BRAVE UNA'S LEFT OMAGH LEGACY WELL BEHIND HER
BRAVE UNA'S LEFT OMAGH LEGACY WELL BEHIND HER
NEWS SPECIAL
By PAULINE REYNOLDS
BRAVE schoolgirl Una McGurk has learned to live with the mask which marks her out as an Omagh bomb survivor.
"It used to annoy me and remind me of what happened. For two months, I didn't wear it at all.
"But recently, I decided to wear it again and stick it for as long as I can," said the spirited teenager.
Una was standing so close to the massive car bomb when it exploded, that she felt she had triggered it herself.
The force of the 350lb blast hurled the teenager to the ground, and an agonising pain ripped through her entire body.
Her world was plunged into darkness momentarily- it was just a bad dream, she thought.
But reality soon sank in, as she began to realise the enormity of what was happening all around.
Ulster's most barbaric single atrocity claimed 29 innocent lives, and killed unborn twin babies.
Una was standing only yards from the seat of the blast which left her with dreadful injuries; a broken leg, severe facial burns and her body peppered with shrapnel.
She needed 120 stitches to her face, 150 more on her body and 25 staples in her leg.
That was almost two years ago to the day but, sadly, the horror continues to haunt many of those caught up in the Real IRA blast.
But others, like 16-year-old Una, are able to find the strength to start planning a bright new future.
And despite the unimaginable trauma she has endured, this remarkable schoolgirl can now talk openly about the experience that changed her life. Her voice is tinged with sadness for those who perished in the no warning bomb.
But with a maturity rarely seen in someone so young, she speaks with positive determination.
"I've found a new confidence within myself," said Una proudly.
"I realise that even with the mask on and the scars, I am still the same person underneath it all. I've survived.
"I'm happy with the way I look, and if someone doesn't like it, then it's their problem."
Although she accepts what happened, she doesn't want to forget it.
"I know I must move on and make a life for myself, and I hope the whole of Omagh can also put their sadness behind them.
"For the future, all I want is to do well and start looking forward," said Una, who has just completed seven GCSEs.
Una spent eight weeks in hospital, undergoing painful skin grafts and having her gaping wounds treated.
But she complained little, fearing it would upset her younger brothers and sister.
"I just put on a brave face and got on with it. I was the oldest and didn't want to annoy, no matter how much I was hurting."
NEWS SPECIAL
By PAULINE REYNOLDS
BRAVE schoolgirl Una McGurk has learned to live with the mask which marks her out as an Omagh bomb survivor.
"It used to annoy me and remind me of what happened. For two months, I didn't wear it at all.
"But recently, I decided to wear it again and stick it for as long as I can," said the spirited teenager.
Una was standing so close to the massive car bomb when it exploded, that she felt she had triggered it herself.
The force of the 350lb blast hurled the teenager to the ground, and an agonising pain ripped through her entire body.
Her world was plunged into darkness momentarily- it was just a bad dream, she thought.
But reality soon sank in, as she began to realise the enormity of what was happening all around.
Ulster's most barbaric single atrocity claimed 29 innocent lives, and killed unborn twin babies.
Una was standing only yards from the seat of the blast which left her with dreadful injuries; a broken leg, severe facial burns and her body peppered with shrapnel.
She needed 120 stitches to her face, 150 more on her body and 25 staples in her leg.
That was almost two years ago to the day but, sadly, the horror continues to haunt many of those caught up in the Real IRA blast.
But others, like 16-year-old Una, are able to find the strength to start planning a bright new future.
And despite the unimaginable trauma she has endured, this remarkable schoolgirl can now talk openly about the experience that changed her life. Her voice is tinged with sadness for those who perished in the no warning bomb.
But with a maturity rarely seen in someone so young, she speaks with positive determination.
"I've found a new confidence within myself," said Una proudly.
"I realise that even with the mask on and the scars, I am still the same person underneath it all. I've survived.
"I'm happy with the way I look, and if someone doesn't like it, then it's their problem."
Although she accepts what happened, she doesn't want to forget it.
"I know I must move on and make a life for myself, and I hope the whole of Omagh can also put their sadness behind them.
"For the future, all I want is to do well and start looking forward," said Una, who has just completed seven GCSEs.
Una spent eight weeks in hospital, undergoing painful skin grafts and having her gaping wounds treated.
But she complained little, fearing it would upset her younger brothers and sister.
"I just put on a brave face and got on with it. I was the oldest and didn't want to annoy, no matter how much I was hurting."
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/102
Published Date: 13-Aug-00
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