MORTON manager Dougie Imrie has opened his heart on the 20 “amazing” days he had with his premature baby daughter before she passed away.
The Cappielow chief hailed little Remi — who was born 14 weeks early — as a “fighter” who gave him and partner Lauren McCreaddie unforgettable memories.
He told how Remi weighed just 1lb 4oz at birth on July 30 but rallied and was getting stronger despite having multiple infections.
But the tot tragically succumbed at University Hospital Wishaw, Lanarkshire, on August 19.
In a moving interview with The Scottish Sun, Dougie, 42, said: “We had an amazing 20 days with Remi. Unfortunately we lost her. Her wee lungs gave up and she couldn’t fight any longer.
“But she’s at rest now, she’s at peace and we’re grateful, very grateful for the 20 days we got to spend with her.
“She fought every single minute to give us those days, to give her time to try and make it.
“We’ll always be proud of her. She’ll always be here with us.”
Dougie, from Lanark, was all set for the new Championship season with Morton when Lauren, 28, gave birth to Remi.
He missed Morton’s first match of the campaign and it later emerged he was at his daughter’s bedside in the neonatal unit with Lauren, praying for a miracle.
Dougie said: “I think unless you’ve been in that situation, in that sort of unit, it’s very difficult to explain the emotion of walking through the doors.
“Because it’s just buzzers that are constantly bleeping. Machines, numbers, drugs.
“You know, Remi was hooked up to three, four, five drugs at once.
“Her wee body was covered in pick lines going into her arms, into her feet so that these amazing doctors, nurses, midwives could do what they do best — look after babies.”
Dougie told how his and Lauren’s time with Remi was a “rollercoaster” of highs and lows.
He was able to be at her birth but medics raced her away almost immediately to begin her intensive treatment.
Dougie said: “I was there. I was in the maternity ward. We got that special moment, albeit it was very quick.
“Lauren only got to hold the little one once before she was whisked away to get all her tubes and stuff.
“At times, we feel sad because for a long period in that unit she was turning a corner and putting on weight.
“You could see that she was getting bigger but there were times when she was fighting, she was fighting infections. She had three infections that she fought off bravely.”
Dougie told of a “very emotional night” when the news was broken to Lauren and him that Remi had died.
He praised hospital staff for allowing them time with their beloved daughter to make poignant and special memories.
Dougie said: “Even after the little one passed away, the care and attention they gave to myself and Lauren for those days that we spent in the hospital with Remi was second to none.
“They were there at every corner making sure we were okay first and foremost, making sure Remi was still okay.
“Just the small details that they’ve done with us — making footprints, making handprints, giving the little one a bath, getting us a little bit of her hair. Just the small things that we will always cherish. Those small details that these people gave when she was in the unit, and then obviously after she passed away, they’re amazing, these people. They are worth their weight in gold.”
Dougie said he now has to stay strong for Lauren and his son Jenson, six, from a previous relationship.
He said: “Jenson’s very innocent in all of this. He asks hard questions but he’s only a baby himself. I’m really proud of Lauren and what she’s managed to do and cope with.
“I’ve seen a different side to her. I knew she was a strong person, a strong woman, but how she’s dealt with this situation is testament to her as a person.”
Despite his torment, Dougie was back in the dugout the day after Remi’s funeral for a match against St Johnstone.
He said: “Football takes my mind off the pain that’s going through my body at for a couple of hours.”
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