Brave teen caught up in Manchester attack raises money for cancer

A girl took part in a run to raise money for cancer despite the trauma of being caught up in last week's terror attack at the Manchester Arena.

Eva MacFarlane (13) after completing the 5k at The Edinburgh Marathon Festival. Picture:TSPL

Eva Macfarlane, 13, from Livingston ran the Edinburgh 5k on Saturday with brother Ethan, 20, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer.

Both her aunt Julie Hills and cousin Julie Montgomery have been diagnosed with cancer. Eva said: “I decided to do the run to show them that I care about them.”

Just days before Eva and her mother Sylvia had been in Manchester.

He father Gary, and sister Maia, 9, had come to pick them up after the concert.

Amid the panic following the explosion, her mother had been pushed to the ground and Eva had to pick her up.

Eva said: “There was this really loud bang. At first I thought it was one of the balloons bursting but people starting running and screaming.

“There was a big stampede and my mum was knocked over – I had to help her up.

“We were really worried about my dad and my sister. I was really scared and did cry at some points. It’s hard to get my head around and I still think about it quite a lot.”

Eva and her mother wandered Manchester for hours trying to find a way back to their hotel and to get in contact with her father and sister. They were eventually reunited at the hotel.

When safely back at home in Livingston, her mother told her she did not have to take part in the run after the trauma of last week.

However Eva said: “Life has to go on and I wanted to do the run to raise the money for my aunt and cousin.”