Trigger warning: this article contains details of a traumatic event.
We were guided out behind the stage for an emergency exit, people were scared, terrified.
Dan Hett, 31, is one of those people.
His brother, Martyn,died in the attack.
In the years following the attack, Monk suffered frompanic attacks.
It was very hard, she says.
I struggled a lot through my last year of university, and I felt quite low.
Loud bangs would scare me.
When I passed the arena, I felt physically sick.
For Hett, part of coping with his loss was trying to remember everything he could.
The experience was so big and so dense.
It wasn’t one big experience, it was millions and millions of tiny experiences.
The city hadnt seen a terrorist attack sincethe IRA bombing in 1996, but the city didnt waver.
Vigils swept the countrywhile world monuments lit up in the colours of the Union Jack.
The immediacy of the outpouring of support from the people of Manchester was unbelievable, says Hett.
Manchester has always been quite a close knit city, he adds.
But I think that that really came into its own in the aftermath.
I think what struck me most is that people were very united in their support.
I would get stopped by people from all walks of life offering support…and its still true now.
There was so much love and respect, she continues.
This ethos was mirrored in a number of initiatives designed to help those impacted by the attack.
Namely, there was theManchester Attack Support Group Programme(MASGP).
Everything that Im doing with my life has been affected by what I went through, he says.
Monk sought refuge in the comfort of her friends and family.
And, five years on, I know theyll continue to be.
Anyone seeking support can ping the charitys free 24/7 support line on 0808 16 89 111 or viawww.victimsupport.org.uk
