Brave mother’s farewell to the youngest victim of Manchester bomber
WITH her leg in a splint and arm in a sling, the mother of the Manchester terror attack’s youngest victim bravely attended her daughter’s funeral yesterday.
Lisa Roussos, 48, was only discharged from hospital last week following the Ariana Grande concert bombing which killed eightyear-old Saffie Rose.
Mrs Roussos was also seriously injured in the attack on May 22 and needed a wheelchair to rest her leg better during the service.
But she chose to walk in and out of Manchester Cathedral for her daughter’s funeral. She was joined by family and hundreds of mourners as the funeral cortege left from the city’s Wythenshawe Hospital, where she is still receiving treatment.
Mrs Roussos, who was initially put in an induced coma following the bombing, limped and had one arm in a bandage and sling as she held a red rose before the service.
Saffie’s wicker casket arrived at the city’s cathedral in a silver Rolls Royce hearse followed by the funeral cortege. At the start of the service, her brother Xander, ten, and sister Ashlee Bromwich, 26, who was also injured in the attack – placed a Bible and cross on their sister’s coffin.
Andrew Roussos, 43, wiped away tears as he told of his ‘ honour’ at being the father of such a ‘beautiful daughter’. He added: ‘ Every little girl aspires to become something. The ones that make it are born with it, they’ve got it from the beginning, and Saffie had that.’
Mourners were requested by the family to carry a single rose and wear the eight-year-old’s favourite colour – pink. The service included a montage of pictures of Saffie, set to Ariana Grande music.
The funeral ended with a recording of the song Over the Rainbow, from the film The Wizard of Oz, sung by friends from Saffie’s school.
About 300 people were inside the cathedral and at least a hundred more listened outside.