Five years have passed since a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at Manchester Arena where singer Ariana Grande was performing, killing 22 people and injuring over 500, and since then Grande has regularly donated Christmas gifts to several local hospitals in the city.
The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Charity shared news of the gesture Monday on Twitter.
"Thank you Ariana!" they tweeted. "We were so excited to receive Christmas gifts for young patients across our hospitals from Ariana Grande."
The charity added that the gifts were distributed to babies, children, and teens at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, and Trafford General Hospital.
"It's so wonderful that Ariana has once again been so thoughtful and made this special donation to our family of hospitals," Tanya Hamid, interim director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, wrote on Instagram.
"We know Manchester, and in particular Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, holds a special place in Ariana's heart," she added.
The bombing happened May 22, 2017 during a show that formed part of Grande's "Dangerous Woman." She suspended the rest of the tour and took a two-week hiatus, but returned to Manchester a month later to throw a benefit concert that featured a star-studded lineup including Justin Bieber, The Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Little Mix, Katy Perry, Take That, Imogen Heap, Pharrell Williams, Robbie Williams, Victoria Monet, Marcus Mumford, and Liam Gallagher.
The sold-out event helped to raise more than $13 million for victims and their families.
Since the bombing, Grande has expressed guilt and regret.
"It's hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well," she previously said in an interview with Vogue.
"I wish there was more that I could fix," Grande added in 2018, according to E! News. "You think with time it'll become easier to talk about. Or you'll make peace with it. But every day I wait for that peace to come, and it's still very painful."
In May, Grande wrote a tribute to the 22 victims, which she posted to her Instagram stories.
"Although grief is ever present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round," Grande wrote, according to Page Six.
"I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one," she continued. "Please know that I am thinking of you today. Manchester, my heart is with you today and always,” she added, including the names of all 22 victims.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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