fbpx Skip to content

Hospital Gowns Designed With Love

Two years ago, Betty Wass found that she could no longer provide care for her husband, Mohamed El Wakil, at home. After much consideration he was admitted to a local board and care facility.

Due to Mohamed’s declining health and mobility, the simple task of getting dressed was becoming too strenuous for him, and a hospital gown was recommended. Unfortunately, the facility he was in did not provide hospital gowns. His hospice nurse, Claire Finne, suggested to Betty that she might alter a few of her husband’s shirts to use as an alternative. Betty immediately began working to design a comfortable, attractive “hospital shirt” for Mohamed. She took several of his favorite shirts, removed the buttons, stitched up the holes, shortened the sleeves, opened the back, and added piping ties so they would close completely and securely.

The shirts turned out to be functional and stylish. They helped to make Mohamed look his best when friends and family came to visit and provided easy access for the medical care he needed.

Attempts at designing hospital gowns are nothing new. In 1999 the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey redid its gowns with the help of designer Nicole Miller. In 2004 the Maine Medical Center in Portland introduced a floor-length option to accommodate the requests of female Muslim patients. In 2009 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation offered a six-figure gift to the College of Textiles to work on designing, producing, and marketing a new style of gown. However, what makes these gowns special is that they are made with love.

When Mohamed passed away in June of 2012, Claire asked Betty if she would be interested in sewing shirts for other hospice patients. Betty said she’d be happy to and set to work.
When word spread of how much patients appreciated the shirts, Thrift Shoppe Volunteer Angie Dometrovich offered to contribute her sewing talents to the project.

Angie and Betty select the shirts that they sew for our patients from the racks at the Hospice Thrift Shoppe in Walnut Creek, and recently began using women’s shirts to make gowns that are a better fit for female patients.

To date, 150 Hospice Shirts have been sewn for our patients. We are indebted to these two wonderful women who have made it possible for our patients to maintain their dignity and comfort during their final days.


Recent Posts

Join Our Team

Our vision is to build a diverse workplace that is both professionally stimulating and personally satisfying—an environment of collaboration, celebration, opportunity and growth.

All about

partner-logo-block-2024

As a community based organization, caring for patients and their families is what we’re all about.

Talk to someone.

Select the department you are trying to reach.

Talk to someone about Hospice Care

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. 

Talk to our Human Resources Team

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. You can also call us at (925) 887-5678 during normal business hours.

Talk to someone About Shoppe Donations

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Call to learn more today:  (925) 674-9072

Talk to someone about Grief Support

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Or, give us a call now to learn more: (925) 887-5678. Note: Due to privacy concerns, please do not fill out this form on behalf of someone else, or provide another person’s contact information. If you know someone in need of support, please encourage them reach out to us directly.

Talk to Someone About Volunteering

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. 

Talk to someone from Hospice East Bay.

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Call to learn more today:  (925) 887-5678