Angel Gowns Australia Inc. 4.3

Objects and Purposes

Angel Gowns Australia Incorporated is a nationally registered Charity and not-for-profit organisation.

We hope to touch the hearts of all Australians, especially those who have experienced the unimaginable death, illness or disability of their baby or child.

We provide services to bereaved families, families who are or have gone through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or families who are impacted on by a child’s life-limiting illness or special needs.

This includes;
a) To gift angel gown garments transformed from wedding and formal dresses for babies and children that die in early gestation to term and beyond.

b) To provide bereavement support services for parents, siblings and families who have experienced the death of their baby or child, during pregnancy birth, infancy and childhood.

c) To provide handcrafted gifts to children and families impacted on by a child’s disability or life limiting illness to provide some joy in a time of loss and pain.

d) To provide support services to families who are or have undergone time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

e) To do all other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the object in clause (a, b, c and d) or support and assist directly or indirectly those who may have or may experience the disability, illness, death of their baby or child, during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood, including to;

i. Provide information to bereaved families on availability of resources in their community.

ii. Provide gifts that enable families to honour and preserve the memory of their baby or child.

iii. Provide support art and craft groups for families impacted by; the death of a baby or child, a stay in NICU or a chronic illness.

iv. Support, promote and enable research where relevant around perinatal and infant death, bereavement support, education and advocacy.

v. Advocate for bereaved parents and families in relevant forums and promote understanding of their needs, rights and wellbeing.

vi. Raise by all lawful means and provide funds solely for the purpose of furthering the objectives set out in clause a, b, c and d.


Pregnancy & Infant Loss

It is often difficult for people to understand when a baby dies, no matter how early or late in gestation, that the life of that baby has already been celebrated as a Mother and a Father, and then celebrated with family and friends, imprinted into our hearts and souls. When losing this tiny life there is so much grief and heartache, the same grief and heartache of any parent, of any family when a life is lost. We seek to support families faced with the tragic loss of their baby or child through services delivered with compassion and love.

NICU

When babies are born weeks ahead of time, so small and so unwell, they spend many weeks, sometimes months in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This can be a difficult time for parents.

During this time, we can sometimes forget the impact on other children in the family who are sometimes overlooked, having to observe the struggles of their tiny brother or sister through a glass window, not being able to bond with their new baby.

This can have considerable psychosocial implications on siblings as their world is turned upside-down, and their family life is altered. Healthy sibling relationships need to be nurtured by ensuring the entire family is provided with effective and meaningful care throughout this delicate time, enabling a strong sibling relationship well into the future.

Illness & Disability

When a child is diagnosed with an illness or disability, their parents and families are faced with a considerable sense of loss and heartache, encountering many challenges that accompany what may be life-limiting changes they were not prepared for.

Parents are often confronted with an alternative reality to that which they may have dreamed and hoped for their child and their family.

Our programs strive to show these wonderful children and their families that we, as a community, care about them and understand their sometimes heartbreaking challenges.

Through our programs we aim to put some sunshine into their lives and provide a distraction and escape, even if it is for just one moment.

All our Programs today and in the future

Our organisation has grown to where it is today through incredible community support and efforts from a growing team of volunteers and members.

We understand the need for bereavement and support services such as our Angel Gown Program, My Tiny Sibling Program and our Tutu Program, along with several other programs we hope to introduce over the coming years.

We believe in the healing ability of a supportive community and therefore aim to increase the awareness of the needs of families when faced with loss and heartache, to ensure families know they are not alone and that their baby or child is loved and cared for by many people throughout Australia and the world.