When Millie Smith and Lewis Cann discovered they were going to be parents, they were overjoyed. With a history of twins in their family, Millie had a feeling that she was carrying two babies, and her intuition was right. The ultrasound confirmed that she was expecting twins, but sadly, one of the babies had a very slim chance of survival due to a condition called anencephaly, where the fetal nervous system doesn’t develop properly.

They were devastated to learn that their little one, born prematurely at thirty weeks, would only have a few minutes or hours to live. In those precious moments, they wanted to give her a name, and they chose Skye. The name symbolized a place where they could always remember their baby girl by looking up at the sky.

During Skye’s short life of only three hours, her parents cherished her presence and admired her beauty. After her passing, Millie and Lewis were provided with support from a “bereavement midwife” and a special room called the “Daisy Room,” where they could spend time with their daughter before and after her death.

However, as time went on, Millie noticed that no one talked about Skye anymore. It made her feel as if her baby never existed, and it angered her. Weeks after Skye’s passing, people acted as if nothing had happened, leaving Millie feeling alone in her grief.

One incident that deeply affected Millie was when another mother, not aware of Skye’s passing, commented on how lucky Millie was for not having twins. Millie couldn’t bring herself to share her heartbreaking story, and she ran out of the room in tears. She realized that a simple sticker indicating the loss of one or more babies in a set of multiples could have avoided such painful situations.

Inspired by this experience, Millie came up with the idea of a purple butterfly sticker to signify the loss of a baby in a multiple birth. The butterfly represented the babies that flew away, while the color purple was chosen because it is suitable for both boys and girls. This initiative has grown into The Skye High Foundation, which promotes the purple butterfly initiative in hospitals around the world.

The foundation offers a range of purple butterfly merchandise, including gifts and accessories. Millie’s goal is to raise awareness and provide support for parents who experience the loss of a baby. While she knows that she can’t prevent such heartbreaking situations, she believes that by setting up support groups and implementing symbolic stickers, it can make a difference.

Today, Millie’s other daughter, Callie, is seven years old.