The news that just one of Millie Smith and Lewis Cann’s twins would live came just weeks after they found out they were expecting twin girls.
Smith gave birth to identical twins, Callie and Skye, on April 30 after a high-risk pregnancy of 30 weeks; Skye lived for just three hours.
With her devoted and distraught parents keeping watch over her, Callie later slept in the incubator without her sister in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). An overburdened mother of healthy newborn twins naively told Smith that she was “so lucky” not to have two children when they were in the same unit.
The new mother was speechless and unable to articulate her loss. She then understood that Skye’s legacy—which took the shape of a purple butterfly—was to support other families who have lost a child.
Millie Smith and Lewis Cann learned they were expecting their first child in November 2015. Smith said she had a “gut feeling” about having a pair, and ten weeks later, doctors verified she was carrying identical twin daughters. Smith has twins in her family.
The British couple was saddened to discover that one of their infants had a fatal disease and would not live after birth, less than two weeks after they had been thrilled to know they would have twice as many children in their house.
“The doctor said nothing during the scan. She remained mute despite my excitement and love for the small babies. Lewis and I both saw right away that something was amiss,” Smith remarked.
Physicians reported that one of the infants had anencephaly, which affects approximately one in 4,600 infants in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A baby with anencephaly is born missing parts of their brain and skull, which is a devastating birth abnormality. “Almost all babies born with anencephaly will die shortly after birth,” the statement reads.
The couple chose to proceed with the exceedingly high-risk pregnancy while knowing that one of their babies would die shortly after birth and that there were concerns for their second child.
Smith and Cann gave their twins the names Skye and Callie over the course of the following few months. Smith stated, “We knew Skye needed a name before she was born.” “I wanted her to be named during that time because I knew she would only live for seconds or minutes.”
She clarified that the purpose of “Skye” was to remind us of our baby by looking up at the sky, where we knew she would always remain.
Smith need an emergency C-section on April 30 after going into labor at just 30 weeks. The couple was sent to a special chamber known as the “Daisy Room,” where families can spend time with a baby both before and after they pass away, and they had a “bereavement midwife” throughout the birth to help them deal with the loss.
Both of the girls wailed at the time of their birth. Smith, who was grateful to have three hours with Skye before she passed away, stated, “This was a huge moment, as we were told that Skye would not make a noise or move.” When Skye died, we were holding her. The worst time in our life was this. That was the most heartbreaking heartbreak I had ever experienced. But the fact that she battled for so long to be among us makes me proud.
Callie was born prematurely and had to stay in the NICU until she recovered. Three other sets of twins were also on the unit.
Although the majority of the nurses knew what had happened, Skye’s name gradually faded from conversation. The folks around me were unaware of our predicament after four weeks or so, Smith claimed, because everyone pretended nothing had occurred.
Smith was casually told one morning that she was “so lucky” not to have twins by a stressed-out mother whose twins were also in the NICU.
The other parents had no idea about Skye or what had transpired. The remark was more humorous and entirely innocent.They were not supposed to know that I had two at one time.”But the comment almost broke me,” Smith added. They had no idea why I was crying as I fled the room. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them what had transpired. That whole thing could have been prevented with a simple sticker.
In order to ensure that the mistake never occurred again, Smith knew she had to come up with something that would speak for parents who had recently lost a kid.
She created a NICU poster informing hospital staff and guests that a purple butterfly on an incubator indicates that one or more of the multiples in the set have died.
Because purple is appropriate for both boys and girls, Smith explained, “I chose butterflies because I felt it was fitting to remember the babies that flew away.”
Hospitals in numerous nations throughout the world have adopted the purple butterfly concept, which is currently run by the Skye High Foundation.
The twin’s memory lives on in purple butterfly cards and other programs to support families with children like Skye worldwide. Callie is now a vibrant, content seven-year-old. These days, purple butterflies can be found in a wide variety of products, including plush animals, cards, blankets, and ornaments.
“In the end, I can’t stop this from happening, but it will be better if we can establish more support groups and use measures like the stickers. Smith remarked, “It’s the most difficult thing anyone has to deal with.”
It can be difficult for parents to lose a child of any age, and the world is fortunate to have people like Millie Smith who want to help others.
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You’ll most likely adore the story about a new mother who believed she was expecting seven infants but ended up with nine if you liked reading about Millie Smith and her twins.
