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.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen revealed they secretly welcomed fourth child – everything we know about their journey
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen had a difficult miscarriage before to the birth of their third child, and they have been transparent about it.
The couple has since revealed how, in secret, they welcomed a fourth child using an alternative way.
To learn more about the Wednesday birth announcement of their son, scroll down.
The couple was helped by a surrogate named Alexandra, and they did something amazing to show their gratitude for her support in welcoming their child into the world.
Alexandra is “the most incredible, loving, compassionate surrogate we could ever imagine,” according to a blog post written by Chrissy.
The minute we chatted with her, I knew she was the right person for us. “All of our goals and desires came true,” Chrissy wrote. “I wanted to rest my head on her belly and feel the kicks and hiccups, I wanted our kids to play, I wanted dinner together, and I wanted to be her friend. I desired for them to be in our lives for as long as possible.
She talked about how Alexandra “fought to get ready for a second transfer,” enduring “the mental toll” that came with it, and sacrificing “her own body” for surgeries.
Esti, the couple’s daughter, was being carried by Chrissy Teigen concurrently with the other two ladies. Alexandra writes that they “were overjoyed” to find that she was having a son.
Chrissy reminisced, “We watched Vanderpump Rules with our expanding bellies and celebrated eating hot pot together for the past year.”
“Got to witness the most beautiful woman, my friend, our surrogate, give birth amidst a bit of chaos, but with strength and pure joy and love,” Chrissy said on Instagram on June 19.
And Chrissy and John made the amazing decision to honor their surrogate. “We would like to express our gratitude for this amazing gift you have given us, Alexandra,” Chrissy wrote. We are overjoyed to announce his arrival to the world, bearing the name Wren Alexander Stephens, which will always be associated with you.
Luna and Miles are the couple’s two older children. Six months ago, they also welcomed Esti, their third daughter.Additionally, John Legend posted a photo of himself and his family with the newest addition. “Wren Alexander Stephens, our new love,” he captioned.
With their newest member, the family appears to be very content. We hope the best for them! Tell your friends and family about this wonderful news on Facebook.
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