Singer Ariana Grande spread some holiday cheer across the pond to Manchester, England, more than five years after a suicide bombing at her 2017 concert in the city left at least 22 people plus the bomber dead and injured dozens of attendees.
On Monday, the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Charity shared on Instagram that the "Just Like Magic" singer had donated Christmas gifts for "young patients across our hospitals."
"The Christmas presents were distributed to babies, children and teenagers at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Trafford General, Wythenshawe Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital," the post said. "It's so wonderful that Ariana has once again been so thoughtful and made this special donation to our family of hospitals."
The post showcased a pile of neatly wrapped presents under a Christmas tree and a framed card that simply read, "Thank you Ariana."
"We know Manchester, and in particular Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, holds a special place in Ariana's heart," added Tanya Hamid, interim director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity.
In 2021, Grande gave nearly 1,000 presents for children of all ages. The year before that, she donated vouchers and toys for young patients.
In 2017, the Grammy-winning singer paid a surprise visit to several fans who were injured in the Manchester Arena bombing. In Instagram photos of her visit, Grande sat at the bedside of two young patients. She captioned one post with a heart emoji, and the other with "i love you."
Days after the deadly concert, the singer released a lengthy statement about the attack, sending "prayers and deepest condolences" to the victims.
"Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before," her statement continued. "I'll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honor of and to raise money for the victims and their families."
Among those who died in the explosion was suicide bomber Salman Abedi. In August 2020, his younger brother Hashem Abedi was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and conspiring to cause an explosion. He was sentenced to a minimum of 55 years in prison.
Judge Jeremy Baker said the brothers were "equally culpable for the deaths and injuries caused by the explosion."
"Although Salman Abedi was directly responsible, it was clear the defendant took an integral part in the planning," Baker said.
Grande has openly spoken about how the Manchester attack took a toll on her mental health. In an interview with British Vogue published in June 2018, she said she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder.
"It's hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it's a real thing," she told the magazine. "I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn't even be talking about my own experience — like I shouldn't even say anything. I don't think I'll ever know how to talk about it and not cry."
———
