A few years ago, the world welcomed a beautiful child named Natalie in one of America’s maternity facilities, an event eagerly anticipated by her parents. This was no accidental pregnancy; it had been meticulously planned, and the expectant parents were fully prepared to welcome the new addition to their family.
However, the joyous moment of Natalie’s birth was met with a mix of emotions, particularly for her mother, Lacey. Baby Natalie came into the world with a striking birthmark covering half of her face, a sight that moved Lacey to tears. In that instant, the parents’ world was filled with uncertainty and concern.
Yet, the medical professionals attending to Natalie were quick to offer reassurance. After conducting comprehensive examinations, they confirmed that there were no health issues that posed a threat to the baby’s well-being.
The birthmark, while uncommon, was something that happened on occasion, with no clear explanation for its occurrence. It might be attributed to a genetic anomaly that defied medical treatment.
As time passed, and Natalie grew older, her parents began to ponder the possibility of surgical intervention to address the birthmark. They explored the idea with a medical team, but the experts advised against it.
They emphasized that such a procedure, at Natalie’s young age, would likely cause her unnecessary pain without providing substantial benefits. Ultimately, the parents made the heartfelt decision not to pursue surgery.
If you spot a purple butterfly sticker near a newborn, it is important to understand its meaning
When Millie Smith and Lewis Cann found out they were expecting a baby, they were overjoyed. As there was a history of twins in Millie’s family, she had a strong feeling that she was going to give birth to two little ones, and her instincts were right. The ultrasound confirmed that she was indeed expecting twins, but the doctors told them that one of the babies had a very small chance of survival.
ragically, one of their daughters was born at 30 weeks with anencephaly, a serious condition that affects the development of the brain and spinal cord. They learned that their precious baby had only moments or hours to live.
Knowing this, Millie and Lewis wanted to give her a name before they said goodbye. They chose the name Skye. Millie explained: “We felt she needed a name before she arrived. Knowing she wouldn’t be with us for long, I wanted her to have a name in those fleeting moments”.
The name “Skye” symbolized a connection to a place they could always remember when they looked up to the sky. “We held Skye close as she died. It was the most heartbreaking moment of our lives, but I’m proud that she fought to spend that time with us.” Skye only lived for three hours, a brief time filled with love while her parents cherished her beauty and presence.
After her death, Millie and Lewis were supported by a “bereavement midwife” and given access to a “Daisy Room”, a special room where parents could spend time with their baby before and after death. However, after Skye was gone, her memory seemed to fade; no one spoke of her, leaving Millie feeling like her daughter had never existed, which made her angry.
“Most of the nurses knew what had happened, but as the weeks went by, people stopped mentioning Skye. Other families around me had no idea about our loss”, Millie recalls.
While her other daughter, Callie, was still in the NICU, another mother who knew nothing about Millie’s situation remarked how lucky she was not to have twins. “None of the other parents knew about Skye, and that innocent comment almost broke me. I left the room in tears but didn’t have the heart to explain”, Millie said. “A simple sticker could have prevented this.”
This experience inspired Millie to design a sticker for incubators to mark the loss of one or more babies in a multiple birth. She chose butterflies to symbolise the ‘flown away’ babies and used the colour purple, which is suitable for any gender.
From this idea grew the Skye High Foundation, which promotes the Purple Butterflies initiative and helps raise awareness in hospitals around the world. The foundation also offers a range of purple butterfly merchandise.
“Although I can’t prevent these situations from occurring, I believe the more support we can provide through initiatives like the stickers, the better it will be for others who suffer this loss. It’s an incredibly tough journey”, said Millie. Today, her surviving daughter Callie is seven years old.
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