Giuliana Demma smiles with her sewing machine

Courtesy of family (all images)

I Sew to Make Kids Smile

Some designers and tailors make gowns for celebrities. I make gowns too, but mine are for pediatric cancer patients.

In the summer of 2020, I signed up for a fashion camp in New Jersey, where I live. I learned the basics of sewing, like how to cut fabric patterns and how to use a sewing machine.

Sewing scrunchies and skirts brings me a lot of joy. But I also wanted to find a way to spread happiness to others.

Courtesy of family

Left: Giuliana donated gowns to a local hospital in January. Right: She made these Sonic the Hedgehog gowns for a patient.

My Bright Idea

My little cousin was my inspiration. When she was just 10 months old, she was diagnosed with cancer. She spent 9 months in the hospital undergoing treatments. To cheer her up, my family ordered colorful handmade hospital gowns with cartoon characters on them. It was nice to see her smiling again. 

I noticed that the other young patients in the hospital all wore the same plain hospital gowns, which didn’t fit them very well. 

That gave me the idea to start my project, G’s Giving Gowns. Last summer, I began making fun, colorful hospital gowns for kids. 

I’ve made batches of gowns for organizations that help kids who are battling cancer. I’ve also sewn custom gowns for people who’ve reached out to me on social media. With the help of my friends, I’ve donated nearly 200 hospital gowns to kids across the country and even in Canada.

Being in the hospital can be a difficult time for kids, so I hope my cheerful gowns help put a smile on their faces. I want my gowns to be a reminder to these brave young patients that a lot of people are thinking of them during their battle. And I hope my project shows other kids that they aren’t too young to make a difference. 

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