A Thurso primary school has unveiled a poignant memorial to a “chirpy” former pupil who died from sepsis aged just six.
Miller Academy revealed Paige’s Path, a colourful memorial to “chirpy, happy” Paige McPhee.
Paige was just six when she passed away suddenly from sepsis in 2018. Her death devastated her family and the school community.
Three years on, the school has created a beautiful tribute to their pupil.
Paige’s Path features one colourful pebble for every child in the school. The path lines the woodland area at the back of the nursery where Paige spent many happy days playing.
Visiting the path today, mum Tracy points to a nearby tree.
“Paige was always up that tree when I came to pick her up from nursery,” she says. “Even on holiday when she was only four, she’d go down the biggest slides and be off swimming – she loved swimming. She was just a chirpy, happy girl, always laughing. I have a video of her laughing and I listen to it over and over again.”
The pain of losing Paige is still raw for Mum Tracy, Dad James and their family. Today they are joined by Paige’s Gran, their six daughters and their new granddaughter, named Bailey Paige.
Community effort
Headteacher Mrs Budge explains that Paige’s Path brought the whole school community together. “We asked each child in the school to paint a pebble before and then during lockdown to create the path,” she says. “We plan to add to it every year, with each new P1 class painting and adding pebbles to it, making it a ‘living’ path.”
The whole community rallied round for the project. Pupil support assistant Mrs Catherine Woods varnished all the pebbles herself in her own time. Local contractors GMR Henderson dug out the path and laid the cement. Mr and Mrs Mancini from A&D Sutherland Quarry in Spittal provided a Caithness stone sign, to which the family have added their own memorial featuring photos of Paige.
As the pupils show the family around, they’re excited to share their memories. “Paige was my first ever friend here,” says one former classmate. “She came straight up and told me her name, then we did a funny dance. I can’t think of her without crying.”
Despite the sadness of the day, Paige’s Path keeps Paige in the heart of the school community. When she is old enough, 6-month-old Bailey will also attend Miller Academy, a thought that’s comforting for Paige’s parents.
“Paige loved babies,” says Tracy. “I remember we got her a Hatchimal toy one Christmas, and when the egg hatched she shouted out ‘I’m a mudder!’
Memories like these have helped the family to come to terms with the loss of Paige.
“It still feels like yesterday”
Tracy explains that their daughter had been to a Little Mix concert and seemed a little unwell next day. When she complained of aching all over, they took her to Dunbar Hospital in Thurso for a check-up. The hospital referred them on to the A&E in nearby Wick as a precaution, and it was only when a paediatrician was flown up from the central belt that the seriousness of Paige’s condition emerged. Within a short couple of hours, Paige had passed away.
“You hear of other people’s children dying of sepsis but you never think it will happen to yours,” says James. “You’d never wish it on anyone. I still miss her a lot.”
Tracy adds: “It still feels like yesterday. It sounds strange but my Dad died recently and since then something in my brain has clicked. I feel a bit better because I feel like he is with her and she’s not alone.”
“We wanted to remember her in a positive way,” says Mrs Budge. “Paige’s Path will be a living memorial to a darling little girl.”
The family says the tribute “means the world” to them, and they are grateful to Mrs Budge, the pupils and staff of Miller Academy, and the workmen who all helped to make it happen.
“It’s nice to have something there in future so pupils who didn’t know Paige will see what she looked like,” says James. “We know she’ll never be forgotten.”
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