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.
We Uncovered a Hidden Chamber While Remodeling, The Discoveries Inside Prompted Us to Relocate
When we discovered a hidden room in our newly purchased home, we never imagined it would change our lives. What we found inside forced us to move out, but it also led to an unexpected twist.
I never thought I would experience anything like a horror movie, but here I was. After years of saving, Jack and I finally bought our first house. I was thrilled and eager to start renovations, taking charge while Jack focused on work.
One Tuesday morning, while sipping coffee and scrolling through my phone, Carlos, our renovation crew leader, called me over. He had discovered a hidden door behind a section of the wall they had just torn down.
Curiosity piqued, I opened the door, only to be hit with horror. Inside was a closet filled with old clothes, covered in mold and crawling with insects. The stench was overwhelming. Shocked, I quickly shut the door and called Jack to come home.
When Jack arrived, I led him to the hidden room. His reaction mirrored mine as he realized we couldn’t stay in a house with such a dark secret. We spent hours packing essentials and making arrangements to stay with friends, uncertain about what the future held for us.
Living at our friends’ place felt like we were back at square one. I worried about what would happen to our dream home, and Jack worked late, feeling guilty about the situation. Eventually, after several pest control visits, we received a call that changed everything.
The pest control team had found a wooden box while cleaning out the hidden room. Inside were vintage pieces of jewelry. Excited but confused, we wondered why the previous owner had left them behind. After researching, we decided to sell the jewelry and use the money for renovations, transforming our nightmare into something positive.
Selling the jewelry turned into an adventure of its own. We visited various shops, learning that some pieces were quite valuable. The sale brought in more money than we expected, allowing us to renovate the hidden room and upgrade the rest of the house.
Weeks later, the hidden room became a cozy reading nook, and the rest of the house transformed with modern appliances and a beautiful back porch. On the day we moved back in, I marveled at how different the space was. To celebrate, we hosted a housewarming party, and our friends were amazed by the renovations. Jack praised my efforts in turning things around, and I felt a wave of pride.
Later, as we relaxed in our new reading nook, Jack joked about being grateful for a room full of bugs. I laughed, realizing that our journey had led us to something even better than we had originally dreamed. In the end, I knew we could face any surprise together. Looking back, I just hoped our next renovation would avoid any hidden horrors.
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