The Loss Of A Mother, Friend, and Annie & Isabel Warrior

This past July we received a nice note from one of our customers, Maura, whose mother was battling leukemia. Maura purchased four Annie & Isabel hospital gowns for her mother who was in the hospital for two months over the summer due to many complications from her leukemia.

Christine in the ICU in her "Anita" hospital gown with daughter, Maura

Maura wrote the following email to us:

"My mother, Christine, is finally going home. Unfortunately she is not in remission so she will need more chemo but at least when she goes back to the hospital, she will have her four lovely gowns. She's finally up and having her dunkin donuts!"

"Thanks for everything. Seeing her in your gowns while in the ICU helped everyone see her as a person, not just a patient"

That last sentence from Maura really struck us because it is something we have heard from other customers and was one of the reasons why we felt having your own hospital gown was important when we started this business. It is easy for medical staff to treat every patient as just that…..a patient. Doctors get so caught up treating patients and trying to heal them, which is extremely important, however, sometimes doctors forget about the actual person behind that standard hospital gown. That is an easy thing to do when every patient wears the same standard hospital gown. Having your own, cheery, hospital gown not only provides comfort to a patient but it also often helps doctors and nurses pause and take notice of the beautiful person behind that beautiful gown.

Christine was a fighter! After two months in the hospital, fighting leukemia, renal failure, a bleed in her brain, and ICU psychosis, she was discharged just prior to the 4th of July with plans of what she was going to cook for the 4th of July celebration. You can see her fighting spirit in these pictures.

Smiling in her "Anita" gown with her "Isabel" & "Annie" gowns ready at the bedside

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Maura wrote to us to let us know her mother passed away December 3rd. Maura wanted us to know that her mother always felt special in her Annie & Isabel gowns. Maura plans to wear her mother's Annie & Isabel gowns if she and her husband have children in the future in order to help keep her mother close to her heart. LOVE THAT!

Christine & Maura celebrating Maura's special wedding day together

Maura, we are so sorry for your incredible loss. It is very evident how much you both loved each other and she will forever remain close to your heart. Big hugs to you and your family.

Photo Credit: Bharat Parmar Photography

Passing Along The Love

One of the privileges of having a business like Annie & Isabel is that we often have the opportunity to "meet" very brave, giving, and loving women. Less than a week ago, we received an email from Emily. She wrote to us about her sixty-six year old mother, who was struggling with Alzheimers, and had recently become bed bound.

Dressing her mother in regular clothing was becoming difficult and Emily wanted her to have something stylish to wear. Fashion and style were always important to her mother and she didn't want her mother to have to sacrifice that now. Emily thought that Annie & Isabel hospital gowns would be the perfect solution, so she purchased two gowns for her mom.  We sent them out the next day. We then received this sad, yet beautiful, email from Emily:

"Unfortunately mom passed away Saturday morning before she got the chance to put on her gown (she only wore the drab one from the facility for a couple of hours, though. They kept her in her usual fashionable wardrobe almost until the end). Fortunately, and most importantly, it was very peaceful and my dad and I were there to hold her hand."

Emily is seated next to her mother 

"I was wondering if I could turn around and send the gowns back to you all so that you could donate them to 1-2 deserving women who need them now. The refund isn't important but getting them into the hands of women who need them is and I would love to help you all out with that."

What a beautiful way to honor her mother by passing on the comfort, style and dignity provided by our gowns to other deserving women.

At the same time that we were corresponding with Emily, coincidentally, we received an email from another woman, Kaitlyn, who told us about her sister, Jaime, who is dealing with a recent diagnosis of cervical cancer that has spread significantly.  Jaime is going to be having surgery, radiation and possibly chemotherapy soon. Kaitlyn wrote to us saying:

 "I feel ashamed asking for something from a total stranger but my sister saw your site and really wanted something comfortable and pretty to wear during her hospital duration. Would you be able to give her a gown as I can't afford one and neither can she?"

Jaime is having extensive surgery today and, thanks to the generosity and giving spirit of Emily, Jaime will be recovering in our Anita gown.

Jaime is described by her sister as one of the most selfless people she knows. She has been married for 12 years to her high school sweetheart and has two small children that are 7 and 5 years old who mean the world to her. She always thinks of others before herself and has been known to give other children Christmas presents when their parents couldn't afford them. Kaitlyn wrote, "She is a strong person and I know she will fight this."

We would love it if you would send good thoughts and prayers for Jaime that she has a successful surgery today and that she can fight and win this battle. We would also love it if you could keep Emily and her family in your thoughts as they celebrate her mother's life and deal with a huge loss in their own lives.

May we all learn from these beautiful women and their selfless acts of kindness. It only takes a small act to make a big difference in someone's life. We challenge you all to do something selfless this week and make a difference in someone's life.  Good works can have a trickle down effect.

A Husband's Take on Wearing Annie & Isabel!!

We always think it is so adorable when a daddy-to-be buys his wife one or two of our designer hospital gowns for the birth of their child. Husbands can feel helpless in the delivery room and by giving the gift of comfort, dignity, and style for the big event…he will definitely be the talk of the labor and delivery ward! This testimonial is from a dear friend Tracy, who we met years ago as we were starting our business. She sent us this funny quote from her husband about his take on her experience wearing our Anita designer hospital gown for the birth of their second son Micah, 

"WOW! Of all the things nurses and your visitors would say to you while you are here at the hospital… every single one of them have commented on your hospital gown and how cute it is!"

Thank you Tracy for sharing these gorgeous photos with all of us. We are so happy you will get to experience the magic of brothers. It is something really special! 

Micah James

born 

May 29th, 2012 at 8:22 pm

7 pounds 4 oz ~ 19.5 in

From The Joy of a New Life to a Battle with Leukemia :: The Story of One Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown

Jill was my very first friend. Growing up, our houses shared a fence and we were constantly hopping over to one another's house to play. All of my favorite childhood memories included Jill and I cherish them dearly. We thought we were hilarious. We would spend our summer days making up dance routines in the pool, setting up lemonade and cookies stands in the neighborhood, and our afternoons watching the soap Days of Our Lives and eating popcorn. Long live Bo and Hope Brady. Are they still together? 

Jill has two beautiful daughters, Camryn and Sadie, and we were so happy that she was able to wear our Anita designer hospital gown for the birth of her second sweetheart Sadie. This is what Jill had to say about wearing an Annie & Isabel gown for her birth, 

"Wearing my gorgeous A& I hospital gown while delivering Sadie, truly made one of the best days of my life even more special". 

Jill, like many of our wonderful friends, has become an Annie & Isabel ambassador. She sings our praises to everyone she knows and we are so thankful. Jill was one of our first believers, not because she experienced wearing one of our gowns, but because she understands how a simple and beautiful hospital gown of your own, can change almost everything about being in the hospital.

Jill even wrote to The Ellen Show last year and told her all about Annie & Isabel and how she might like to have us on the show. We all thought Ellen would be calling us right away, especially because her mother is a breast cancer survivor and we donate a portion of our proceeds to support women who are newly diagnosed. CLEARLY, Ellen must have not received her letter! Ellen... are you out there??? We are still free for an interview ANY time that is convenient for you. K? Thanks.

Jill thinks of us. Always. She is an amazing friend. Even better, she has not let the legacy of her own Anita designer hospital gown end with Sadie's birth over two years ago.

Jill shared it with her friend Danni who had this to say,

"This picture is of my husband and me right before I delivered our son Benjamin. Thank goodness for epidurals, hence my smile...and my Annie & Isabel gown, which made me feel so cute and hip!"

Last week, I got a text from Jill that her good friend Patricia had been unexpectantly admitted to the hospital with acute leukemia. Patricia's spirits were low and Jill thought about Annie & Isabel once again and rushed over to the hospital with her gown in hand. She sent me the most adorable picture of Patrica and her sons shortly after, with big smiles on her faces.

Jill knew that Patricia would unfortunately be getting good use out of her borrowed Anita gown, so she surprised Patricia on Mother's Day with her own Annie & Isabel "Susan" designer hospital gown and posted this picture to our Facebook wall.

Here is what Jill said about gifting her our Susan designer hospital gown on Mother's Day,

"It was honestly amazing the difference in her spirit (and her smile) when she put her new A&I gown on today! It's been a very rough week and an especially tough Mother's Day, having to deal with more blood transfusions and a high fever. She is hanging in there and wearing her gown with pride and even showing it off! I LOVE how happy it makes her! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Patricia now has three Annie & Isabel gowns in her rotation and we are thinking about her daily as the Annie & Isabel warrior that she is. Please keep Patricia in your thoughts as she kicks cancer's butt!

Thank you Jill for keeping the dignity, comfort, and style alive with you Anita designer hospital gown!

Have you shared your Annie & Isabel with a friend? We'd love to hear the story of your gown!

~written by Jilly Bean's BFF Selena (co-owner of Annie & Isabel)

Amber's Birth Story - Welcome Baby Braxton

With every Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown that we send out, we always think about each individual who will be wearing the gown. It may sound corny, but we almost feel a reverence for our gowns as we press and fold them for mailing. While we package each hospital gown, we are thinking...this gown will be a part of a very important day in someone's life. Will it witness a baby's first cry? Will it aid in a strong recovery? Could it comfort someone and their loved ones during the last days of a life? We truly send our love along with each order and hope our gowns add to the joy, peace, and comfort of these important life events. Long after an Annie & Isabel hospital gown has been sent out, we continue to think about each customer which is why we especially cherish the feedback we receive from so many of our "warriors".  We find inspiration through the strength and beauty of all the women who grace Annie & Isabel hospital gowns and share their stories. Each story motivates us to keep on doing what we are doing and by sharing these stories it helps spread the word about our company so other women can choose dignity and style in the hospital. We have really become a village!  

When someone posts a picture to our Facebook page or on Twitter we are SOO appreciative and overjoyed. That is how we "met" Amber. She posted this fantastic photo of herself laboring the halls hand in hand with her supportive husband. Amber then shared with us a slideshow of her birth experience. It was amazing. We felt the highs and lows of Amber's labor with her in her Anita designer hospital gown. The Anita gown was the perfect backdrop to such a memorable day for her. Amber really loved her gown and she was nice enough to share her birth story and experience in an Annie & Isabel hospital gown with all of us. It is so beautifully written and made us both a little misty eyed! Thank you Amber!! 

"I first saw an Annie & Isabel gown on a blog that I read well before I even thought we might have a third baby. I loved the idea of having your gown that made you feel pretty. Then we found out we were expecting our 3rd blessing in October of 2010. The first thing I told my mom was that I wanted a custom gown. I knew there was more than one company making them so I started my search for one in a fabric/pattern I liked that came in a plus size. I decided on the Annie & Isabel Anita gown. I absolutely fell in love with the purple edging. 

Due to some family circumstances my mom was delayed in ordering my gown before my baby shower.  Luckily the  wonderful ladies at Annie & Isabel helped my mom and expedited the package. It arrived just in time for my baby shower Mother's Day weekend with a hand written note of congratulations. No one at my shower had seen a custom hospital gown so it was fun to show it off.

When I packed my hospital bag my Annie & Isabel gown was right on top so that I could change into it at the hospital. That day came June 14th 2011. I drove myself from my midwifes office to the hospital.  My water broke at noon while I was waiting for my husband, my mom and two older kids to arrive. I got to my room and changed into my gown and immediately got compliments from the nurse checking me in.

As my labor continued we walked the halls of the hospital. While others were wearing the normal green & white hospital gowns with the open back, I walked confidently knowing that my backside was covered! Many patients and nurses complimented that the gown was so pretty and asked where I purchased it. I should have put a stack of business cards in my pocket. I hope that some of them went home and looked up the gowns. I think the pocket was one of my favorite features. I had my iphone in my pocket the whole time to stay updated with my friends and to track my labor.

I wish that my story ended with my baby being born as I wore my Annie & Isabel gown. Instead I had to be taken for an emergency c-section almost 11 hours after my water broke.  My loving L&D nurse changed me out of my gown right before we went to the OR so that nothing would happen to it. At 11:18pm I heard my baby cry and my midwife announced "It's a boy" (the gender had been a surprise). We named him Braxton.

I had not packed for an extended stay in the hospital, so I ended up changing back into my Annie & Isabel gown when I was finally allowed out of bed. It was nice to feel pretty again and cuddle with my little guy. Over the next 2 days each new nurse raved about my fabulous gown. It didn't interfere with the I.V.'s or blood pressure cuff and I was able to easily nurse my new baby. It was bittersweet to take it off as I changed to go home. 

Thank you for being such a great memory in our unforgettable birth story."

~Amber 

Connie Welcomes Beautiful Baby Boy in the Anita Hospital Gown

We just love sweet baby boys and when a new mom is celebrating the birth of her third son, we get SO excited for her! Boys are all that we know. Between the two of us we have six of them, so we know that the bond between brothers is a magical thing. We received this beautiful testimonial and pictures from Connie. She looks radiant in her Anita designer hospital gown! We want to thank Connie for sharing this special memory and gorgeous family of boys with all of us!!!   

"There is something special about being able to wear a hospital gown that makes you feel beautiful at a time where you may feel a bit out of sorts. We have three wonderful boys, but I was only fortunate to wear an Annie & Isabel gown on the last go around. What a difference it makes to be wearing something that you feel good in. Thank you so much for adding to the beauty of the experience of having a child and I look forward to sharing Annie & Isabel with friends and family." ~ Connie

Congrats Connie!!  You have a beautiful family.