When Millie Smith and Lewis Cann learned they were having twin girls, they were overjoyed. But just weeks later, doctors delivered heartbreaking news — one of their babies had anencephaly, a fatal condition. They named her Skye, knowing she would only live moments after birth.

On April 30, after a high-risk pregnancy, Millie gave birth at 30 weeks. Against all odds, Skye cried and lived for three precious hours before passing in her parents’ arms. Her sister, Callie, remained in NICU, surrounded by other twins.

Weeks later, a fellow NICU parent innocently remarked that Millie was “lucky” to have just one baby. Too heartbroken to explain, Millie wished there was a simple way for others to know about Skye without her having to say the words.

That’s when she created the purple butterfly sticker — a small symbol placed on incubators to show that one or more babies from a set of multiples have passed away. The butterfly, a tribute to “babies who flew away,” has since spread to hospitals worldwide through the Skye High Foundation.

Today, Callie is a lively 7-year-old, and Skye’s legacy lives on in purple butterflies, helping families avoid painful misunderstandings and feel seen in their grief.

So if you see a purple butterfly near a newborn, know it carries a story of love, loss, and remembrance.