York sisters who lost their parents in Manchester bomb join stars on Disney trip

The York sisters who lost their parents in the Manchester Arena bombing joined other relatives of victims treated to a day at Disneyland Paris.

Alex and Patrycia Klis, aged 20 and 12, whose parents Angelika and Marcin were killed in the atrocity, took part in the star-studded trip.

The sisters were joined by friend Megan Hewitson, who had been at the Ariana Grande concert with them at the Arena when the attack happened.

Also there were stars Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright, along with comedian John Bishop and cast members of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

An amazing day

The families flew out on the special early-morning British Airways charter flight from Manchester Airport on Tuesday (December 19).

Former Canon Lee and York College student Alex said the day had been “amazing”.

She said: “I think it’s extraordinary what they have done because we would never have expected anything like this.”

TV presenter and ex-Towie star Mark Wright, and Coronation Street turned Our Girl actor Michelle Keegan, said Disneyland was one of their “favourite places”.

Mark said: “It’s a special thing to do, it’s putting light on something that was so negative and they’re just smiling away.

“It’s so incredible to see and so incredible to be able to be part of something that just gives something back. This is the perfect place because everybody just smiles and it’s just a magical place.”

Comic Relief trip

The trip was part of British Airways’ celebrations to mark the airline reaching a landmark £17 million raised for Flying Start, its global charity partnership with Comic Relief, since 2010.

John Bishop, who joined families on the flight from Manchester, said: “The strength of character that they’ve all shown is beyond I think what anyone could possibly expect.

“And so for BA to put this together with Comic Relief and Disney is, I suppose, just a little thing in a long journey for them but it’s a positive thing.”

Charlotte Hodgson, whose daughter Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15, died in the terror attack on May 22, said: “It’s helped the 22 families phenomenally.

“We’ve walked round, we’ve seen the families and we’ve seen the smiles and that is what this is all about.”