When Millie and Louis learned that one of their unborn twins had anencephaly, their world shifted into a reality no parent is ever prepared for. They were thrust into a space where joy and grief existed simultaneously, preparing for a birth while anticipating a death. Each doctor’s appointment, ultrasound, and moment of anticipation became tinged with sorrow, as they balanced hope for one child with mourning for the other. The birth of their daughter Skye brought moments of life that were painfully brief—mere breaths that flickered and then were gone—but those moments left an indelible mark. Despite the brevity of her life, Skye reshaped her parents’ understanding of love, fragility, and the profound depth of human connection. Even in her silence, she transformed how Millie and Louis approached grief, attachment, and meaning.
The neonatal intensive care unit, however, carried on as if nothing had changed. Monitors beeped, nurses moved through routines, and other families engaged in everyday milestones, unaware of the private devastation unfolding in Millie and Louis’ corner. The well-intentioned questions from staff—meant to offer comfort—often felt intrusive, like the simple query, “So, is it only the one baby?” Such remarks, innocent to others, reopened wounds that had barely begun to form. The parents faced the dual challenge of grieving a life that had ended and navigating a world that had no language for that loss. Skye existed in their arms and in their hearts, yet outside of them, she was invisible. The silence of the wider world intensified their sorrow, highlighting how society frequently overlooks the experiences of parents enduring a loss while simultaneously caring for surviving children.
From this quiet suffering grew a determination to create recognition where none existed. Millie and Louis founded the Skye High Foundation in honor of their daughter, seeking to transform heartbreak into lasting purpose. Central to their mission became a delicate purple butterfly sticker—soft, understated, and symbolic of mourning multiple loss. Placed on incubators, cots, or hospital doors, the butterfly communicates, without invasive questions or explanations, that a family is grieving the death of a twin or triplet. It serves as a visual cue to staff, visitors, and other caregivers to approach with gentleness and awareness, acknowledging the absent sibling while honoring the surviving child. In a single, quiet symbol, Millie and Louis provided a way for grief to be recognized without forcing families to relive or explain their sorrow repeatedly.
Each butterfly represents a universe of untold stories, carrying the weight of invisible grief experienced by families around the world. It reflects the late-night vigils, the whispered conversations with oneself, and the exhaustion of balancing love and loss simultaneously. Through the foundation, Millie and Louis built support networks where grieving parents could share their experiences openly and find solace among those who truly understood their pain. The butterfly became a bridge between isolation and community, validating the experience of those who had lost a child while navigating the complexities of caring for a surviving sibling. Parents who once felt their grief invisible now had a marker that made their loss acknowledged, a way to be seen without intrusive questioning.
While Millie and Louis could not extend Skye’s life or erase the diagnosis that cut it short, they discovered a way to ensure her existence continued to resonate. Each purple butterfly placed in hospitals becomes an act of remembrance, a way for parents, staff, and visitors to honor a life too brief to hold in memory alone. The symbol allows families to experience their full spectrum of emotions—love, grief, hope, and heartbreak—without apology or judgment. Nurses and doctors, reminded of the unseen sibling, pause with renewed sensitivity. Through the butterfly, the fleeting life of one child reverberates outward, creating empathy and awareness, and allowing families to feel that their grief is acknowledged, validated, and shared.
Because of Skye and her parents’ courage to channel grief into action, countless families now feel less isolated in the face of profound loss. The purple butterfly has become an emblem of collective understanding, a quiet acknowledgment of lives that touch the world even briefly. It communicates that the experiences of parents who endure such heartbreak matter, that the presence of a child can be recognized even when that life was fleeting, and that empathy can be communicated through small but powerful gestures. Skye’s memory lives on in every butterfly placed, in every family who finds solace in its presence, and in the enduring legacy Millie and Louis created from their unimaginable loss. The butterfly symbolizes love, recognition, and the profound human capacity to transform grief into compassion.
