If you see a purple butterfly sticker near a newborn, you need to know what it means

In just a few weeks after Millie Smith and Lewis Cann joyfully shared the news of expecting twin baby girls, a heartbreaking reality emerged: only one would survive the challenging journey ahead.

On April 30th, following a precarious 30-week pregnancy, Smith gave birth to identical twins, Callie and Skye. Tragically, Skye’s fragile existence faded within three hours.

In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Callie slept alone in the incubator while her grieving parents kept a vigilant watch. In the midst of other infants, a well-intentioned mother, unaware of Smith’s painful circumstance, expressed gratitude for not having twins, unknowingly causing immense distress.

Crushed by these unintentional words, the new mother found herself speechless, grappling with profound grief. In the midst of her despair, she discovered Skye’s enduring legacy symbolized by a delicate purple butterfly.

In November 2015, Millie Smith and Lewis Cann learned they were expecting identical twin daughters. However, their joy was short-lived when they discovered that one of their unborn daughters had a devastating and fatal condition, anencephaly.

Despite the certainty of one baby’s impending demise and potential risks to the other, the couple opted to proceed with the high-risk pregnancy. The twins-to-be were named Skye and Callie, with Skye symbolizing a place of perpetual presence.

Premature labor on April 30th led to an emergency C-section, accompanied by a bereavement midwife in a specially designated room called the “Daisy Room.” While Callie continued her stay in the NICU, Skye’s memory gradually faded.

An unwitting comment from another mother, unaware of Skye’s existence, prompted Smith to create a symbol for parents grappling with the loss of a child. The purple butterfly concept, symbolizing the loss of one or more babies in a set of multiples, spread globally through the Skye High Foundation.

Today, Callie is a lively seven-year-old, and Skye’s memory lives on through purple butterfly mementos, supporting families worldwide facing similar challenges. Millie Smith, a beacon of hope, emphasizes the importance of support networks and simple symbols to ease the burden of such heart-wrenching experiences. Share this narrative to raise awareness about the significance of a purple butterfly beside a newborn’s incubator!