BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A woman who knows all about grief now has a ministry with a mission.
Anne Ancelet spends her time helping mothers after they’ve suffered the devastating loss of a child from stillbirth, miscarriage or death soon after birth. She calls her nonprofit ‘Born with Angel Wings’ and it all began with a hook and yarn and ended with a box.
On the outside, a simple white box with a bow on top.
“Well, mom gets the box like this. I wanted it to look like a gift,” said Anne Ancelet, founder of Born with Angel Wings.
But open it and you’ll see beautiful trinkets for grieving families made with love and gowns created from donated wedding gowns.
“We know that those were little human beings, you know, that should have lived and all and for some reason, you know, they are now in heaven with Jesus,” said Ancelet.
Ancelet started crocheting blankets for each precious little life.
“In 2014 we lost our first great-grandbaby and since then, well, now we have lost seven,” she said.
She got busy collecting supplies for mothers whose babies are stillborn, eventually creating the ministry. She got the word out about her mission to give the items away and then the support and donations started pouring in.
“This is something that, it touches everybody that you know,” said Collen Martin, Born with Angel Wings volunteer.
Pretty soon Ancelet would need dedicated helpers and a bigger space, turning her garage into a warehouse to assemble these boxes for babies.
“We’ve got five or six new hospitals that we, are, just need to go and deliver to,” said Ancelet.
The ministry also hosts workshops for people interested in using their hands and time to spread love during a tragedy.
“We have different stations set up where different people can work on different items. Some people can cut out diapers, some ladies bring their sewing machines,” said Martin.
You’ll find handmade clothing, garments, a cross and bracelets placed neatly inside.
“We thrive on knowing that momma has a baby, an eight-ounce baby will fit in this gown,” said Ancelet.
There’s also a list of resources for parents who may not know where to turn. Click here for more about Born with Angel Wings.