‘I know nothing can ease victims’ pain’
A SCOTTISH survivor of the 9/11 terror attack has warned how the Manchester victims and their families will relive the trauma for years to come – but also sent them a heartfelt message of hope.
Finance expert Lorraine Blevins was on the 60th floor of the World Trade Centre’s south tower, escaping just before the building collapsed.
It was terrifying experience which was to shape Glasgow-born Lorraine’s life for years afterwards – and from which she says she is still healing.
Monday night’s attack brought back those terrible memories – and prompted Lorraine to speak out.
She said: “I know that nothing I can say can ease the pain of the victims’ families or the wounded.
“Only time can nurse their hearts.
“I pray for the adults and children that are left with sleepless nights, horrifying dreams and the fear that they will carry for many, many years. I know because I lived it.”
Lorraine, now 47, was at her desk at Morgan Stanley when the first hijacked plane hit the other tower.
She and some colleagues ignored orders over the PA system to stay at their desks and started making their way downstairs.
She bumped into a friend and they had reached the 44th floor when 18 minutes later the second jet struck, this time hitting the tower she was in. They felt the floor ripple beneath their feet.
During the descent of an emergency stairwell, Lorraine was just ahead of a group of 200 people who were “swallowed up” as the building collapsed.
Once outside she was confronted with scenes of terror and panic.
“I remember 9/11 after finally making it home from New York to New Jersey. I looked around at people in my home town. I observed cars driving and people going about their day. It pained me. I couldn’t understand it. From the outside looking in, it appeared cold.
“Now I know that this could not be further from the truth. The truth is that we all have empathy and that we will not forget.
“It may appear that nothing really changed that day, but it did.
“Fast forward to 2017 – with each passing day, with each terror act on innocent people, our mentalities change and the world is being reshaped.
“I fear now we face the truth which is that our civilised communities may no longer be civilised.”
But Lorraine also believes that these dreadful experiences can be overcome, eventually.
She said: “With fear comes courage, with sadness comes joy. Not today, nor tomorrow but eventually the healing process begins.
“Its been 16 years and I am still healing.”
Lorraine has since married and she and her husband John, 46, have two children, Sean and Brooke. She added: “God bless all the people of Manchester. I pray that they can rebuild their community and heal.”