We believe at Smockadot Kids that children are a gift from God, no matter how long they are entrusted to us. We are very excited about our involvement with SAGA's Wee Care Program; this wonderful donation opportunity will allow us to bless grieving parents and their families.

SAGA (Smocked Arts Guild of America) has many chapters all over the United States, dedicated to promoting the beautiful art of smocking. In 1986, the Rose Trellis Smocking Guild of Portland, Oregon began looking for a way to quickly and efficiently teach beginners new techniques while serving the public in a unique way.

With the inspiration of two members, one a registered nurse and the other a pattern designer, a program to make and donate garments for critically ill newborns was created.

This wonderful service quickly spread to many of the chapters across the United States. Today, SAGA's Wee Care provides smocked gowns and clothing for

Through donating these tiny garments to hospitals, smocker's guild members often find emotional healing in their own losses and heartaches. Nurses and hospital staff receive the honor of giving the lovingly crafted clothing to the parents, to bless them with a measure of comfort in the midst of their great sorrow.

Some parents have pictures of their children taken while dressed in the garments, some use the garments for burial, while others preserve or store the garments as keepsakes.

Whatever the chosen use, many parents who have received these gifts of love express how touched they were to be given a small memorial of their precious, lost little ones.

Smockadot Kids has partnered with Wee Care to donate a portion of our proceeds to assist in providing supplies and other financial needs for the Wee Care program of our local guild chapter. We have committed to donating

If you would like to become personally involved in this charity, contact your local smocker's guild or the national SAGA for more information.

The Wee Care program has a special place in our hearts at Smockadot Kids. When owner and CEO, Wendy Turner, gave birth to triplets at 28 weeks, only twins survived. The third baby, Andrew, died from complications at three months of age.

The NICU did "after care" for Andrew, dressing him in a beautifully smocked, light blue gown donated from a local smocker's guild. They took pictures of Andrew in the gown and also presented it as a keepsake to the family.

That simple act of kindness, bound up in a donated baby gown, brought vast comfort to their hearts. Having experienced the tremendous sorrow that a child's death can bring, Wendy strongly believes in upholding this service to other grieving parents.

Not only does she wish to bless others with the same comfort she was given, but to somehow pass on the hope of her faith in God. "...lest we sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." (I Thessalonians 4:13b-14)