Annalisa Gilmore was 10 years old when she survived the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, the deadliest such incident in the United Kingdom since the 7/7 bombings in London. She had been attending an Ariana Grande concert with her mother and older sister when an explosion occurred at 10:31 p.m., killing 22 people and injuring more than 800 others.

After the attack, Gilmore was fast-tracked into counselling through children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). However, she said she rushed through the therapy in an effort to maintain a sense of normalcy and cope with the trauma at a young age. It was only after leaving home to attend university in London that she began fully processing the impact of the incident.

“When I went to uni in London, that was supposed to be the first year that I wasn’t at home for the anniversary, and I think not being in the community of Manchester, and not being with my mum, who also went through that, was just quite isolating,” Gilmore said. She noted that many survivors her age are now realizing they never properly processed the trauma because they were so young when it happened.

Now 19 and studying professional dance and musical theatre at BIRD Conservatoire in London, Gilmore has chosen to share her experience publicly to help other survivors feel recognized and less isolated. She recently appeared on a prominent American podcast to speak about living with trauma years after the attack and has launched a fundraiser to open dialogue with others affected worldwide.

Gilmore emphasized that for survivors, the experience extends far beyond the day of the bombing. “You don’t just survive the day itself. You survive every day after that,” she said. Reflecting on her own journey, she expressed how the attack continues to influence her identity, especially as she navigates young adulthood. She hopes her openness encourages others who feel unable to share their stories.

Her mother, Elaine Gilmore, who was also at the arena with her children, described the long-term challenges of coping with the event’s aftermath. Elaine highlighted how Annalisa’s anxiety intensified around the anniversary after moving away for university. “She started thinking that there’s probably a lot of people like her who are survivors that feel completely forgotten,” Elaine said. She also noted the misunderstandings survivors face, such as teachers assuming that accommodations or special supports were no longer necessary years later.

Elaine described the ongoing emotional toll on the family, emphasizing that they still wonder how the lives of her children might have differed without having endured that traumatic night. “At the time I was more caught up in making sure they were all right. But as you go on, you realise that it did have a bigger impact than you thought it had,” she explained. “But it’s more that I’ve never known what my children would have been like if they hadn’t been there. That’s been the worst thing.”

Nearly a decade after the bombing, Gilmore’s efforts to speak out reflect a broader need to acknowledge the enduring effects of terror attacks on survivors and their families, and to ensure they remain part of the public conversation.