TEENAGERS who survived the Manchester bombing have been praised for their dedication and strength of character after achieving good grades in GCSEs sat days after the attack.
The brave 15-year-old girls, of Newton Aycliffe, have dumbfounded family, friends and supporters with their determination to return to their normal lives.
Today (Thursday) the youngsters' strong will and hard work paid off as they received their English language GCSE results equivalent to about an A and B.
PRIDE: Millie Robson with mum Marie Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT
Speaking at Woodham Academy, where they attend school, Millie Robson said: "I'm really glad I got a 6 because I was quite worried about it as it wasn't in the best circumstances.
"It was three days after I came out of the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and we did it on the couch at home.
"I actually felt more relaxed about, after everything that happened, so it didn't feel as a big of a deal as it had been before.
"It sounds weird but I feel I owe it to the people who weren't as luck as I was - I have to make the most of it."
Millie, who revised from her hospital bed, was with pal Laura at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on May 22 on the day of the attack.
SURVIVOR: Laura Anderson who has achieved a grade 7 in her English language GCSE
The pair were leaving the venue as the bomb went off - hitting them both with shrapnel, metal, glass and bolts.
While Millie was left with holes in her legs from the wounds, Laura also had to have shrapnel surgically removed from her leg, body and shoulder.
From a holiday in Spain, she told The Northern Echo she had secured a grade 7 in the GCSE sat in June.
"I didn't think twice about it (sitting the GCSE)," said Laura. "I thought I might as well try.
"I'm really glad about the result because I had no idea how I'd done as I hadn't been able to revise."
Both bombing victims returned to school before the summer break but continue to recover, physically and psychologically.
Millie, who was forced to have further surgery after coming home from Manchester, has just finished taking her course of medication but has to have injections annually as a precaution for the rest her life.
She said it would act as "a constant reminder" about what happened and she continues to suffer from tinnitus and difficulty sleeping.
Similarly, Laura has trouble sleeping due to tinnitus and though life is more-or-less back to normal, loud noises trigger thoughts of the atrocity.
"Sometimes when there are loud noises or lots of people it puts me on edge but I just try to relax and have been doing what I can," she added.
Commending the girls' courage, headteacher Christine Forsyth said their dedication to their exam and desire to get back to school showed a "triumph of will" and "strength of character".
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