A mother turned her grief into something so sweet and thoughtful that you will be moved by her story. Sherrill Garrett of Dustin, Oklahoma, lost her 7-month-old son, Jacob, last May to Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Syndrome. Like any mother, she was heartbroken, but a comment made by a friend regarding Jacob's prom in 15 years, prompted Garrett to come up with a charity for used prom dresses to help local teens on a budget.
The charity, "Dresses for Jake's Dates," has successfully gained more than 170 dresses which fill one of Barrett's room's at home. She even created a Facebook page for the charity which has already garnered over 800 fans. And this is just the beginning!
Although it's so, so sad that this woman lost her baby, it's great to hear that she made an effort to do something good for society with her grief. There are plenty of teenage girls out there who don't go to prom because the expenses are out of their budget, but Garrett is making this a possibility for them!
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According to Muskogeephoenix.com, Garrett and her husband, Joe, were already parents of six children from their previous relationships, but Jacob had been their first child together. After Jacob's death, the couple had a hard time coping.
It wasn't long after the baby's death when Garrett became inspired to create Dresses for Jake's Dates. She had 4 stepdaughters through her marriage, which made her realize how expensive it was to buy dresses for proms, school dances, and homecomings. Her idea officially came to life after a local shop sent her over 67 donated prom dresses and she received her first customer who happened to be a young mom.
Upon creating a Facebook page for the cause, Garrett told fans that for every 100 "likes" the page got, they could offer a task for her to do. Most recently when the page received over 500 Likes, a 14-year-old girl suggested that she do something nice for a new mom. Although hesitant at first because of her loss, Garrett is now planning a baby shower called, "Showered in Love," at a local bakery for new young moms complete with gift bags. Thankfully for Garrett, paying it forward has given her the support and comfort to help her get through the loss of Jacob.
It makes me happy to know that this mom found a positive outlet to help her get through the emotional burden of losing her infant. She's been able to help out other young women and teen moms by allowing them to feel special and pretty for school celebrations. We hope her charity expands even more and who knows maybe Garrett will be inspire others to create organizations to help those less fortunate.
Image via Dresses or Jake's Dates/Facebook
