The mother of Saffie-Rose Roussos, the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena terror attack, says she believes her daughter would have survived if given the 'right medical attention'. The eight-year-old, from Lancashire, was among 22 people who died when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb following an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.
Today (Thursday) an official report into the atrocity found it was 'highly likely' Saffie-Rose's death was 'inevitable even if the most comprehensive and advanced medical treatment had been initiated immediately after injury'.
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"There was only a remote possibility that she could have survived," Sir John Saunders, the chairman of the public inquiry added. Saffie-Rose was five metres from Abedi when he detonated his bomb in the City Room, the foyer just outside the arena bowl.
She remained in the foyer, where only three paramedics were dispatched, for 26 minutes as she drifted in and out of consciousness while being helped by members of the public, Showsec security staff and medics from the Arena's medical services contractor ETUK.
At 10.56pm, while Saffie-Rose was still conscious police officers helped by members of the public placed her onto an advertising board which was being used as a stretcher. Ten minutes later she was placed into an ambulance where she was given emergency care.
She was taken to hospital where she went into cardiac arrest and was declared dead at 11.40pm. Her cause of death was ‘multiple injuries’ caused by the explosion.
Speaking to the BBC Saffie Roses's parents Lisa and Andrew say they believe their daughter was 'badly' badly let down'. Lisa said: "I believe in my heart that she would have survived if she had been given the right medical attention. I do believe that.
"I believe that knowing Saffie and how she was talking, how she was fully aware, breathing, drinking water, basically asking for help - just help me.
"The first lot of experts said she was survivable, then they changed their mind. That plants a seed of doubt in your head.
"So when we asked for more experts and they came back and said they believed with the correct treatment, administered quickly they believed she may have survived. And I know that. I know that anyway from Saffie. So for Sir John Saunders to acknowledge the second lot of experts' opinion that means a hell of a lot to me."
Andrew said: "She was let down. Badly, badly let down.
"It's acknowledging Saffie's respect and her fight for life. That's important and on the flipside to that, it makes you so angry to listen to these professionals saying, under oath, that it was adequate and if it happened again we wouldn't do anything different.
"How can you sleep at night saying that?"
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