The father of Saffie Roussos, the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, has spoken of the moment his wife realised their little girl had died in the blast.
Lisa Roussos, 48, was placed in an induced coma after sustaining serious injuries when a 22-year-old British man detonated a homemade bomb outside an Ariana Grande concert on May 22.
When the mother of three regained consciousness she turned to her husband, Andrew, and said, “Saffie’s gone, isn’t she?”.
The grieving father simply nodded.
“That’s all that was said really,” the 43-year-old told the BBC.
Saffie, who would have turned nine today, was the youngest of the 22 victims of the blast, in which another 250 people were injured.
Speaking to the BBC, Andrew Roussos described his daughter as "huge character", "a stunning young girl" who would have wanted her face to be recognised and remembered in the media.
"She was just everything you could wish for in a little girl," he said.
"She loved dancing, music, gymnastics. If she wanted something, she would do it."
When Andrew arrived at the scene at Manchester Arena that evening, he found Saffie's older sister Ashlee being treated for shrapnel injuries, while his wife and young daughter were missing.
He later confirmed Lisa had been taken to nearby Salford Royal Hospital, but hours of "panicking" and "worrying" passed before a police detective delivered the tragic news about his little girl.
"I couldn't take it in. I just sat there looking at him," Andrew told the BBC. "It's just your worst nightmare. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think."
After multiple operations and the support of her family, Andrew says his wife is recovering well, despite the loss of Saffie.
"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," he said.
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