A mum who suffered horrific burns in a petrol bomb attack that killed her four children will bravely leave hospital for their funeral nine months on.
Michelle Pearson, 36, was left in a coma after two lit petrol bombs were tossed inside her family home in Salford, Greater Manchester, last December.
Her beloved kids Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and three-year-old Lia all died after suffering smoke inhalation and burns in the devastating fire.
More than half a year on, they have yet to be buried – while their mum remains seriously ill in hospital , where she is said to be missing them "like crazy".
Michelle, who was described as still "critical" by loved ones last month, only recently managed to talk again and has been struggling to eat.
She has spent months fighting for her life, has battled a number of infections and has even had one of her eyes stitched shut because of her injuries.
But next month, the determined mother plans to take the huge step of leaving hospital for the day so she can finally bid farewell to her children.
Loved ones hope the day will be "nice and peaceful" and the four siblings will get the beautiful send-off they deserve after the devastating blaze.
The youngsters will be carried to the service on horse-drawn carriages, while the dress code is "black and pink for girls and black and blue for boys".
A relative told Mirror Online: "The public is welcome to walk behind the horse and carriages up to the service.
"They are also welcome to the service and can line the streets in a mark of respect, however the burial and wake are private.
"We just want it to be a nice peaceful day and to give the kids a really good send-off."
They added: "Michelle will be attending.
"She will have to go from the hospital."
At the time of the fire, Michelle screamed "Not the kids! Not my kids!" before being overcome by the smoke, heat and flames that had filled her home.
She was rescued from the property along with youngest daughter Lia – but the little girl tragically died in hospital two days after the incident.
Demi, Brandon and Lacie, who had been sleeping in a front bedroom when the house was petrol-bombed, all perished in the blaze, a court heard.
The "beautiful" children suffered cardiac arrests and died as a result of a combination of smoke inhalation and burns following the fire.
Despite her injuries and grief, Michelle is said to be making progress every day – with her proud relatives supporting her each step of the way.
The relative told us: "It’s a slow and long process but it will get better."
The children’s funeral will take place on Friday, September 14.
The procession will begin on Jackson Street in the Walkden area – the same road that the attack was carried out in just a fortnight before Christmas.
It will leave at 10am, before travelling through St Mary’ Park and to Bridgewater Primary School, where Brandon and Lacie had been pupils.
It will then stop for a minute, before continuing to St Paul’s Church.
There, the service will begin at 11am.
The relative told us there will be "plenty of family speeches".
Afterwards, the siblings will be laid to rest together, with little Lia being buried in a Peppa Pig coffin because she loved the programme.
The funeral will take place nine months after the early-morning attack – and four months after two men were jailed for life for the children’s murders.
Zak Bolland, 23, was handed four life terms and told he must serve at least 40 years behind bars by a judge at Manchester Crown Court in May.
David Worrall, 26, was ordered to serve a minimum term of 37 years in prison.
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Bolland was also convicted of three counts of attempted murder relating to Michelle, her son Kyle Pearson, 17, and his pal, Bobby Harris.
However, Worrall was found not guilty of three counts of attempted murder.
A third defendant, Courtney Brierley, 20, was found not guilty of murdering the children, but convicted of the alternative of manslaughter in each case.
She was handed 21 years in a young offenders’ institution.
Bolland had admitted reckless arson, a charge denied by the other two.
In a statement, read out on the steps of the court after the verdicts, the children’s gran Sandra Lever said: "Today may be the end of the trial but it is not the end for us as we try to recover and get on with out lives.
"Michelle, the children’s mum, is still recovering from her injuries, and will be in hospital for some time to come. The staff have been amazing and are trying their best to fix her, but they will never be able to fix her broken heart.
"We miss the children every day, our lives are just not the same without them."
The statement continued: "We will never again hear their voices… that thought leaves us numb. I hope that Bolland, Worrall and Brierley know that they have taken away the light of our lives. We are very happy today with the results and would like to thank all those who have helped us to get justice."
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police released shocking pictures of the aftermath of the attack, showing the house’s badly-burnt interior.
In one harrowing photo, a charred tub could be seen in the Pearson family’s bathroom, surrounded by a burnt sink and bits of debris.
In another, blackened stuffing drooped through the structure of a ceiling.
The force also released CCTV of Bolland and Worrall filling up a petrol can at a Texaco station ahead of the murders.
And it unveiled separate footage of the killers fleeing from the scene in the dark after the house was set alight.
The court had heard Bolland had been involved in a "petty" feud with Kyle.
The lit petrol bombs were tossed inside the home at around 5am on December 11, 2017, with the second device ‘exploding’ near the stairs.
This blocked the only exit to the ground floor and trapped the victims upstairs as flames engulfed the house, the court was told.
Kyle and Bobby survived the attack, along with Michelle. And in several weeks’ time, the four siblings who died will be finally buried together.
Loved ones have asked for family flowers only. On the day of the funeral, donations can be made to a charity chosen by Michelle.
The family have thanked supporters for "everything" they have done, but have asked them to respect that the burial and wake will be private.
The details of the service come two months after relatives marked Brandon’s ninth birthday by hanging up balloons and banners for him.
Friends said at the time that they hoped the youngster’s sisters were throwing him the "best birthday party up in Heaven".
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