By Canadian Press

Toronto actress Karen David on meeting Manchester victim at fan convention

May 23, 2017 | 1:45 PM

TORONTO — “Once Upon a Time” actress Karen David only met Manchester bombing victim Georgina Callander for a few minutes, but the sparkling 18-year-old’s embrace is ingrained in her memory.

The encounter happened a few weeks ago after the “bubbly” young woman walked up to Toronto-raised David with a plan. She’d travelled to a fan expo in Blackpool, England to meet the cast members of her beloved fantasy TV series, but she was missing a photograph alongside David, who plays Princess Jasmine.

“She wanted to do a hug photo,” recalls David, who gave her fan a hearty squeeze and signed the photo: “Lady Georgina. Love Karen David xx”

The image is now spreading across social media as “Once Upon a Time” viewers mourn a young woman’s life cut short.

Callander was among the victims of the suicide bombing outside of Manchester Arena where concertgoers were leaving an Ariana Grande show. The attack killed 22 people.

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Callander’s Instagram account is scattered with photos of her alongside her favourite celebrities, including Grande and YouTube star Tyler Oakley. Her photo with David is one of the most recent images posted.

Fans started tweeting the actress on Monday night to share the news of Callander’s death.

“I just thought it can’t be,” David says. “She was only tweeting me the other day.”

Scrolling through her Twitter direct messages, David discovered some unanswered notes sent by Callander last week. David hadn’t spotted them in the flurry of other messages from fans.

“(She was) talking about how she really enjoyed meeting me, and that she’d love to get some advice on having the courage to follow your dreams,” David says.

“I felt so horrible because obviously I was a week too late.”

Hoping to pay tribute in a way that Callander would appreciate, David took to her Facebook page and shared a message to the girl.

“It’s not fair, it’s not right. It makes me so angry and it breaks my heart that such a young and promising life has been stolen away,” David wrote.

“But I refuse to give in to hatred. I continue to choose love. I continue to choose unity because when we join together, we are strong! We will not be afraid. Dearest Georgina, may your kind soul rest in peace. Heaven has gained an angel.”

David hopes that isn’t the end of Lady Georgina’s story. She says the cast of “Once Upon a Time” is discussing a larger tribute to victims in Manchester that could involve a charitable donation.

But as those plans take shape, David is reflecting on how a meet-and-greet left an unexpected impact on her life.

“You remember these faces,” she says.

 

Follow @dfriend on Twitter.

David Friend, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

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