Millie Smith and Lewis Cann’s Heartbreaking Twin Journey: One Lived, One Became a Symbol
When Millie Smith and Lewis Cann discovered they were expecting twin daughters, their joy was quickly overshadowed by heartbreak — doctors informed them that only one of the babies would survive.
On April 30, after a difficult and high-risk 30-week pregnancy, Millie gave birth to identical twins — Callie and Skye. Tragically, baby Skye lived only for three precious hours.
Callie was taken to the NICU that night, resting in an incubator, watched over by her grieving but devoted parents, who were trying to stay strong despite the emptiness Skye’s absence had left behind.
While in the NICU, a fellow mother of healthy twins unknowingly commented that Millie was “so lucky” to only have one baby to care for. The words pierced through Millie’s already shattered heart — she couldn’t bring herself to respond.
That’s when she noticed the purple butterfly. And in that quiet, emotional moment, she realized that her daughter Skye’s legacy was to bring awareness and comfort to other parents who had lost one or more of their multiples.
Millie and Lewis had previously welcomed their first child in November 2015. When Millie became pregnant again, she had an intuitive feeling that she was carrying twins — a hunch perhaps influenced by the fact that her family has a history of twin births.
Their joy turned to sorrow just under two weeks after learning about the twin pregnancy — when doctors delivered devastating news: one of their babies had a terminal condition and wouldn’t survive.
“During the ultrasound, the room fell eerily silent,” Millie recalled. “I was thrilled just seeing my babies on the screen — it was a moment I’d been looking forward to. But the doctor didn’t say a word. That silence told us everything.” Smith said.
According to the CDC, around 1 in every 4,600 babies in the U.S. is born with anencephaly — a rare and severe birth defect. Millie and Lewis were heartbroken when doctors confirmed that one of their twins had developed this fatal condition.
Anencephaly is so severe that nearly all infants born with it pass away shortly after birth. Despite the devastating diagnosis, Millie and Lewis made the brave decision to continue the high-risk pregnancy — knowing they might have only fleeting moments with one of their daughters.
Months later, the couple welcomed their twin girls, giving them meaningful names: Skye and Callie.
“We knew Skye had to have a name before she arrived,” Millie shared. “Since she might only live for seconds or minutes, we wanted her to have an identity in that time — a name spoken with love.”
They chose “Skye” as a tribute — a place they could always look up to and feel connected to their daughter. “It was somewhere we knew she would always be,” Millie explained.
Millie went into labor prematurely on April 30 — just 30 weeks into the pregnancy. A C-section was performed immediately. The hospital provided them with a bereavement midwife and access to a special “Daisy Room,” a quiet space where grieving parents can spend time with their newborn before and after death.
“When the girls were born, both of them cried,” Millie remembered. “It was a miracle. We were told Skye wouldn’t make a sound, wouldn’t move — but she proved them wrong.”
Millie and Lewis got to spend three unforgettable hours with their daughter. “We were holding Skye when she passed away. It was the most painful moment of our lives. I’ve never felt that kind of heartbreak before,” Millie said. “But I’m proud of her — she fought to be with us, even if just for a little while.”
While Callie was healing in the NICU, she wasn’t alone — two other sets of twins were also in the same ward, all recovering from premature births.
In the early days, most of the nursing staff knew about Skye. But as weeks passed, silence replaced sympathy. No one spoke of Skye anymore, and new families coming into the ward had no idea what Millie and Lewis had been through.
One day, a worn-out mother of twins — likely trying to find a moment of humor in the chaos — told Millie, “You’re so lucky you only have one baby to deal with.”
The words, though innocent, cut deep.
“None of the other parents knew,” Millie shared. “They had no idea about Skye. The woman wasn’t being cruel — it was meant as a joke. But she didn’t know that I once did have two babies.”
That offhand comment shattered Millie. She rushed out of the room in tears, unable to explain her grief to the unsuspecting mother. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth,” she said. “But I knew in that moment — a simple symbol could’ve spared me that pain.”
That’s when the idea of the purple butterfly was born.
Determined to spare other grieving parents the pain of being misunderstood, Millie designed a poster for the NICU. It explained that a purple butterfly sticker placed on an incubator signified that one or more babies in a set of multiples had sadly passed away — a silent, gentle signal to staff and visitors alike.
“I chose butterflies because they symbolize the little ones who flew away too soon,” Millie explained. “And I picked the color purple because it’s gentle, peaceful — and fits for both boys and girls.”
What began as a mother’s quiet way to honor her daughter soon grew into something far bigger.
Today, the Purple Butterfly initiative — now supported by the Skye High Foundation, named in memory of baby Skye — has made its way to hospitals around the world. What started as a single sticker has become a global symbol of compassion, remembrance, and silent solidarity for families navigating the unimaginable loss of a child.
Today, Callie is a lively and joyful 7-year-old — a beautiful reminder of resilience and love. Meanwhile, Skye’s memory lives on through purple butterfly cards, support programs, and awareness initiatives for families coping with the loss of a baby.
The purple butterfly has since grown into a symbol of compassion, appearing on everything from memorial gifts to thoughtful accessories — each item quietly honoring a child who couldn’t stay.
“Nothing I do will ever take the pain away,” Millie admits. “But the more we can create spaces of support, and the more these symbols are recognized, the easier we can make it for grieving families. It’s truly the hardest thing anyone can go through.”
The world is a better place because of people like Millie Smith — those who turn personal heartbreak into healing for others, helping parents feel seen, supported, and never alone in their grief.
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