Only weeks after Millie Smith and Lewis Cann learned they were having twin baby girls, they learned that only one would survive.
On April 30, after 30 weeks of a high-risk pregnancy, Smith delivered identical twins, Callie and Skye, the latter who lived only three hours.
Later in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Callie slept without her sister in the incubator, with her loving and grieving parents watching over her. In the unit with other babies, an overwhelmed mom of healthy newborn twins innocently told Smith that she was “so lucky” to not have two babies.
Crushed by the words, the new mom couldn’t find the words to explain her loss. Then, she realized that Skye’s legacy was to help other families who lose a child, and it came in the form of a purple butterfly.
In November 2015 Millie Smith and partner Lewis Cann found out they were having their first Child. Smith, who has twins in the family, said she had a “gut feeling” about having a duo and 10 weeks later, doctors confirmed she was expecting identical twin girls.
Less than two weeks after the excitement of knowing they would double the children in their home, the British couple were devastated to learn that one of their babies had a fatal condition and wouldn’t survive after birth.
“During the scan, the doctor didn’t say anything. I was very excited and loved seeing the little babies, but she was silent. Both Lewis and I immediately knew there must be a problem,” Smith said.
Doctors shared the news that one of the babies had anencephaly, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affects about one in 4,600 babies across the U.S. It’s a serious birth defect where a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull, and “almost all babies born with anencephaly will die shortly after birth.”
Knowing that one baby would die soon after birth, and that there were risks involved for their other baby, the couple decided to move forward with the extremely high-risk pregnancy.
Over the next several months, Smith and Cann named their twins Skye and Callie. “We knew that Skye needed to have a name before she was born,” Smith said. “Knowing she would only survive for seconds or minutes, I wanted her to be named during that time.”
The meaning behind “Skye,” she explained “was somewhere we knew she would always be, that we could look up at the sky and remember our baby.”
When Smith went into labor after only 30 weeks on April 30, she needed an emergency C-section. To help navigate the loss, the couple had a “bereavement midwife” during the birth, and they were put I a special room the called the “Daisy Room,” where families can spend time with a baby before and after she/he passes.
“When the girls were born, they both cried. This was a huge moment, as we were told that Skye would not make a noise or move,” said Smith, who was thankful to have three hours with Skye before she died. “We were cuddling Skye when she passed away. This was the worst moment in our lives. I have never ever felt heartbreak like that before. But I am proud that she fought for so long to spend time with us.”
Born premature, Callie had to stay in NICU while she gained some strength and also in the unit were three other sets of twin.
“Most of the nurses were aware of what had happened, but as time passed, people stopped talking about Skye. After about four weeks, everyone acted as though nothing had happened, meaning the families around me had no idea about our situation,” Smith recalled.
One morning, a stressed mother whose twins were also in NICU, harmlessly said to Smith that she was “so lucky” to not have twins.
“None of the other parents knew what had happened or anything about Skye. The comment was completely innocent and more out of humor…They weren’t to know that I did at one point have two.” Smith continued, “But the comment nearly broke me. I ran out [of] the room in tears and they had no idea why. I didn’t have the heart to tell them what had happened. A simple sticker would have avoided that entire situation.”
It was in that moment Smith realized she had to create something that would speak for parents who had just lost a baby, ensuring the misunderstanding never happens again.
She designed a poster for the NICU explaining both hospital personnel and visitors that any incubator with a purple butterfly on it means that one or more babies, in a set of multiples were lost.
“I chose butterflies, as I felt it was fitting to remember the babies that flew away, the color purple because it is suitable for both boys or girls,” said Smith.
The purple butterfly concept–now under the Skye High Foundation–has spread to hospitals in several countries around the world.
Callie is now a lively, happy seven-year-old, and twin’s memory lives in purple butterfly cards along with other initiatives to help families with babies like Skye all over the world. The purple butterflies now come in numerous forms, like ornaments, cards, blankets, stuffed animals and more.
“Ultimately I will never be able to stop this from happening but the more support groups we can set up and put things in place like the stickers the better it will be. It’s the hardest thing anyone has to deal with,” Smith said.
A shocking video has surfaced showing Diddy talking about what happens to guests at his wild parties.
Trigger Warning: This article talks about themes of sexual abuse that may be upsetting to some readers.
Several big-name celebrities are rumored to have attended Sean “Diddy” Combs’ notorious “freak off” parties, which were popular in the early 2000s. Diddy has shared some unsettling details about these parties, mentioning “beautiful women” and “locks on the doors.” In a viral video posted on X, Diddy is seen boasting about making a man “go to sleep” at one of his parties. He says, “This is what happens to the White man when they come to a P Diddy party. I put them to sleep.” In the video, Diddy is also seen encouraging others to pour drinks on a man who had passed out.
“This is what happens to the White man when they come to a P Diddy party. I put them to sleep.” — P Diddy
What a vile and disgusting anti-White piece of shit. He deserves everything that’s coming his way.
— iamyesyouareno (@iamyesyouareno) September 27, 2024
In a video, Diddy is seen talking about what happens to a white man at one of his parties. He says, “For those in London who don’t know, this is what happens to the white man at a P. Diddy party.” Diddy points to a man named Craig, saying, “You’re still alive,” and then shows a drink being poured on his head. He adds, “And that’s James from Simian Mobile Disco, an actual DJ.” Diddy goes on to say that when people come to his parties, he puts them to sleep, and they pour drinks on their heads.
People online had mixed reactions to the controversial clip of Diddy saying, “I put ’em to sleep.” One user joked, “How is he ‘anti-white’ if he’s partying with them? That’s not how being against something works, lol.” Another person was much harsher, saying, “I hope he rots in prison forever. The real problem is that everyone involved will probably get away with it. Disgusting.” Someone else added, “P Diddy is a horrible person, no doubt. But in this case, it seems like he was just joking around because the guy passed out drunk.”
Man I hope he rots in prison for the rest of time itself.
The only issue with this entire ordeal is everyone who participated will likely get off.
Disgusting vile sick beasts that must all be held accountable
One person said, “He’s lucky. It’s better to just sleep through what Diddy has planned.” Another user joked, “That’s actually funny. I kind of like him again.” However, one commenter was critical, saying, “It’s shocking how everyone just went along with what he said. No one seems to have the courage or morals to stand up to him. What kind of society are we creating?”
He’s lucky. It’s better to just sleep through what Diddy has planned.
In 2002, Diddy talked about what makes his parties special on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He said, “This is what you need: beautiful women, of course.” He also mentioned that there should be “beautiful men for the ladies.” Conan asked if it would be better to just have lots of beautiful women and one guy, but Diddy replied, “Nah, there’s enough ladies to go around.”
Diddy went on to say that it’s important to take care of the women at his parties. He mentioned, “You can’t force things to happen.” Then he talked about having “alcohol” and water at the parties, saying, “A lot of ladies drink water, so if you don’t have what they want, they’ll leave. You need to keep them there. You also need locks on the doors.”
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