The 2022 Manchester 10K Run falls this year on the fifth anniversary on the Manchester Arena Attack, where our youngest daughter Freya was seriously injured and her best friend Nell lost her life. It seems amazing to us that five years have passed. We owe Freya's life to Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital and we will always use any opportunity to raise money for their charity. This year it's a full family occasion, joined by a number of friends too. It's also the first time that Freya has been able to do the run since major spinal surgery in 2019. In these difficult times, charities have really struggled to fundraise and we would be incredibly grateful for any donations to help us support this incredible cause.

The fifth anniversary clearly represents a milestone for us, and taking part in the run will be poignant and emotional. We know that the majority of people hold the view that, after five years, we should be moving on and getting on with our lives. We're certain that many people look at the way we surround ourselves with images of Manchester and the iconic Manchester Bee and wonder why we would want those continual memories. All we can say is that most people, luckily, have never experienced real trauma. For the families of the 22 who lost their lives on that terrible night in 2017, it is impossible for us to imagine how can they 'get on with their lives'; for them, trying to deal with their loss will undoubtedly continue to challenge them for the rest of their lives. For us, I guess we are getting on with our lives, but that's a lot different from 'moving on'. 

Dealing with the emotional, and in Freya's case physical scars from 22/05/17 is not something that we will ever leave behind. We have all been changed, profoundly, from the events of that night. We don't want to forget what happened, because those memories validate how we feel today. Royal Manchester Children's Hospital has become an incredibly special place for us, which may sound strange given the incredible battles that Freya fought her way through there in the weeks and years following the attack. It's not really something that we can explain. Channelling our energy into supporting this wonderful institution provides us with something positive that we can take from our experience.

Hopefully the words above make people understand what drives us, and even better if you donate some money!

Thanks for reading. The Lewis Family x