Butterfly Stickers Started Springing Up In NICUs – And This Is Their Heart-Wrenching Hidden Meaning

Glance into any neonatal intensive care unit, and you can expect to see some of the most fragile of a hospital’s patients struggling to grow and survive. But then your gaze falls upon an unexpected sight: a cot that’s bedecked with a purple sticker in the shape of a butterfly. And this little decal isn’t just for show, either, as there’s actually a deep and truly heartbreaking meaning behind their use.

A Special Symbol

Now, hospitals around the world use the purple butterfly as a subtle symbol. Whereas some institutions may place stickers on newborns’ beds, others may tack them to the doors leading into certain patients’ rooms. Regardless of where they’re seen, though, these depictions of the winged insect are all there for the same reason.

Purple Butterflies

And the woman behind the project, Millie Smith, chose the purple butterfly for a very specific reason. You see, in NICUs and nurseries the world over, blue represents baby boys; pink, by contrast, is typically used to denote newborn baby girls. So, the purple butterfly represents them both, as blue and pink combined creates an eggplant-colored hue.

Inspired By Tragedy

But purple butterflies in the NICU signal more than just the birth of a baby. Smith came up with the concept after going through a tragedy herself, and now her idea helps parents in hospitals and facilities around the world as they finally begin to adjust to their new normal.

The Journey Begins

Smith’s journey to the purple butterfly began in November 2015. At that time, she discovered she was pregnant, and — even without a doctor’s confirmation — she felt certain it was twins. Her family had a long history of multiple births, after all, meaning the prospect was far from an unlikely one.