When Millie Smith and Lewis Cann received the news that they were expecting twins, their hearts were filled with joy. Twins were a common occurrence in their family, so Millie’s intuition led her to believe that she was carrying two babies. As it turned out, her instinct was right. The ultrasound revealed that she was indeed expecting twins, but there was something the doctors had to break to them – one of the babies had anencephaly, a fatal disorder affecting the development of the fetal nervous system.
Despite the devastating news, Millie and Lewis wanted to cherish the moments they had with their baby girl. They named her Skye, a name that held deep meaning for them. Millie explained, “Skye symbolized a place we knew she would always be, somewhere we could look up at the sky and remember our baby.” They held Skye in their arms as she peacefully passed away, a moment of heartbreak they will forever carry in their souls. Skye’s time on Earth might have been fleeting, but the impact she made in her parents’ lives was immeasurable.
After Skye’s passing, Millie felt a sense of isolation and invisibility. It seemed like no one wanted to acknowledge her baby girl’s existence. The grieving mother recalled how even the nurses gradually stopped mentioning Skye’s name. As weeks went by, people acted as if nothing had happened, leaving Millie feeling alone in her grief. She had to endure painful encounters, like when another mother unknowingly made a comment about how lucky Millie was not to have twins. It was a harmless comment, but the weight of her loss was too much to bear. Millie wished there was a way to signal to others that she had experienced the heartache of losing a baby.
That’s when Millie had an idea – a simple sticker on the incubator. She chose a purple butterfly to represent the babies that had flown away, a beautiful symbol that could honor the memory of lost infants. The purple color was chosen because it transcended gender, allowing it to be fitting for both boys and girls. This small gesture of remembrance would make a big difference, helping parents in similar situations feel less alone and more understood.
Millie’s initiative soon grew into something more significant – The Skye High Foundation. Through the foundation, Millie works tirelessly to spread the purple butterfly initiative to hospitals around the world. The foundation also provides support for families who have experienced the loss of a child. To raise awareness and funding, The Skye High Foundation offers a range of merchandise and accessories featuring the purple butterfly.
Although Millie knows that she can’t erase the pain of losing a child, she hopes that the support groups and initiatives like the purple butterfly stickers can bring some solace to grieving parents. She believes that coming together as a community and acknowledging the existence of these little lives, no matter how short, can provide comfort and understanding.
Today, Millie and Lewis treasure every moment with their other daughter, Callie, who is now seven years old. Their journey of love and loss with Skye continues to inspire them to make a difference, one purple butterfly at a time.
