The anniversary of Lee Rigby’s murder is always the hardest day of the year for the soldier’s bereaved family, but in this milestone 10th year there is a glimmer of joy.
Because Lee’s younger sister Courtney is expecting her first baby – bringing true happiness to the family after a decade of deep sorrow.
Courtney was just a girl of 11 when her adored big brother was killed in a terrorist outrage on May 22, 2013.
A decade on, she is a young woman of 21 about to start a family of her own with delighted partner Aidan Lloyd.
Overjoyed mum Lyn said: “We’re all so happy for Courtney and we know Lee would have been thrilled too.
“It really shows how time moves on, and while we are all still so sad at losing Lee, it’s only right we find space in our hearts to enjoy the happy events too.
“Lee would have made a terrific uncle to this little baby and, like everything else we do, we will include Lee in the birth and life of this little one.”
Student Courtney will complete her university law degree this summer in time for the birth of her baby in September. She said: “This baby is so loved already, and I couldn’t be happier. I know Lee would be over the moon too and I’ve no doubt he’ll be watching over us, keeping us all safe like he always did.
“I miss Lee so much and wish he was here with me to share this, but I know he would want me to be happy and not sad.”
In an exclusive interview with the Mirror yesterday, mum Lyn told how it was down to the loving support of her four daughters and her husband Ian that she survived the horrific loss of her son.
The machine gunner and drummer from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was killed aged 25 by Islamist extremists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale as he walked to his barracks in Woolwich, South East London, in civilian clothes.
Lyn said: “I was so wrapped up in my own grief at the time, I failed to see how much my four girls were hurting.
“Despite their own pain, they rallied round and pulled me through the darkest of days.
“It only seems like yesterday that Courtney was just a little girl but she’s come such a long way. She is going to make a terrific mum.”
Lyn added: “It’s lovely to be able to celebrate some good news in the family.
“We have had 10 years of tragedy and so much sadness that we need something happy to look forward to. Lee lived life to the full in his 25 years and now it’s down to us to live life for him.”
Like all Lee’s sisters, Courtney idolised her brother and fondly remembers playing football with him outside their home in Middleton, Manchester. One of her most treasured memories is when the Manchester United fan took her on a tour of Old Trafford. She still keeps a memory box full of keepsakes of Lee from over the years.
Courtney said: “It helps me keep Lee alive. No matter what happens in life Lee will always be with me.”
Courtney and her sisters have also been a huge show of support for her mum and dad Ian in running the charity Lyn set up in Lee’s name.
The Lee Rigby Foundation, which helps bereaved military families and suffering veterans, recently opened a caravan on the Welsh coast where those in need can take time out.
To mark the 10th anniversary of Lee’s death, Lyn has launched a JustGiving fundraising platform to invite donations towards a new caravan on the east coast to help more people.
She said: “Eventually we want to have them scattered around the country, so they are accessible to families wherever they live.
“We want to use Lee’s name for good, to use his memory to help people and to ensure he is never forgotten.”
