A Scottish woman who suffered three miscarriages over four years donated her wedding dress to be turned into thousands of funeral gowns for stillborn babies.
Glasgow native Susie Bryce donated the sentimental ivory lace dress to charity Cherished Gowns to be turned into outfits for children 'born sleeping', who are too small to be dressed in newborn clothes.
The 42-year-old said she knew she would hand her £90 dress over to the organisation, who create gowns, hats and booties out of the frocks, after her 2017 wedding to husband Gary, 44.
Susie said: "I can't imagine the pain of thinking everything is all going fine and going through birth and then having a stillborn child.
"I can't imagine having to pick clothes out - it wouldn't be fun or even the first thing on your mind. You'd want them to wear something so beautiful that actually fits.
"Nobody wants to bury their child but if they are, they want them in something special. It must be a God send to have something there. It must mean the world to them," she continued.
"It's such a beautiful idea and Cherished Gowns is an amazing charity. Everyone said to me it was such an amazing thing to do to donate my dress.
Adding: "But it wasn't me - it's them - I'm just so grateful the charity exists. I didn't want my dress to just hang there."
Susie had always hoped to have children of her own but after her miscarriages, the longest pregnancy reaching 13 weeks, she decided to stop trying for her own mental health and didn't investigate her fertility issues further.
Susie added: "It was better for my mental health to accept it, as hard as it was and throw all my love into my nieces and nephews.
"I'm blessed to be an aunt and a godmother. It's more than a lot of other women have. I'm just one of those women who can't carry a child to term."
Cherished Gowns founder Megan McKay set up the charity in 2014 to ensure all babies are buried with dignity and now is inundated with 2,500 donated dresses every year.
After finding out bereaved parents were desperately dressing their premature babies in dolls outfits, the former accountant, 31, quit her day job to make sure the tiny tots were 'wrapped in love' before they were buried.
Now, an army of 1,500 volunteers across the UK create tiny gowns, hats and booties for babies too small to fit into clothing available in the shops - supplying every hospital in the UK.
Talented seamstress Megan can make up to 18 dresses out of a donated wedding dress and was taught to sew by her mother-in-law, Maggie, who had suffered miscarriages and stillbirths herself.
She shared: "We always send photos afterwards and people are usually emotional. With anyone who has had children, it usually makes them grateful for their kids. Stillbirth affects a large number of people.
"One in four women will experience a stillbirth or a miscarriage so if it isn't you it could be your mum, best friend, sister.
"We have a lot of men donating dresses that belonged to wives who passed away and they are always emotional because they know their wife would have loved it. It's like the dress has been on a journey."
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What a wonderful idea!
To find out more about Cherished Gowns and the work they do, visit their website here.
Featured Image Credit: Mercury PressTopics: Life News, Style News, Real, Wedding