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The Grenfell Wall

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Sue Mitchell follows people whose lives have been affected by the Grenfell fire.

Sue Mitchell follows some of the people whose lives have been affected by the Grenfell fire.

The Grenfell Wall: 04/06/2018

04/06/2018

BBC Radio 4 - The Grenfell Wall, 04/06/2018

The Grenfell memorial wall gave a focus for grieving relatives, survivors and volunteers.

The impromptu memorial wall hastily assembled by volunteers, provided an outlet for those affected by the Grenfell fire. Producer Sue Mitchell has followed some of those affected.

Over the last year Radio 4 has followed families whose lives have been affected by the Grenfell fire, including those caught in the blaze and people working alongside them to provide support and help. This series focuses on the key areas to emerge as families struggle to come to terms with what has happened; some are also dealing with moving into temporary accommodation and not knowing when and where they will be rehoused.

The Grenfell memorial wall was hastily erected by church workers on the evening after the fire and within hours hundreds of messages of remembrance had been left and more white boards were placed along the railings, providing a walkway where some families left candles, soft toys and photos. There were also missing posters and pleas for information about those thought to have been trapped. Many came to stand and pray as the community tried to cope with the enormity of what had happened.

Maryam Adam was on the fourth floor of the block when her husband woke her - the fire had started in her neighbour's flat and she was one of the first to leave the building. In the immediate aftermath she was worried that smoke inhalation could have harmed her baby and she was desperate for news of friends on the floors above hers. In the months following she has struggled to get back to any sense of normality and is still living in temporary accommodation - now with her son, who was born in November. 

Maryam feels overlooked by housing officials, who she says have left her, her husband, her brother and his wife in a one bedroom apartment. She struggles to cope with the emotional trauma of what has happened and her health is not good. For weeks after the fire she waited for news, eventually tracing one woman she feared had died but finding that others had not made it out alive. She is grateful to the volunteers and church leaders who keep her supplied with clothes and essentials that were destroyed in the blaze.

Mario and Andreia Gomes lost their unborn baby, Logan, when they escaped from their 21st floor flat with daughters, Megan and Luana. He was seven months old and was delivered less than 24 hours after Mario led his family out of the burning building. His heart had stopped beating and Andreia was in a medically induced coma after inhaling thick toxic smoke. Over the last year the family has struggled with bereavement and with the physical impact of exposure, coupled with losing their home and all of their belongings. 

During the recordings Mario talks about the emotional support he gets from his close friend, Miguel Alves, who also escaped from the tower with wife, Fatima and children Tiago and Ines, who went to sit her GCSE chemistry paper the day after the blaze. Miguel made frantic phone calls to Mario after their escape, urging him to come down, but on the first two attempts the thick smoke beat them back. When fire entered their apartment they were left with no choice, but the escape was tortuous and the horror lives on today. Playing football allows both men to switch off from what is happening and they share memories and stories as the year unfolds.

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The Grenfell Wall

04/06/2018

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