It was a gentle way of representing a child who was no longer physically present but would always remain part of the family.
The butterfly also suggested transformation, remembrance and the idea that love can continue even after a life has ended.
It was important that the symbol should be appropriate for both boys and girls.
That is why Millie chose purple.
The color was intended to be suitable for any baby, regardless of gender.
Together, the butterfly and its purple color created a symbol that was easy to recognize without being visually overwhelming.
It could be placed on an incubator or cot.
A small notice could explain its meaning to hospital visitors.
And most importantly, it could communicate something that parents might find too painful to say aloud.
The butterfly was not a decoration. It was a way of saying: this baby had a twin, and that twin is still part of this family's story.
Chapter 3: What Does the Purple Butterfly Actually Mean?
Now comes the question that gives the story its title.
If you walk into a neonatal unit and see a purple butterfly attached to a newborn's incubator, what should you understand?
In the context of the Purple Butterfly initiative, the symbol indicates that the baby was part of a multiple pregnancy, such as twins or triplets, but one or more of the babies did not survive.
The surviving newborn may be receiving treatment in the NICU while the parents are also grieving the loss of a sibling.
The butterfly helps communicate that reality to medical staff, relatives and visitors.
It is a small symbol with an important purpose.
It Represents a Baby Who Is No Longer Physically Present
When a family loses one baby from a twin or multiple pregnancy, the surviving child does not stop being part of that original pregnancy.
The family may still consider the surviving baby a twin.
The lost baby remains a brother or sister, even though they are no longer physically present.
This can be difficult for other people to understand.
Someone might see one newborn and assume there was only one baby.
They may ask whether the parents are happy to have a single baby rather than twins.
They may make comments about how much easier it must be to care for one newborn.
Without knowing the family's experience, they might unintentionally overlook the baby who died.
The purple butterfly helps prevent that misunderstanding.
It acknowledges that the surviving newborn has a sibling who is missing from the cot.
It also recognizes that the parents have experienced a loss that deserves to be treated with sensitivity.
It Is a Sign of Respect, Not a Medical Warning
Another important point is that the butterfly does not indicate that the surviving newborn has a particular illness.
It is not a warning that the baby is contagious.
It does not automatically mean that the surviving infant is critically ill.
The baby may be in the NICU because of prematurity or another medical reason, but the butterfly itself communicates a family bereavement.
The symbol concerns the loss of a sibling during a multiple pregnancy.
This distinction matters because visitors should not interpret it as a diagnosis or a statement about the surviving baby's medical condition.
The purpose is emotional awareness.
Does It Mean the Other Twin Died During Pregnancy?
Not necessarily.
A multiple-pregnancy loss can happen at different stages.
A baby may die during pregnancy, before birth, during delivery or after being born.
The purple butterfly initiative is associated with families in which one or more babies from a multiple pregnancy did not survive.
In some situations, the surviving baby may be receiving neonatal care.
In others, the symbol may be used in a different part of the maternity or hospital environment.
The exact arrangements depend on the hospital's practice and the family's wishes.
The important point is that the butterfly acknowledges a loss within a multiple pregnancy.
Can the Symbol Be Used for Triplets or Other Multiple Births?
Yes.
The concept is not limited to twins.
A pregnancy involving triplets, quadruplets or more babies can also involve the loss of one or more siblings while another baby survives.
For example, parents may welcome triplets but lose one baby shortly before birth.
The surviving two children may need medical attention while the parents are mourning the third.
A purple butterfly can help communicate that their family has experienced a multiple-birth loss.
It recognizes the missing sibling without requiring parents to explain the circumstances repeatedly.
Is the Purple Butterfly Used in Every Hospital?
No single symbol should be assumed to have exactly the same meaning in every hospital.
The purple butterfly initiative has been adopted by many neonatal units internationally, but individual hospitals may use different systems, cards or notices.
Some units place a butterfly on an incubator.
Others use a cot card, a sign on the room door or information included in the baby's care area.
Some hospitals may not use the initiative at all.
The most reliable approach is to ask a member of staff if clarification is needed.
Nevertheless, the meaning associated with the Purple Butterfly Project is well established: it recognizes a surviving baby whose sibling or siblings from a multiple pregnancy have died.
Chapter 4: How a Mother's Idea Spread Beyond One Hospital
From Kingston Hospital to Other Neonatal Units
When Millie first developed the purple butterfly idea, she did not expect it to attract international attention.
Her original intention was much more personal.
She wanted to prevent another grieving parent from experiencing the same situation she had faced.
The first butterfly stickers were introduced at Kingston Hospital, where Callie had received neonatal care.
Millie and Lewis also began sharing the idea publicly.
They wanted other families and hospitals to understand why the symbol mattered.
The response was much larger than they had anticipated.
According to a 2016 interview published by Us Weekly, approximately 115 hospitals had contacted Millie expressing interest in introducing the stickers.
What had started as an idea for one hospital was becoming an initiative that could help families elsewhere.
The Skye High Foundation
Millie and Lewis established the Skye High Foundation in memory of their daughter.
The foundation was created to support families dealing with the loss of a baby from a multiple pregnancy.
Its work includes providing butterfly cot cards and resources that help hospitals explain the meaning of the symbol.
The idea is not simply to distribute stickers.
The broader purpose is to make neonatal and maternity environments more understanding of families who are experiencing both the survival of one baby and the death of another.
The foundation's resources can help hospitals introduce the initiative in a consistent and sensitive way.
This matters because a sticker without an explanation may not be understood by visitors.
A butterfly card combined with a clear notice gives people the information they need to behave appropriately.
It also gives parents a way to communicate their experience without having to tell their story to every new person who enters the room.
Why the Foundation's Work Matters
The death of a baby can leave parents feeling isolated.
This can be particularly difficult when another baby from the same pregnancy survives.
The family may be surrounded by celebrations, congratulations and questions about the newborn.
People may assume that the parents are experiencing uncomplicated happiness.
But the parents may also be dealing with grief, shock, guilt, exhaustion and uncertainty.
The surviving child may need ongoing medical care.
Parents may have to divide their time between hospital visits, family responsibilities and arrangements connected to the baby who died.
In such circumstances, even a small act of understanding can make a difference.
The Skye High Foundation was created to help make that understanding more visible.
It also helps preserve Skye's memory by connecting her name to something that supports other families.
The Connection With the Wider Neonatal Butterfly Project
There is another important development behind the story.