All I wanted for my 80th birthday was to see my daughter, so I made the decision to drive to her house and surprise her.
“Dad, why are you here?” she questioned as she opened the door, appearing uncomfortable.
“I just wanted to spend my birthday with you,” I answered, grinning. But I was unprepared for her response. “Dad, you can’t stay,” she said. I’m very busy right now.
I offered to stay on the couch until she had some time because I was upset, but she firmly refused, saying, “No, Dad, you really need to go right now.”
I turned and went back to my car even though I didn’t want to. I heard sounds coming from inside the house as I was leaving.
I was concerned as I peered through the window and noticed two strange persons inside. As my worries about my daughter’s safety increased, I made a police call.
The cops moved swiftly and cautiously toward the residence. Following several anxious moments, they emerged with the two strangers restrained by handcuffs.
My daughter gave me a big hug as she cried and dashed out of the house. “I’m so sorry, Dad,” she wept.
“I was attempting to protect you.” The guys broke in right before you arrived.
I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you.
I embraced her tight and felt a great sense of comfort. “It’s alright, my dear. Just knowing you’re secure pleases me.
After hearing our accounts, the police assured us that the intruders would be dealt with.
I had the most amazing birthday I could have ever imagined, thanks to the time I spent with my kid.
If you spot a purple butterfly sticker near a newborn, it is important to understand its meaning
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.
Leave a Reply