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.
Lizzo’s dramatic weight loss, explained
Lizzo has earned her place as one of the best pop stars of our time. She made history by becoming the first African American woman to win the Grammy for Record of the Year since Whitney Houston. She also holds the record for the longest-running solo song by a female rapper with her hit song “Truth Hurts,” which topped the charts in 2016.
Even with all her achievements, Lizzo’s appearance has frequently been a big topic of discussion. She has received both praise and criticism for promoting body positivity. Recently, her weight loss has sparked more controversy. Here’s what you should know about Lizzo’s weight loss and how she has responded to her critics.
Is Lizzo taking Ozempic?
Lizzo has been sharing her weight loss journey on Instagram. However, some people have accused her of using the weight loss medication Ozempic to help her lose weight quickly.
On September 22, Lizzo used Instagram to respond to rumors about her using Ozempic. She shared a screenshot of a comment that suggested she was relying on outside help to lose weight, asking, “Did she use Ozempic or did she snort coke?” In reply, Lizzo wrote, “Whyyyy do u follow me?”
She denied taking Ozempic and told her fans that her weight loss comes from a dedicated workout routine. In a sarcastic tone, she posted a video saying, “When you finally get Ozempic allegations after 5 months of weight training and calorie deficit.”
Did Lizzo get weight loss surgery?
Weight loss surgery has also been a topic of conversation regarding Lizzo’s transformation. Many fans are surprised by the big changes in her appearance over the past five months and wonder if she might have had surgery to achieve these results.
Lizzo has denied using surgery or other drastic measures to lose weight, saying she loves her body no matter what size she is. She shared a video on Instagram showing her weight loss journey, with the caption: “Fine both ways.”
Even though some have accused her of body shaming her backup dancers and others privately, Lizzo has kept a positive attitude. She may have lost weight, but she still supports body positivity.
Leave a Reply