Teenager had dreamed of becoming an architect

A 14-year-old girl who died in the Manchester bombing that also left her mother and grandmother seriously injured in hospital dreamed of being an architect, her heartbroken grandfather has said.

Michael Healey said granddaughter Sorrell Leczkowski, from Adel, Leeds, was “our rock” as he paid tribute to the “clever, talented, creative girl”.

Other family members have described how Mr Healey’s wife, Pauline, underwent 15 hours of surgery to remove shrapnel from her body and also suffered multiple compound fractures to her arms and legs.

In a statement issued through Greater Manchester Police, Mr Healey said his wife remains in intensive care and Sorrell’s mother, Samantha, is also recovering from surgery.

Mr Healey said: “I am absolutely heartbroken to confirm that my granddaughter was killed in the terror attack that claimed so many innocent lives.

“Sorrell was only 14, but she was our rock, she kept us all grounded. She was such a clever, talented, creative girl, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

“She was going to be an architect and wanted to go to Columbia University in New York to study so that she could build hotels with slides coming out of the rooms and so that she could build her mum a house.

“My wife is currently in intensive care, and Samantha is recovering from surgery as she tries to make sense of the devastating loss of her daughter.”

Mr Healey’s statement said Sorrell, her mother and grandmother had gone to the arena to collect two girls who had gone to the concert.

Mr Healey’s daughter Stacie set up a fundraising appeal that, by Thursday morning, had already exceeded its total with nearly 300 people raising almost £5,000.

Another online appeal set up to help the family has topped £10,000.

Sorrell Leczkowski.