The symbolism behind “Skye,” she elucidated, was that it represented a place of perpetual presence, a celestial reminder of their cherished daughter.
Premature labor struck Smith on the 30th of April, compelling an emergency C-section. To help navigate this heart-wrenching loss, the couple was accompanied by a “bereavement midwife” during the childbirth. They were ushered into a specially designated room known as the “Daisy Room,” a haven where families could share precious moments with their newborns before and after their inevitable passing.
“When our girls were born, both of them cried. This was an immensely significant moment, as we were previously informed that Skye would remain silent and immobile,” recounted Smith. She expressed profound gratitude for the three precious hours they shared with Skye before her departure. “We held Skye close as she peacefully slipped away. It was the most excruciating moment of our lives. I have never experienced heartbreak of such magnitude. Yet, I take solace in her valiant struggle to spend those fleeting moments with us.”
While Callie, born prematurely, continued her stay in the NICU, sharing the unit with three other sets of twins, the passing of time seemed to dim Skye’s memory. After approximately four weeks, the silence surrounding Skye’s existence became palpable. Those around Smith, the other families in the unit, remained blissfully ignorant of her harrowing ordeal.
One fateful morning, an unwitting mother, whose twins also resided in the NICU, casually remarked to Smith that she was “fortunate” not to have twins.
“None of the other parents were privy to our situation, to Skye’s existence. The comment was innocently made in jest…they could not have known that I, too, had once been blessed with two,” Smith lamented. She continued, “But that remark nearly shattered me. I fled the room in tears, and they were left bewildered, unaware of the reason for my anguish. A simple emblem would have averted that distressing situation.”
