David PriestmanA selfless Mancunian man gave up his hospital bed yesterday, offering it instead to any victims injured in the Manchester terror attack.
When David Priestman heard the news that a lone terrorist had detonated a bomb at Manchester Arena at 10:35pm on Monday evening, after an Ariana Grande gig, he immediately wanted to help the wounded.
But army veteran Priestman was bed-bound in Wythenshawe hospital, after being rushed in with severe kidney pains on Friday night. The 35-year-old army veteran and father-of-two was admitted for complications after he underwent surgery for kidney stones two months ago.
David PriestmanDavid said he was lying in hospital in agony when he found out about the attack at “around 10ish I see posts via Facebook off mates” adding, “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was in disbelief seeing this tragic moment of madness unfold in front of my eyes.”
Describing the hospital descending into ‘pandemonium’ David recalled:
Seeing girls running around crying and videos and images of blood made me start crying. I sat on my hospital bed in shock. I heard the nurses saying they needed to be on stand by.
They were saying the hospital was on lockdown, and that all the windows and doors needed to be shut. I felt like I was in a war zone.
David PriestmanDavid told UNILAD:
I’m not ashamed to admit I was crying. I was terrified. I mean, I’ve got kids myself and I’m seeing all these videos and pictures on social media.
Imagining this could be my kids, I was glued to it for hours and then as I watch it a nurse walked in the room, saying the hospital was taking victims from this attack.
PAThe basketball player and self-confessed ‘team player’ continued:
So [the nurse] said they needed to lock and close the doors down and I realised this was getting serious.
I felt helpless and I wanted to help them get beds ready but they said I had to go back to bed. So I told them if anybody needed my bed they could have it.
David PriestmanAfter protests from nurses, who said David ‘wasn’t well enough’ to be discharged, the brave man persisted and gave up his bed for victims of the attack, adding: “I didn’t want to keep my bed. They can have it if they need it.”
David, whose parents are disabled, is adamant terror won’t defeat the spirit of his community – and he is one of many brave Mancunians whose actions in the past 48 hours have remained steadfast in the face of evil.
Huge crowds showed up at Tuesday night’s vigil to honour the dead and stand in solidarity against terror.
UNILADThe attack resulted in 22 fatalities and 59 injuries. Our thoughts are with the bereaved and all those affected.
Police are encouraging anyone with footage from the scene to upload it at ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk or ukpoliceimageappeal.com. Other information can be reported to the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.