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.
Australia Implements ‘Glow In The Dark’ Road Markings To Improve Safety
Using a novel approach, Australians are paving the way for safer nighttime driving: glow-in-the-dark road markers. These creative marks are inspired by the glowing hands of tactical watches and are intended to increase road safety and visibility, especially at night.
Selected highways in the state of Victoria will be painted with fluorescent paint as part of this ground-breaking effort, which is being led by Regional highways Victoria as part of an extensive road safety campaign. The state’s Innovative Package includes glow-in-the-dark lines, which have the potential to completely transform nighttime driving conditions for drivers all around the region.
Although the idea has been praised for its potential to improve traffic safety, other people are worried about possible risks brought on by the increased luminance. The criticisms vary from worries about the photoluminescent paint’s durability and safety to worries about the temptation for drivers to turn off their headlights.
Advocates of the effort, however, are unfazed, highlighting the revolutionary potential effects it may have on road visibility and driver attentiveness. The investment in glow-in-the-dark road markings, which is expected to cost AUD $4 million (USD $2.82 million), highlights the dedication to innovative solutions that put public safety and well-being first.
In addition, the installation of LED tactile paving at controlled pedestrian crossings is a critical step in improving pedestrian safety, especially in metropolitan settings where there are many distractions. The LED hues are synchronized with traffic light signals to provide pedestrians with enhanced visibility and direction, thereby reducing the risks associated with low visibility conditions.
Even though there were some initial concerns and doubts about the application of glow-in-the-dark road markings, the basic objective is still very much the same: to create a safer and easier-to-navigate road environment for everyone. With Australia leading the way in these cutting-edge approaches to road safety issues, there is a bright future ahead for safer nighttime driving. The idea of safer roads illuminated by progress is becoming closer with constant attention to detail, teamwork, and creativity.
Some individuals believe it to be extremely dangerous since people may be tempted to switch off their headlights in an attempt to show off how awesome it is, despite the positive reviews and potential for increased safety.You simply can’t prevail, can you?
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