklace and keychain souvenir. (Photo: Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Angel Gowns in South Bay was founded by San Pedro artist and resident Gayle Fleury in February 2018 to transform donated wedding dresses into baby funeral gowns or shrouds. This is an example of a gown and shroud completed in San Pedro on Monday, August 23, 2021. Sad parents received these souvenir necklaces, keychains and dresses. (Photo: Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Angel Gowns in South Bay was founded by San Pedro artist and resident Gayle Fleury in February 2018 to transform donated wedding dresses into baby funeral gowns or shrouds. This is an example of a gown and shroud completed in San Pedro on Monday, August 23, 2021. (Photo: Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Angel Gowns in South Bay was founded by San Pedro artist and resident Gayle Fleury in February 2018 to transform donated wedding dresses into baby funeral gowns or shrouds. This is an example of a gown and shroud completed in San Pedro on Monday, August 23, 2021. (Photo: Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Fluery himself has always been a perfect volunteer in South Bay. In addition to opening Waterfront Studios for art classes and studio time, she also founded Faith-Based Christian Light at the Lighthouse Music Festival in 2005 with her husband.

Now, she continues to look for ways to spread the spirit of the angel dress to other projects:

For Fleury in San Pedro and Egnatuk in Redondo Beach, the core of angel gowns is donation and cheering up volunteers through such sad and loving labor.

So when someone donates a piece of clothing, they will ring the bell.

As Fleury said, this is like "Little Angel" thanking the clothing donors and her volunteers.

Fleury said: “When these ladies put on their gowns, they felt that they helped the grieving family in a very positive way.”

Fleury said this is important because her volunteers do not get feedback directly from the hospital or family members.

"So no matter what positive things we can think of to encourage them, this is one of them," Fleury said.

Those bells rang for the angels who grew their wings too early.

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