From the outside, Millie Smith and Lewis Cann appeared to be like any other couple expecting a baby, brimming with anticipation and joy for their expanding family.
However, beneath the surface of their seemingly happy announcement, a devastating secret loomed, ready to alter the course of their lives forever.
What started as a simple ultrasound revealed a devastating truth few are prepared to face—a cruel twist of fate that would test their strength, love, and resilience in ways they never imagined.
This is the tale of hope, sorrow, and a remarkable endeavor that emerged from the depths of unimaginable grief.
Millie Smith and Lewis Cann were overjoyed when they found out they were expecting a child.
Given the abundance of twins in her family, millie had a strong intuition that she was expecting twins as well—and her intuition turned out to be accurate.
The ultrasound revealed that she was expecting twins, but early in the pregnancy, doctors determined that one of the babies had a low chance of survival. When millie gave birth prematurely at 30 weeks, she was told that one of her daughters had anencephaly, a serious condition where the baby’s brain and spinal cord don’t develop properly.
They were also informed that their little girl had a limited amount of time, ranging from minutes to hours, to live.
Recognizing this, millie and lewis desired to name her before bidding farewell to each other. They selected the name sky.
‘we knew skye needed a name before she was born,’ millie said
The name’skye’ held a significant meaning for them, representing a place where she would always be — somewhere they could gaze up and remember their baby.
‘we held skye in our arms when she passed That was the most challenging period of our existence. I’ve never been through heartbreak so severe before. But I’m proud she fought to stay with us as long as she could.
Skye’s life was short-lived, but her parents cherished every second they had with her, appreciating her beauty and treasuring the memories they created together.
After her passing, millie and lewis were supported by a ‘bereavement midwife’ and given access to a ‘daisy room,’ a quiet space where parents can spend time with their infant before and after death, to help them grieve.
Once Skye was gone, no one brought up her name or talked about her anymore. Millie couldn’t shake the feeling that her baby had never been born, causing her to feel a mix of sadness and resentment.
‘Most of the nurses knew what had happened, but as time went on, people stopped mentioning Skye. After about four weeks, everyone acted like nothing had happened. The families around me didn’t know what we had gone through,’ Millie recalled.
While her other daughter, Callie, was still in the NICU, another mother who had just given birth to twins joked that Millie was lucky not to have twins, unaware of Skye’s passing.
‘None of the other parents knew what had happened or anything about Skye. The comment was innocent and meant to be funny.. but they had no idea that I once had two babies,’ Millie said. ‘That comment nearly broke me. I ran out of the room in tears, and they didn’t understand why. I just couldn’t bring myself to explain what had happened. A simple sticker would have prevented all of that.’
This experience inspired Millie to create a sticker to place on incubators, signaling the loss of one or more babies in a multiple birth.
‘I chose butterflies because I felt it was a beautiful symbol for babies who ‘flew away.’ I picked the color purple because it suits both boys and girls,’ she explained.
Her initiative has since grown into The Skye High Foundation, which supports the purple butterfly campaign. The idea has spread to hospitals in many countries.
The foundation provides a range of purple butterfly-themed items, such as presents and accessories.
‘while i can’t stop these losses from happening, the more support groups we create and initiatives like the stickers we introduce, the better it will be It is the most challenging ordeal that one can encounter, millie stated.
Today, her other daughter Callie is seven years old.
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Conclusion:
Millie and Lewis’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden anguish experienced by numerous families when they lose a child, particularly in cases involving multiple births. In the midst of their sorrow, they have established a powerful means to commemorate the lives of those they have lost—spreading awareness, offering support, and demonstrating empathy to numerous parents enduring similar anguish.
The sky-high foundation and the purple butterfly initiative not only offer comfort but also guarantee that no baby is left behind. By documenting their journey, millie aspires to promote empathy and compassion, offering solace and encouragement to those going through challenging times.