The family of Saffie Rose Roussos, the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing, have paid tribute to her on what would have been her ninth birthday.
In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today show, Saffie’s father Andrew opened up about his daughter, and life after the tragedy that killed 22 people.
Describing his little girl, he said: “She was a joker. She was a huge character. She was just everything you could wish for in a little girl.”
“She loved dancing, music and gymnastics. If she wanted something, she would do it. She loved fame, stardom.”
Touching on the memory that the beautiful Saffie has left behind, Andrew added: “I knew that Saffie would love her pictures to be on, and to be spoken about on TV.”
Saffie Rose attended the Ariana Grande concert on May 22 with her sister, Ashlee, and her mother, Lisa.
The incident left Lisa in a critical condition, in an induced coma. She underwent several operations.
Thankfully, Lisa is now recovering well, but Andrew recalled the heart-breaking moment when she woke up and realised what had happened to her youngest daughter.
He said: “I was dreading it. She just looked at me and said, ‘She’s gone, isn’t she?’ And I said, ‘Yeah’. She goes, ‘I knew’.”
As for life after losing Saffie Rose, her big brother, 11-year-old Xander, explained: “We do a little bit of laughing, a little bit of joking, a little bit of crying and cuddling, and that’s how we get through the day.”
The terror attack sent shockwaves out around the world, with members of the public and celebrities alike rallying to support the victims and their families.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds were raised for all those affected by the tragedy, with celebrities including actor Tom Hardy and musician Liam Gallagher.
Ariana Grande later returned to Manchester for a benefit concert, bringing a host of famous pals along with her, to perform and help with the fundraising.
The Roussos family, and all those affected by the bombing, remain in our thoughts and prayers.
