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.
At 18, Suri Cruise embodies the ideal fusion of her parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Kids grow up fast! Suri Cruise is becoming more and more like her famous parents. Suri’s parents, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, began dating in 2005 and married the following year. Suri was born shortly before their wedding.
Tom and Katie’s marriage lasted about six years, during which time they were often seen out and about with Suri, despite going to great lengths to protect her from persistent paparazzi who were keen to snap photos of the high-profile family.
The couple has always protected Suri and kept her away from the media spotlight. Even today, Suri avoids social media.
Despite her efforts to maintain her privacy, Suri is often photographed by paparazzi when she is in New York. Although she is now 18, recent pictures show that even at 16 she looked remarkably like her famous parents, combining features of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
Although Suri resembles Tom a lot, their relationship is not particularly strong. They were last seen together in public in 2012. Katie Holmes is reportedly frustrated with Tom’s lack of involvement in her daughter’s life.
There were rumors that Tom’s limited interaction with Suri was due to his Scientology beliefs, but these claims have been refuted. Scientology does not prohibit parental relationships, although Tom may meet Suri privately and away from the public eye.
Regardless of the state of her relationship, it’s clear that Suri Cruise has inherited strong traits from both of her parents. Share this article to show your friends and family what Suri looks like today!
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