{"alias":"storyCaseStudy","byline":"As told to: Aimee-lee Abraham","standfirst":"On 22 May 2017, Dr Darah Burke found himself caught up in the terror attack at the Manchester Arena, along with his family. Here, he talks about how being a Scout prepared him to act in an emergency, and ultimately helped him to heal in the months that followed.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003E\u2018It was a Monday evening. My wife Ann and I headed into the city with our youngest, Catherine, to see Ariana Grande perform at the Manchester Arena. We stopped to get something to eat, then headed inside. Catherine was so excited. It was a special treat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EAfter lots of singing and dancing, we were in a hurry to get home, so we decided to leave the arena during the encore. As we were walking through the foyer, there was a massive bang. An explosion. Everything was dark.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EAt that point, no one understood what was happening. Catherine was on the floor. Ann and I were still standing, although we were hurt, too. We made the decision to get out, scooped Catherine up and left as quickly as we could.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EWhen we reached the bridge just outside the foyer we took a moment to re-assess. Catherine had sustained damage to her head, arms and legs, and we were struggling to carry her because of our injuries. We delivered first aid as best as we could, using a shirt I was wearing. We all had shrapnel injuries and would require multiple surgeries, but at the time we didn\u2019t even know metal had been used in the attack.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EOnce we were out of immediate danger, I made the decision to leave my injured family on the bridge and headed back into the foyer to help. I was in pain but, like many members of the public who happened to be close by, I was working on autopilot \u2013 the primitive part of my brain kicking into overdrive.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EI\u2019m a doctor, but I deal with the typical ailments you might see in a GP\u2019s office \u2013 coughs and colds, chronic pain, check-ups. In 20 years, I can count the number of times I\u2019ve had to react to a serious emergency on one hand. The trauma I saw was very severe. There wasn\u2019t an awful lot I could do, except to triage survivors and direct help to wherever it was most needed. It\u2019s not something you ever expect to see.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EIn hindsight, I think Scouting helped prepare me for the situation. I undergo mandatory training once a year at work, but Scouting is what keeps first aid at the forefront of my mind. Because of my background, I\u2019m frequently called on to train young people. It\u2019s not just about practical first aid skills. It\u2019s the ability to take stock of a situation, to put one foot in front of the other under pressure. I saw recently that the London Ambulance Service commended a group of Scouts who intervened to save someone who was drowning. As a Scout, helping others is just what you do, isn\u2019t it? It\u2019s engrained.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EIn the aftermath, I couldn\u2019t drive for a month and needed support. Scouts stepped up, offering lifts to the hospital, delivering bundles of food. Our Cubs made cards, and a group in America shipped us a banner of condolence shortly after the news broke. It\u2019s still hanging on the wall in our meeting place. People are so kind, aren\u2019t they? Catherine even had a hospital visit from Ariana Grande herself \u2013 it really boosted her spirits.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EI went back to my volunteer role six weeks after the attack, as soon as my wife would let me. You\u2019ve got to carry on in life to get the support you need. Undoubtedly, the attack has affected Manchester as a whole. Everybody knew someone involved, and the trauma we experienced is more apparent with time. Catherine lost her hearing in one ear as a result of the blast, and we\u2019re adjusting to the reality that she\u2019s never going to get it back.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003EAt first, Catherine and Ann didn\u2019t want to go back into the centre of Manchester, but the support of the wider community gave them the courage. We were determined to visit St Ann\u2019s Square to see the tributes left by the public, and we achieved that with Ann and Catherine in wheelchairs and myself on crutches, the day before the flowers got taken away. When the permanent memorial is unveiled it\u2019ll be even more special, because the \u00A360,000 Scouts raised by selling bee badges will have helped to build it.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003ESome good has come from all of this. I\u2019m not much of a singer, but we perform as a family as part of the Manchester Survivor\u2019s Choir and it\u2019s been an incredibly valuable experience. We\u2019ve met amazing people who shared our ordeal, and we sang for thousands of people as part of the first anniversary remembrance vigil.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"In hindsight, I think Scouting helped prepare me for the situation. I undergo mandatory training once a year at work, but Scouting is what keeps first aid at the forefront of my mind.","attribution":"","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough Scouting, we also attended Windsor as a family, where I received the Bronze Cross award. The night before the ceremony, I realised I\u2019d conveniently left my uniform behind and was about to drive all the way home when Ann turned to me and said \u201C\u2018Hang on, somebody in Scouts will be able to help you!\u201D Within an hour, we found a guy from Stockport who was also coming to the event. My uniform made its way to\u00A0him and he brought it to me just in time. I\u2019d never met him. My fellow leaders had never met him. You can always talk to somebody in Scouts.\u00A0\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003EUnfortunately, after an incident such as this, your faith in humanity \u2013 your trust \u2013 is damaged. When it comes to feeling supported, it\u2019s great to be part of a worldwide movement, but the bottom line is your immediate group; the people you volunteer alongside week in and week out, the young people you watch grow. I know I can always rely on them, no matter what.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Chr style=\u0022border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; cursor: default; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid #666666;\u0022 /\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn memory of those who died and those who were affected by the Manchester Arena bombing.\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThank you to Dr Darah Burke, Ann Burke and Catherine Burke for sharing their personal story with us.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"09 May 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":40252,"nodeName":"Darah\u2019s story","title":"Darah\u2019s story","type":"storyCaseStudy","image":{"url":"/media/2072/manchester-bee.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd2cf0ec20","caption":"Manchester Bee .jpg","type":"jpg","size":50300,"width":1200,"height":675,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Darah\u2019s story","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"When Dr Darah Burke found himself caught up in a terror attack at Manchester Arena, he had to draw on the resilience he learned at Scouts.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80MDI1MiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/may/darah-s-story/"}