Schoolteacher Mark Flint wrote to me after watching my Beg-Knows America segment about Spanx founder Sara Blakely donating her wedding dress to brides who needed it. He too had a story about a wedding-dress donation – giving his late mother’s away to an organization that makes funeral attire for the youngest of children who have died.

It wasn’t for Mark to pat himself on the back, but to share the story of these amazing artisans who have dedicated their skills to helping parents during their worst nightmare. It’s a story about a little light shining in the darkest of places.

The Heart

When Mark’s mother, Francis Eleanor Flint, passed away at the incredible age of 101 in April 2020, Mark moved into the upstairs apartment of her duplex in Melrose, Massachusetts. Exploring the attic a couple of years later, he came across his mom’s wedding dress tucked away on a shelf. Mark knew he wanted to do something with it, maybe donate it to someone in need… but he could never find the right fit.

That was until he stumbled upon Danielle’s Angel Gowns on Facebook. A little organization out of the town of Pembroke, Massachusetts, Danielle’s Angel Gowns repurposes donated wedding dresses into “angel gowns,” “angel cocoon wraps,” or “angel pockets” – garments of different sizes – for stillborn children or children who passed away shortly after birth. It’s a little piece of dignity during an awful day, meeting a need that most parents would understandably not have the emotional capacity to consider.

Mark knew his mother would be so proud to donate her dress to such a beautiful cause, so Mark reached out.

The Journey

When Mark began the donation process, he could never have imagined the wellspring of generosity that would follow. A local dry cleaner cleaned the dress for free when they heard what the dress was being donated for. And when Mark went to an event to drop off the dress and get some facetime with the volunteer seamstresses, he was amazed at how joyful it was… almost as if it were a celebration of how these dresses would be useful again.

Seven months later, Mark received photos from Colleen Jenkins Duval, the seamstress tasked with working on Mark’s mother’s dress. The results were stunning, transforming the delicate fabric into four angel cocoons and four angel pockets (which you can see here). 

Eight families would be blessed on their worst day by the gown worn by Francis on her best one. 

The Takeaway

Danielle’s Angel Gowns coordinates with hospitals like Massachusetts General and Tufts Medical Center in Boston to distribute them to families. So, Mark has never spoken to the families that received the garments, and neither has Colleen. 

But there doesn’t need to be communication to feel the impact. Mark told us that his mother was “a very kind-hearted, generous person. And here she was gone for three years, and she was still helping people with her gown.” For Colleen, the seamstress, she just hopes her work “helps ease the pain of [a grieving] family by giving them something beautiful.” 

It’s the goodness of two women connected by one dress.

Danielle’s Angel Gowns are currently at capacity with wedding-dress donations, but they accept them on a periodic basis. Click below for a list of similar organizations in need of dresses. Many also accept cash donations or are seeking more talented volunteer seamstresses.

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The Person Who Believed In Me

Reader Ana Flores sent me a story that feels straight out of a movie. It’s a love story about Mariah Nesbitt and Mario Mejia that unfolded at San Antonio International Airport (SAT), where the entire airport community came together to celebrate their courtship.

Mariah and Mario met by what some might call chance, but what they would call divine intervention. Despite trying and failing to find a connection on dating apps, it took them sitting next to each other on a Southwest flight bound for Chicago in September 2024 to find the one. They chatted the entire three-hour flight, with a little nudge from a flight attendant who they call their “wing woman.” They exchanged numbers and soon started to date. Then again on Valentine's Day 2025, they were back at the airport… and that’s where Mario asked Mariah to be his girlfriend.

Wanting to commemorate their connection at SAT somehow, Mariah reached out to the airport to share their story. The airport’s public relations manager, Tonya Hope, saw a wonderful opportunity to celebrate them on Valentine’s Day this year. So, the airport started what it does best – planning! 

SAT landed on doing a romantic dinner right on the airfield for the couple, complete with champagne on the tarmac, dinner from airport Mexican restaurant La Gloria, a performance by musician Robert Carter of an original song inspired by the couple’s story, a stroll on a Southwest plane, and pictures at a Valentine’s Day-themed photobooth. Mariah said it made them feel like “we were the most important people at the San Antonio Airport.” You can click here to see a video of the date!

Tonya and all the staff at SAT see the airport as more than a place to catch a flight – it’s a hub for all connections. A place where people can show up as strangers and leave as soulmates. No wonder they’re building a new chapel as part of an airport expansion set to be completed in 2028. Mariah and Mario have already discussed being the first couple to get married there.

I’m so moved by the responses we’ve been getting to the question in the welcome email: What do you feel is the best way people can do something good for others?

Here’s one of my favorite examples:

And if you’d like to share your thoughts too, please comment below! We’d love to hear from you.