Millie Smith and Lewis Cann were ecstatic when they learned they were having a baby. Millie believed she was pregnant with twins because her family already had a large number of twins. It turned out that her mother’s intuition was true.
The ultrasound confirmed her pregnancy with twins, but the physicians knew from the start that one of the infants had a limited chance of survival.
The parents learned that their daughter, born prematurely at thirty weeks, had anencephaly. This is a severe disorder in which the fetal neurological system, including the brain and spinal cord, fails to develop normally, resulting in death.
The parents were informed that their joyous child had only a few minutes or hours left to live.
Before they parted ways, her parents named her Skye. They wanted to name her before saying their goodbyes.
Millie expressed how vital it was for Skye to have a name before she was born. She knew Skye’s existence would be cut short, lasting only a few seconds or minutes, therefore she wanted to make sure she was given a name during that limited time.
She explained that the name “Skye” indicated a place where they imagined their baby would always remain, a reminder that they could look up at the sky and think of her.
Skye left us while she was in our arms. It was the saddest moment we’d ever had. I’ve never experienced such profound sadness before. I am delighted she battled so hard to stay with us as long as she could.
Skye’s life lasted only three hours, yet her parents appreciated her beauty and her presence in their lives.
Following her d3ath, the couple received assistance from a special midwife and were granted entrance to the “Daisy Room.” This chamber allows parents to spend time with their baby before and after their d3ath, bringing comfort during this sad time.
Nobody mentioned the girl after she went. Millie was angry because she assumed her kid had been utterly forgotten.
The bereaved mother recalls how the staff were initially aware of Skye’s plight, but everyone ultimately stopped talking about it.
Millie had just given birth to a baby called Callie, who was still in the NICU. While Millie was speaking with another mother who had recently given birth to twins, this mother unknowingly expressed how fortunate Millie was not to have twins, completely oblivious to Millie’s anguish and loss.
The other parents were not aware of Skye’s position. The innocent statement was made in jest. They were unaware that I had already had two children. Millie was extremely moved by the comment, running out of the room in tears. The parents were perplexed as to why she reacted in that manner. Millie could not bring herself to convey the issue to them. A simple sticker may have eliminated the misunderstanding.
Millie devised a means to indicate that one or more infants were lost in a group of multiples by placing a sticker on the incubator.
She added that she chose butterflies to represent the infants who passed away and that the color purple is appropriate for both boys and girls.
The Skye High Foundation, which grew from her original efforts, now supports the purple butterfly campaign. It has successfully brought this approach to a number of hospitals across many countries.
The purple butterfly collection includes a variety of gifts and accessories.
Millie stated that, while she cannot completely prevent this occurrence, organizing extra support groups and applying measures such as stickers will significantly help the issue. She agreed that the situation is extremely difficult for anyone to face.
Callie, her second daughter, is seven years old.
