Millie Smith and Lewis Cann experienced both joy and heartbreak when they found out they were expecting twin girls, but only one would survive. Smith gave birth to identical twins Callie and Skye prematurely on April 30 after a high-risk pregnancy lasting 30 weeks. Tragically, Skye lived for only three hours, leaving her parents devastated.
As Callie spent the night in the NICU incubator, her parents grappled with the overwhelming grief of losing one of their daughters. Amidst their sorrow, a remark from another mother about feeling “lucky” not to have twins added to Smith’s emotional burden. However, a small purple butterfly spotted by Smith in the hospital provided a moment of solace, reminding her of Skye’s lasting legacy to comfort other bereaved parents.
The journey leading up to Callie and Skye’s birth was fraught with challenges. Smith and Cann received the devastating news that one of their unborn twins had a fatal condition called anencephaly, which affects approximately 1 in 4,600 newborns in the United States. Despite knowing that one of their babies would not survive long after birth, the couple decided to proceed with the pregnancy, giving their daughters the names Skye and Callie.
The significance behind naming Skye was particularly poignant, as Smith wanted her daughter to have a name before her short time in the world ended. For Smith, the name Skye symbolized a place where her daughter would always be remembered, a comforting thought amidst the pain of loss.
On April 30, Smith went into premature labor, necessitating a quick C-section. Despite the grief of losing Skye, Smith and Cann were provided with support from a bereavement midwife and access to a “Daisy Room,” a space designed to help parents cope with the loss of their infant.
The story of Millie Smith and Lewis Cann’s journey through joy, grief, and resilience serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of parenthood and the enduring love that parents hold for their children, no matter how brief their time together may be.
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