BY SAM YARWOOD
YOUNG woman who suffered lifechanging injuries in the Manchester Arena attack has opened up about her road to recovery in a moving documentary – filmed by her older sister.
Hannah Mone, 18, was leaving the Ariana Grande concert with Jess, 21, when the blast tore through the venue.
The sisters were just 15ft from the explosion. Han- nah was hit by shrapnel.
She lost the little finger on her right hand, suffered permanent damage to her ring finger and hand, and was left with pieces of metal embedded in her body.
Although Jess escaped unhurt, both she and Hannah were left deeply traumatised by the attack and have been treated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They have also struggled going into Manchester city centre since the bombing.
After the attack, finalyear filmmaking student Jess began recording her sister’s treatment and rehabilitation to help her keep track of her progress and keep her motivated.
She soon realised that Hannah’s journey was an inspirational tale of resilience and bravery in the face of overwhelming tragedy – and decided to turn her story into a short documentary.
The 10-minute piece – entitled In Bloom – will be screened at the Manchester School of Art Degree Show later this month, as well as at HOME today.
In the documentary, Hannah recalls the night of the attack.
She said: “I definitely didn’t think it was a bomb because I had it in my head that nothing bad could ever happen to us in Manchester. Nothing connected to me that it was a terrorist attack.”
Jess then asks her sister what she remembers from that night.
“When I think back to what exactly happened it still doesn’t really feel real, it feels like I’ve just dreamt it.
“We came up the steps and were walking into the foyer when you (Jess) walked ahead because I thought I’d lost my phone so I was stood for a couple of seconds and I started to catch up to you when it went off.
“I don’t know what happened to me but I was on the floor, it felt like a blackout. You grabbed my hand screaming ‘run we need to go’ and we started to run, and then I realised that I was injured.”
Footage included in the documentary shows the sisters fleeing the chaos down the stairs into Victoria Station.
Hannah, from Bramhall, says it took a while for her to process what had happened, but when she did she thought, ‘this can’t happen, I’ve got a maths test on Thursday.’
The short film also sees the teenager talking about her injuries healing, and the daily dose of medication she has to take to manage her pain.
There are also close-ups of Hannah’s injured hand decorated with beautiful floral patterns and the Manchester bee, before ending with her 18th birthday party and discharge from hospital.
Jess, who worked on the documentary with students Hannah Vigus and Angus Graham, says it is a symbol of how they both want to get on with their lives – her with her ambitions to be a film producer, and Hannah’s dreams to travel the world.
She said: “Afterwards I realised you only get one shot at life, and that’s why I made the film. When you get so close to losing it, you realise you need to get on with your life.
“We do more things together now. Time is precious and we know we need to make the most of it.”
Jess added: “The main thing I want from the film is that people don’t come away from it crying. I want them to come away thinking – look at this brave young girl. This terrible tragedy does not define who Hannah is.”