Katja Manrodt, BAN, RN (Writer at Garden of the Sleeping Angels)
On Monday, April 15, 2024, Garden of the Sleeping Angels was highlighted in a live news segment on KSTP-TV. Minnesota Live co-anchors Megan Newquist and Chris Egert interviewed Nancy Sawyer, the local nonprofit organization’s founder. Minnesota Live broadcasts as a branch of KSTP Channel 5 News, focusing on what makes Minnesota such an incredible place to live.
Watch a recording of the entire live interview by visiting either of the following links:
Background of Garden of the Sleeping Angels
The nonprofit organization Garden of the Sleeping Angels (GSA) operates out of Orono, MN. It consists of 16 separate gardens on the property of a beautiful lakeside homestead, all dedicated to remembering babies and children who have been lost. Sawyer and her team of volunteers help offer connection, support, storytelling, community, and also a place for families to memorialize each child. As part of their outreach, GSA provides each family with a tangible memorial to place in the gardens. These beautiful metal angels and other keepsake items lay intermingled within the garden’s breathtaking array of flowers. Families are then welcome to return and visit the garden, both privately and during intimate group events throughout the year.
GSA’s founder, Nancy Sawyer, is a retired obstetrical nurse with four decades of experience caring for high-risk deliveries. A significant portion of her role has involved compassionately guiding families through the heartbreaking journey of infant loss. Read more below about Sawyer’s recent interview on Minnesota Live, and the way GSA provides valuable support to families in need.
Summary of the Minnesota Live Interview Segment
Chris Egert begins the Minnesota Live interview by introducing Sawyer and the origins of the gardens. He states, “There’s a place in Orono known as the Garden of Sleeping Angels. It was started by a former nurse who cared for mothers and infants.” Co-anchor Megan Newquist continues by adding that through Sawyer’s nursing experience, she witnessed “…the joys and sometimes heartache when families would lose their babies… so she wanted to create a space for those people to grieve.”
Sawyer discusses her earlier work with families in high-risk obstetrics, which unfortunately brought stories of infant loss. As a gardener, she explains how she helped find healing and strength to continue her support for families. “I’m a gardener, and I would go home and garden – and that’s where my peace was,” Sawyer says. She and her husband developed the gardens on their own property. Nancy describes how, “…when I cared for a baby who died, I would plant a rose for that baby. That was my healing.”
“What started as one memorial garden on her property is now 16,” states Newquist about GSA. She says to Sawyer, “At one point you decided this needed to be more than just your way of grieving… [You] created this garden that helped families as well.” Sawyer’s primary hope is that those who hear about this outreach realize the value of this remembrance. She says, “…what is really important to me is that people who see this – and people who know people who have lost babies if they haven’t themselves – is to keep those memories alive.”
Sawyer discusses how in the 1970s, the standard of practice in obstetrical care after loss was to take the babies away from the parents. Often these families never got to see their children. She knew the “out of sight, out of mind” approach did not feel right to her – nor did it promote healing for most of the families she supported. Thankfully, care for these families has improved over the decades; hospitals now play an active role in helping grieving mothers and fathers connect with their babies – to say hello before saying goodbye. Siblings, grandparents, and other family members are often actively involved as well.
Families also heal by continuing to connect with the memory of their child over time. Nancy states, “I thought at one point twelve years ago, this [garden] is a perfect place for people to come and remember. And through the years now we’ve learned that… people love to talk about their babies. They love to tell their stories. [Here], we have a place where you can not only grieve and heal, but you can share your stories.”
Egert says about GSA, “And you already have 250 babies that are memorialized there… I’m assuming some friendships are built… What a great way to help them in their process.” According to Sawyer, “We have some little villages of people who have met in another non-profit, for example, and now they envision the babies playing.” She recounts how things have shifted over the decades from somber and sad to being a joyful place. “They can have picnics. We had a party yesterday, a heavenly birthday party, for a baby that would have been 22. They don’t forget.”
Newquist discusses with Sawyer how the garden has expanded from one to 16 different spaces. Sawyer mentions, “16… and the 16th garden is for youth [who have been lost]. There’s a need.”
According to Newquist, “…people have heard about you. Not just in Minnesota, but outside of our state across the country, you’re getting requests.” Sawyer responds, “Yeah. And we were recognized by the Prince foundation for our work… [GSA’s] mission is helping up and healing. [Live 4 Love Charities] opened nominations for nonprofits to meet their mission, and they chose the Garden of the Sleeping Angels as one of the 10 out of 150 nominations …and Prince’s baby is memorialized in our garden now.” This is a tremendous honor, as Live 4 Love Charities specifically supports organizations that “inspire, make a positive impact on society, and ultimately create more caring communities.”
Egert follows by asking, “How do you keep up this garden? Are you doing this yourself?” Sawyer continues to describe the teamwork required to carry out the valuable mission of GSA. “It takes a village, and so we do have volunteers. …What I like to do is be with people… That’s really my gift. We’re getting some help. Anytime the door shuts, somebody comes along and says, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ So, we’re not alone. We’re doing what we’re supposed to do. And we’re just starting.”
Egert questions, “Do you have a future of how this looks, as the Garden of the Sleeping Angels, do you know how it looks 5 years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now?” Sawyer replies, “I just leave it up to God really, because I thought I knew what it looked like. …[We’ve] got a plan for what will happen when we’re not there physically… but it feels to me that this is just the beginning. There can be Garden of the Sleeping Angels all over the United States just for the purpose, where people can just be and celebrate the babies’ lives, and get the support they need, and know that they’re not alone. And that’s what breaks my heart – so many people feel like nobody understands – and we’re a start. We do understand, and we can give you connections. …there’s just a lot we can still do.”
KSTP’s Minnesota Live interview marks the second time this spring that GSA was highlighted in the media. The Laker Pioneer, a local newspaper publication that serves surrounding cities in the Orono area, also recently published an article emphasizing GSA’s valuable contribution to the community.
Per a post on Sawyer’s nonprofit organization website, “GSA’s heartfelt work of supporting families with infant and child loss often happens behind the scenes. However, we look forward to this opportunity to share the message of healing and remembrance with those who may not be familiar with our mission. Families going through this journey may at times feel vulnerable or alone, but there is a loving community available to help and support them.”
Leave a Reply