Losing a child is an unimaginable pain that no parent should have to endure. But Millie Smith, a brave and loving mother, has turned her own heartbreak into a mission to help others going through the same devastating experience.
Millie and her partner Lewis Cann were overjoyed when they discovered they were expecting identical twin girls. However, their joy quickly turned to heartbreak when they learned that one of their babies had a fatal condition called anencephaly, which meant she would not survive long after birth.
Despite the risks involved, Millie and Lewis decided to continue with the high-risk pregnancy. On April 30, after 30 weeks of pregnancy, Millie gave birth to her precious twins, Callie and Skye. Tragically, Skye’s life lasted only three hours.
In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where Callie stayed to gain strength, Millie encountered a well-meaning mother of healthy newborn twins who unknowingly made a painful comment about being “lucky” to not have twins. Overwhelmed with grief, Millie realized the need to raise awareness and prevent such misunderstandings in the future.
Inspired by her beloved daughter Skye, Millie created the Skye High Foundation and designed a purple butterfly poster for the NICU. The purple butterfly symbolizes the babies who have passed away in a set of multiples. Now, hospitals all over the world have adopted the purple butterfly concept, using stickers, ornaments, cards, blankets, and more to honor the memory of these precious little ones.
Callie, their surviving twin, is now a joyful seven-year-old, and Millie continues to advocate for support and understanding for families who have experienced such unimaginable loss. While nothing can erase the pain of losing a child, Millie believes that through support groups and awareness initiatives like the purple butterfly stickers, parents can find solace in knowing that others understand their grief.
If you see a purple butterfly sticker near a newborn, it signifies that one or more babies in a set of multiples have been lost. By sharing this story, we can help spread awareness and compassion for parents who have experienced the unimaginable loss of a child.