Manchester Arena survivor Freya Lewis thanks hospital for saving her life

Freya, from Holmes Chapel, was just three metres away from the terrorist who detonated the bomb at an Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017.

She suffered 29 injuries – including two broken legs, a broken arm, burns, eye and facial injuries, was in a coma, and then wheelchair-bound for three months.

Today, exactly five years since the tragedy, Freya, now 19, is taking part in the Great Manchester Run for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity.

“Staff at the hospital were incredible,” said Freya, whose best friend Nell Jones from Goostrey was one of the 22 victims killed in the blast.

“They helped me to recover as fast as possible. I couldn’t have got through this without their incredible staff.

“They saved my life, quite simply.

“I will continue to support them to the end of my life.

“It’s the least I can do, my family feel the same way.”

Freya will be running on Sunday with parents Nick and Alison, sister Georgia, Georgia’s boyfriend Nathan, auntie Elaine and university friends Summer Finley and Ilisha Chauhan.

Freya Lewis

With support from her family, she is now fulfilling a childhood dream.

Freya is studying acting and performance at LMA in Stratford.

“I’m doing what I always wanted to do since I was younger,” said Freya, who studied for A levels at Sir John Deane’s College after taking GCSEs at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School.

“I used to dream of being on film or television, anywhere there’s action.

“I’ve made incredible friends and it’s going really well.

“Appearing in a drama or rom com would be a dream.

“Julia Roberts and Ann Hathaway are my idols.

“I feel really lucky to be looking forward to a career.”

The close bond she shared with best friend Nell Jones, who died in the terrorist attack, is something she will treasure forever.

Nell Jones, Freya's best friend who died in the terrorist attack

“You don’t expect to lose your best friend when you are 14,” said Freya, who underwent major spinal surgery.

“I remember her being so intelligent and so funny.

“You couldn’t get a more distinct laugh.

“When I find something funny now, I think ‘I wish I could tell Nell that’.

“She was really into English and loved drama.

“It is important to me to help other people because that’s what Nell would have wanted me to do.”

Dad Nick brought Freya and Nell to the concert and could have been killed himself had it not been for a security guard.

“I was waiting for the girls in the foyer and this guy said: ‘I wouldn’t stand there because they will all come hurtling through’.

“I went onto the bridge across to Victoria Station. Five minutes later the bomb went off. I owe that guy my life. The bomb went off where I had stood.”

Nick returned to the foyer and frantically searched through the smoke and chaos for Freya, who was miraculously found by strangers.

“This couple saved Freya’s life,” said Nick. “They got her out of the foyer 30 seconds after the bomb went off. We owe Kim and Phil Dick for so much.

“They even managed to call my wife and said she was with them.”

Nick was reunited with Freya as she was tended by paramedics.

Freya’s family are indebted to all the medics who helped her recover from such traumatic injuries.

“Manchester Children’s Hospital is a truly incredible place,” said Nick.

“There is something very special about it.”

To sponsor Freya and her family visit justgiving.com/fundraising/nicholas-lewis10.