The inspiration for G’s Giving Gowns, GGG for short, started churning essentially eight years ago.
Giuliana Demma had visited her baby cousin Giada, in the hospital, who had been diagnosed with a pediatric brain cancer. For the then 6 year old, the picture of her baby cousin in a “three times her size” hospital gown and the “depressing” drab color of it did not sit well.
But it took a few years to solidify the core mission of G’s Giving Gowns, which came after a fashion camp where Giuliana learned the craft of sewing.
“I can make customized hospital gowns for kids just like [Giada] who are fighting cancer,” Giuliana realized.
And although thankfully, Giuliana can say her baby cousin, who is now 8, is doing well, she acknowledges there are so many children who are battling cancer treatments like her baby cousin once was.
The first gown Giuliana made was for a girl who her aunt knew from the cancer community.
“She wanted one with little flamingoes on it,” she recalled, noting she learned rather quickly there was a need for customized hospital gowns. “It took a while at first [to make the gown], but after a while, I got the hang of it.”
Now it roughly takes Giuliana a half hour to 40 minutes to put together an order.
Through word of mouth and social media, G’s Giving Gowns has made over 2,000 gowns across 41 states as well as internationally for children ranging from infants and teenagers to even adult shirts. Current popular designs include Bluey, Moana and Wicked.
Each gown is customized to make patients feel “comfortable, confident, and special.”
Since its inception in 2021, G’s Giving Gowns has been doing just that – and more frankly. Giuliana, now 14, is fully immersed as founder and CEO of the nonprofit. She runs workshops teaching kids how to sew, she works with volunteers across the country, and has partnered with organizations to provide that “little bit of comfort” to those going through cancer treatments.
“When I learned to sew, I created hospital gowns in fun fabrics and patterns that are custom to kids clothing sizes,” Giuliana said. “I believe they deserve hospital gowns that make them feel special and confident.”
“There’s so many children that have to have these treatments every day,” added Giuliana’s mom, Vanessa, who said it’s hard hearing the stories.
“[The children] are happy and excited to get the gowns.”
And that is the drive for Giuliana joined by her younger sister, Audrina, 11, who serves as the organization’s vice president. The basement of the Demma’s Freehold home is their workspace flowing with sewing machines – many of them donated from the likes of Brother and Janome – and fabric.
Audrina said Giuliana taught her how to sew and that is when she started to help her sister with GGG.
“I feel really good about making a difference in a kid’s day when they are going through something so sad,” she said.
Many times, you’ll find Giuliana and Audrina – in their PJs – working on various projects.
Currently, it’s port access T-shirts for patients from St. Peter’s University Hospital Child Life program. The hospital sent a list of patients, sizes, and character themes for the shirts.
“Requests come in all the time,” Vanessa said.
G’s Giving Gowns has donated to the following children’s hospitals: RWJ Barnabas Long Branch; University of New Mexico Hospital; K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital Jersey Shore Medical; St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children; Rush Copley Medical Center; Manning Regional Healthcare Center; Mayo Clinic Minnesota; John Stoddard Cancer Center; Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone; Nicklaus Children’s Hospital; Children’s Specialized Hospital; Children’s Hospital Colorado; Wesley Children’s Hospital and Joseph M. Sanzari’s Children’s Hospital.
And the girls have adapted with needs that come in from port access T-shirts that came in as a request for kids who not necessarily have to stay at the hospital, but have to go in and out for treatment to making specialized pillowcases.
Giuliana and Vanessa learned of the need of port access T-shirts through their help working with Liv Like a Unicorn, a local nonprofit organization, which provides financial assistance and unicorn boxes for children going through pediatric cancer.
G’s Giving Gowns became a Unicorn Box partner with Liv Like a Unicorn. Giuliana founded and serves as the president of the organization’s junior board and mom Vanessa volunteers and serves on the Board of Directors as secretary and junior board coordinator.
Each customized hospital gown and port access T-shirt is sent to ImageFIRST, a health care laundry specialist, in Clifton that cleans and packages the items. A handwritten note is added to let the child know Giuliana and Audrina are thinking of them.
All in all, sewing is a good skill to learn, Giuliana said.
“It’s hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier,” she said.
“You can do other things,” Vanessa added with the skill. “We have two small dogs and when one of them chews open their toy, [Guiliana’s] like, “Oh I’ll sew that up.’”
Audrina sews Girl Scout patches on her Girl Scout uniform.
Giuliana and Audrina are always looking for volunteers.
“We want children to wear our special gowns and remember they are strong, brave, loved and an inspiration,” Giuliana said.
They hold a couple of workshops a month where anyone can come even if they have never sewed before. Every other month, a group of women from the Share and Care Club at the Four Seasons 55 and over community in Manalapan cut fabric for their organization. Giuliana’s youth group cuts fabric quarterly.
“It’s very helpful because it gives us a bunch ready to go,” Vanessa said, noting people don’t have to necessarily sew to volunteer their time.
G’s Giving Gowns is a community project. To request a custom hospital gown and/or port access T-shirt email gsgivinggowns@gmail.com.
For more information visit www.gsgivinggowns.org.
