Ariana Grande arrived back in the UK on Friday morning ahead of the One Love Manchester benefit concert. Her first stop was making an unannounced visit to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to surprise visit young fans injured in the Manchester terror attack.
The singer spent time with 8-year-old Lily Harrison, who is still in hospital after suffering a shrapnel wound and bruised lung in the attack.
According to Manchester Evening News, Ariana reportedly kneeled by the young girl’s hospital bed and told her, “I’m so proud of you. You are so strong. You are doing really well.”
And in another interview, Lily’s father, Adam, told Billboard the visit had “done the world of good” in boosting his daughter’s recovery.
“Lily’s hands were shaking and she was really giddy with excitement when the nurses said that she was coming, but Ariana was absolutely brilliant. She was very humble and knelt on the floor in front of Lily and was stroking her head and telling her how she’d been a really strong little girl and was proud of her.” Harrison said.
Ariana also visited a number of other children including Jaden Farrell-Mann, 10, and Evie Mills, 14, and posed for pictures with hospital staff.
After visiting the hospital, Grande also posted a black and white picture on Instagram showing her at the bedside of another survivor, 10-year-old Jaden Farrell-Mann who suffered fractures to both legs and shrapnel wounds.
On Sunday, One Love Manchester will honor the victims and families affected by the May 22 suicide bombing at Grande’s Manchester Arena concert which left 22 dead and 116 injured. The benefit concert will feature performances by Grande, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Take That, Niall Horan, Little Mix, Robbie Williams and Black Eyed Peas.
Tickets for the 50,000-capacity show sold out in minutes. Organizers promised free entry for the 14,200 fans who attended Ariana Grande’s original Manchester Arena show.
The concert will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The show will also be broadcast live on television in more than 50 countries across five continents. Freeform and ABC stations will air the show in the United States.
Author
