Louis Tomlinson presents an NHS Heroes Award to a Manchester bombing survivor bringing tears to her eyes
She raised £40,000 for the hospital that helped her
Last updated 15th May 2018
Last night 15-year-old Freya Lewis, a Manchester bombing survivor, was presented with an NHS Award by former One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson. Freya was awarded The Young Fundraiser Award for raising £40,000 for the hospital which had saved her life and as the pop star handed over the award to the teenager she broke down in tears.
After the bomb which tragically killed 22 people, including Freya's friend Nell Jones on the 22nd May 2017, Freya was left unconscious, fighting for her life. She suffered multiple fractures from the blast meaning she had to have multiple operations and spent five weeks at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Although doctors thought Freya may never walk again she surprised everyone by getting back on her feet after three months in a wheelchair.
Since leaving hospital, Freya hasn't only begun to walk again, she has also signed up for the Great Manchester Run which takes place soon. Speaking about her daughter, Freya's mum Alison said, "She is so determined. She has shown the most incredible strength."
The NHS Heroes Awards were hosted by Paul O'Grady and are awards given to NHS staff and volunteers across 11 exciting categories including emergency lifesaver, mental health champion, NHS lifetime achievement and unsung hero. The awards took place last night (14th May) and will be shown on ITV on the 21st May.
In the months since the Manchester bombing there have been many inspirational stories including Martin Hibbert, a 41-year-old football agent who was left paralysed after the bombing. Martin has defied the odds and will line up on the start line in Manchester city centre this month determined to finish the 10k distance in under an hour.
He said, “Anyone who knows me knows how determined I am. It’s going to be a huge challenge for me to use my arms to push myself around the course, but I will do it."
Martin hopes to walk again in the future and recently underwent pioneering treatment in Australia which saw him regain movement in his toes after just two days.
Another Manchester bomb survivor is Hollie Booth from South Yorkshire. She recently wowed judges on Britain's Got Talent by auditioning in the city. Holly and her friends took to the stage wearing T-shirts with the Manchester Bee, with Holly's friends borrowing wheelchairs from the Red Cross in support of their brave friend. They performed to a medley of songs which included Ariana Grande's hit 'One Last Time'.
On the 22nd May 2017 22 people's lives were tragically cut short. The victims were Alison Howe, Angelika Klis, Chloe Rutherford, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle, John Atkinson, Liam Curry, Lisa Lees, Marcin Klis, Kelly Brewster, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss, Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Saffie Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell, Courtney Boyle, Philip Tron and Martyn Hett.
As the one year anniversary of the events draw near our thoughts are with those affected.