Paralysed Manchester Arena survivor ‘walks’ for the first time since attack

A man left paralysed by the Manchester Arena bombing has taken his first steps four years on from the attack.

Martin Hibbert, from Chorley, was at the Ariana Grande concert on May 22nd 2017 with his daughter Eve, then fourteen, when a terrorist detonated a bomb, claiming the lives of twenty-two people and injuring hundreds more. 

Martin and Eve were stood just five metres away from the attacker when he detonated his device, with Martin being hit by twenty-two pieces of shrapnel, some of which severed his spinal cord. 

As a result of this, Martin was left paralysed from the waist down and was told by doctors that he would never walk again.

Martin Hibbert / Facebook

But now, thanks to revolutionary technology, Martin has been able to take his first steps since the devastating attack; using an Exoskeleton, a wearable machine that helps people with spinal cord injuries to move, Martin was able to stand up straight and walk for the first time in four years.

He shared the incredible footage of his first steps on Twitter, writing: “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won and all the fears you have overcome.”

He later spoke to ITV Granada about his achievement, saying: “To be stood up straight was mentally amazing. I wanted that video to inspire people.

“That, actually, technology is changing on a daily basis and there are hopefully big changes coming in research for spinal cord injuries.”

But this isn’t the end of Martin’s journey; next year, he will be climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa, to raise £1M for Spinal Injuries Association, whom he is an ambassador for. 

He said on his mission: “They’ve helped me live a fulfilled life over the last four years so I wanted to give something back – and there’s nothing crazier than doing Mt Kilimanjaro!

“Hopefully, all the viewers in the North West, I want them to be behind me. I’m not going to be able to do it without their generous support.”

Martin is scheduled to set off for Tanzania next year on June 2nd, 2022. You can follow his journey and donate here.