When Yvonne Trimble donated her wedding dress to a charity that turns the dresses into burial gowns for stillborn babies, she didn’t expect her act of kindness to go viral.
In May 2015, Yvonne decided she no longer needed her wedding dress and so donated it to non-profit organisation Cherished Gowns for Angel Babies.
The UK-based charity’s 500 volunteers knit and sew the dresses and, last week, they sent Yvonne a photo of the tiny gowns made from her wedding dress.
Yvonne wrote on Facebook, “A mix of emotions swept over me when I received [the photo].”
“Pride that I’d done something good, sadness that it’s necessary for these gowns to have to be made, relief that I’ve never known this heartbreak, and a sense of thankfulness that volunteers give up their time to produce such comforting garments.”
Thousands of people contacted Yvonne to share their stories and thank her for her donation, and Cherished Gowns for Angel Babies have since had over 4,500 dresses pledged, €1,500 donated and 500 new volunteers offer their time.
Yvonne shared an excerpt from one of the messages she received, saying “I couldn’t put it any better than this.”
“‘From the bottom of my heart I thank you for giving us mums some relief in the knowledge that our angel babies are forever wrapped in love.'”
To find out more about Cherished Gowns for Angel Babies, donate or pledge a dress, head to their website and Facebook page.