As many call out the Manchester Ariana Grande concert attack as an act of anti-women violence, stories are emerging about brave figures who were true heroes during the tragedy, including the singer’s own mother, who swept fans backstage to safety and one woman who came to the rescue of 50 kids who were beyond terrified.
Paula Robinson and her husband were at a train station next to the Manchester Evening News Arena last night when they felt the blast caused by the deadly explosion. When they began to see teenagers and young girls running and screaming, Robinson jumped into action. Heading right for the group, she told the girls to follow her and safely got them to a nearby hotel.
With 50 kids now under her watch, Robinson took to social media to attempt to reunite the scared young ones with their equally terrified parents. “We have got about 50 kids with us waiting to be picked up, they are safe we will look after them. Please re-post for any parents with children at MEN [Manchester Arena]. We have taken as many kids as we can to Holiday Inn. We will keep them safe and stay with them.”
@AmyLou_Cotter@LiveYourNow Bless you, whoever you are. Thank you for watching out for the children.
— CJ Frederick (@PoweredbyPoodle) May 23, 2017
While many are praising Robinson for her actions, she feels that it was just a mother’s instinct to do what she did, telling Rolling Stone, “I did nothing that nobody else would do. I thought of my own kids and I just know what I would have wanted. I would have wanted them to be looked after and taken away from the area if I couldn’t have done it… I have children and I have grandkids; it makes me feel sick to think of those little lives lost.”
Though we’re just as heartbroken as Paula Robinson, we’re thankful there were individuals like her there to help out.
(h/t Pop Sugar; photo via Christopher Furlong/Getty)