A grandmother has “died of shock” within an hour of hearing that her teenage grandaughter, who survived the Manchester Arena terror attack, passed away in her sleep.
Zara Ahmed, 18, survived the Ariana Grande concert in May that left 22 people dead and hundreds injured.
The university student tragically died in her halls of residence this week at Liverpool John Moore’s University where she was studying Forensic Science, after complications with diabetes.
The family are now facing up to a double tragedy, and shared an emotional tribute as they come to terms with the death of Zara and the teenager’s grandmother.
“We all love you so much.”
“Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare and no amount of words can capture the loss and grief that Zara’s parents, Asefa and Kaleem are feeling at this moment,” read the moving statement.
“Zara was their first born child and from the moment she was born their mission was to make her the happiest and most loved child on earth.
“Of course the journey was never going to be easy.”
The teenager was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes from the age of 11 months. She had a strictly controlled diet and a daily routine of insulin injections.
Her family, who live in Kinmel Bay, North Wales, described how having diabetes didn’t stop her from “embracing life and everything that went with it.”
They added, “We will all miss the bright, sassy, bubbly, goofy girl that was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside but we will hold on to the memories.”
They added, “During a time of distress and fear Zara held onto her faith and never hid it from others.”
“All of her programme team and fellow students are deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our thoughts are with Zara’s family.”
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