news

Mum died in Manchester after sending a text that accidentally saved daughter's life.

Fifty-year-old Wendy Fawell was killed in last week’s attack on Manchester Arena, moments after US singer Ariana Grande’s concert ended.

Her 15-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was also at the concert and says she could have also lost her life if she hadn’t misread her mum’s instructions for where to meet after the show.

Charlotte was 45 metres away from the blast which killed her mother, all because she misread a text from her.

“I read the text wrong,” Charlotte told The Sun on Sunday.

“If I’d have gone to the right door, I might not be here now. But I took a door on the left instead.

“I was walking out, a massive bang went off and the entire arena shook. I knew people were dead.”

ADVERTISEMENT
Wendy Fawell was one of the 22 people killed in last week's attack. Image via Facebook.

In the hours after the attack, Charlotte said she rang her mother frantically, "hoping she'd been knocked unconscious and she might wake up and answer".

But Wendy was killed in the blast, a fact Charlotte didn't learn until two days later, when she had to identify her mother's body.

LISTEN: We Need To Talk About Manchester. Post continues... 

"I never gave up hope. On Wednesday, a detective came and said there was a 99 per cent chance they're not with us any more. I burst into tears.

"She was my best friend, we did everything together."

A furious Charlotte has a message for the man responsible for her mum's death.

"How would you feel if you were my age and you had no mum?" she said.

"She promised to be here forever and now she isn't - because of you."

Charlotte was attending the concert with her boyfriend Lee. Both their mums were waiting to pick them up. Image via Facebook.

Charlotte was at the concert with her boyfriend, 16-year-old Lee Davis. Lee's mother Caroline was seriously injured in the blast.

Caroline and Wendy had 'split up' to cover different exits so they didn't miss their children leaving the concert.

Now, mum-of-three Caroline, 39, has vowed to take care of Charlotte following the tragedy, telling The Mirror Wendy was "more like a sister than a friend".

ADVERTISEMENT

"I'll never replace Wendy but I will always be there for [Charlotte]," she said.

"I'd do ­anything for her and I'll love her like she is my own. I've been like a second mum to Charlotte anyway.

"I have said she can live here if she wants to. There is always room for her here."

Caroline said she is struggling with 'survivor's guilt', revealing she was the one who bought their kids tickets to the concert.

Caroline with her son, Lee, who was at the concert with Wendy's daughter. Image via Facebook.

"I have cried so much...partly because I feel guilty for buying the tickets," she said.

"The kids were hugging and kissing me when I got them but I wish I had never bought them."

Caroline said that despite the tragedy, she wants to try and keep some "normality" for her children and Charlotte, who she said is "not coping" with the loss of her mum.

"I don't want to let hate win," she said.

"I am just ­going to be there for her until she needs me."

If you'd like to support the victims of the attack and their families, you can donate to the Manchester attack victims fund here.