‘Gary was my rock’: Amie Rohan opens up about how she endured daughter Willow’s death in 2018

Amie Rohan has revealed how estranged husband Gary helped her through the death of daughter Willow while accepting she’ll “always have bad days”.

Amie Rohan, pictured with daughters Bella and Sadie Picture: Mark Stewart

Amie Rohan still has tough days but supporting others and sharing her story has helped her cope.

Rohan and Geelong star ex-husband Gary lost one of their twin daughters, Willow only hours after giving birth in 2018. Willow’s twin Bella survived and spent three weeks in NICU when she was born.

They welcomed another daughter Sadie last March.

This year Rohan has become an ambassador for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

“I went into the whole premmy baby NICU life very naive,’’ Amie told the Herald Sun.

“It made me realise that there’s always someone in a worse off position.

“We were dealt a tough blow with Willow and having to be strong for Bella. But we got to meet families that were in there for months on end.

“When you compare that to what we had to go through, it’s nothing.

Amie Rohan is an ambassador for the 2021 Good Friday Appeal. Picture: Mark Stewart

Gary and Amie with their new born daughters Bella and Willow before Willow passed.

“By being an ambassador for the RCH it’s my chance to give back where I can.

“Everyone has a story and sharing my story in a sense has helped me so much. To get it off my chest has become a coping mechanism for me.

“If I can encourage someone else to heal then it’s worth it. I’m always going to have bad days but they’re nowhere near as bad as what they were.”

Amie, Bella and Sadie live together on the Surf Coast after moving when Gary was traded from Sydney to Geelong in late 2018. They separated last year.

She said talking was the biggest thing for her.

“I have an inner calm I never knew I had,’’ she said.

“Talk, seek professional help, don’t keep it bottled up.

“Gary was my rock at the time (we lost Willow) and the support network got us through.

“It’s the 90th anniversary of the Appeal and the money raised is just phenomenal, it goes to important research and facilities.

“It’s not until you have to experience it like we did with NICU, that you understand how vital it is.”