Ministry provides clothes for babies who die prematurely
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JACKSON, Tenn. — On the second Tuesday of the month, a group of West Tennessee women come together at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson with one mission. The volunteers spend hours making clothes and blankets for parents who lose a baby prematurely. Volunteers weaved together tiny garments Tuesday for babies who die prematurely. “We make them really special,” Karen Broughton, a volunteer, said. Broughton is a former foster parent who said she took in medically fragile infants for 27 years. “We took babies that sometimes we lost,” she said. The group, known as Threads of Love, puts together packets that include a gown, hat, blanket and prayer for parents who lose a child. Marge Stumpenhorst, a volunteer, said she had two miscarriages. “If I could have had that at the time, I think it would have been very comforting to me,” Stumpenhorst said. “There was nobody there.” The organization said they run on donations. Volunteers said sometimes they use their own money to buy supplies to make items for the kits. Volunteers said the packets come in different sizes and go to hospitals in Jackson and Memphis. “We just want to give them a gift and let them know that we care,” Stumpenhorst said. The women said they spend hours, sometimes days, stitching items. “We want to make every one of them just perfect and special, so that’s why it takes so much time,” Broughton said. The Threads of Love chapter in Jackson started meeting about 12 years ago. You do not have to be a member of First Presbyterian Church to join. If you can‘t sew, volunteers said they can guide you. To get involved, contact Marge Stumpenhorst at 731-668-4809.
