Among the harrowing stories to emerge from the Manchester terror attack is the tragic account of a 32-year-old woman named Kelly Brewster who reportedly shielded her niece during the deadly bombing.
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The Daily Mail revealed on Tuesday that Brewster died during the attack. She was at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena with new sister Claire and her 11-year-old niece Hollie Booth when the blast unfolded.
Hollie broke her legs and her mother broke her jaw during the bombing. At first, loved ones held out hope that Brewster was simply missing and hospitalized after the attack, though they later learned that she had died.
Kelly Brewster is killed shielding her young niece from the deadly blast in Manchester Arena her family reveals https://t.co/3yn6eM7SCV
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) May 23, 2017
Brewster and her boyfriend, Ian Winslow, had reportedly put in an offer in on a home the day before the bombing, according to the man’s father, John Brewster.
“Kelly was a lovely lass. When I think of her now, all I remember is her smile,” John Brewster told the Daily Mail. “They were both looking forward to a bright future and sharing their lives together.”
Local media praised Brewster for her bravery, with The Star placing her photo on the cover of the newspaper. The outlet called her a hero and proclaimed that she “selflessly shielfed her young niece” during the blast.
So sorry to report we've had to update our front page following confirmation of Kelly's death. RIP #manchesterattack pic.twitter.com/MzMC8MiSAr
— The Star, Sheffield (@SheffieldStar) May 23, 2017
Brewster’s uncle, Paul Dryhurst, spoke out with more details about the incident in an interview with ITV. He said Brewster, her sister and her niece were walking out of the arena single file when the bomb went off, the Telegraph reported.
“When the bomb has gone off the impact has broken Claire’s jaw and broken Hollie’s legs,” he said. “They are both currently in hospital having nuts and bolts removed from all places. Claire is having a bolt removed from her face and poor Hollie is having bolts removed all the way up her legs.”
The two lost Brewster in the chaos. A friend corroborated reports about Bewster saving her niece and said she “did all she could to protect” the little girl when the bomb went off, throwing herself in front of her after the child was tossed in the air.
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