‘Mum calls me her fighter’

Every day, while I’m at school, Mum writes me little notes of positivity on the whiteboard in my bedroom: ‘You are amazing’, ‘You inspire me every day’ or ‘You are a fighter’. That’s what she calls me: her little fighter. I was born seven weeks premature, and Mum always says I came into the world fighting and haven’t stopped.

On the night of the attack, Nell and I were so excited to see Ariana Grande. We’d been best friends since we were 11 and the singer was one of our favourites. We sang and danced throughout the concert. At one point, she linked her arm in mine, her face full of joy, as she said, ‘I love you.’ She was the happiest I’d ever seen her.

When the concert finished, we rushed out to find Dad. I was texting him when I noticed a man standing in the middle of the foyer, 10 metres away from me. He was dressed all in black and was facing me, with a deadpan expression. I looked down, sent the text to my dad, linked arms with Nell and, at that exact moment, there was a piercing sound; the loudest thing I’d ever heard. I was flung forwards into a giant bright light. As I was falling, everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. I could feel Nell’s arm slip out of my mine.

When I came round in hospital, I was disorientated. The ward noises mingled with my memories of the arena, and I thought I was having some sort of premonition. I cried out, warning my parents that we couldn’t go to the concert as something horrible was going to happen.

There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t miss Nell. I think about how different life would be if she was still by my side. On the bus to college,

I get sad when I’m next to an empty seat and imagine her sitting there.

But now I have more good days than bad – and that’s down to my family.

The way that everyone in Manchester and across the world came together was incredible. It made me realise how amazing people are, no matter what they believe in, and that, ultimately, there’s more good than bad in the world.

We’ve always been a close family, but this has pulled us together even more. From an early age, Mum encouraged me to talk to her, and I know she’ll always listen. If there’s a day when I’m upset, I think: ‘It’s fine, because Mum’s here.’ It’s Mum’s strength and belief in me that propels me to keep going. She is the one who made me brave.