Parachute Jump

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By Chris PageBBC News Ireland correspondent

Two friends, Kate Walls and Rachel Galbraith, were treated in different hospitals after being Caught Up in

The Women have recounted how, a few days after the blast, nurses put phones by their hospital beds and the two got to hear each other's voice and realise The Other had also survived.

" When I Heard her voice, I just burst into tears, " Kate said.

" It's the same for me - I cried, I was so relieved, " Rachel added.

On 15 August 1998, Rachel had been working in the County Tyrone town and Kate had come to meet her as she had an appointment in Omagh That Day .

Kate remembers the Last Words she spoke to her friend before The Bomb went off.

" I'm going to miss my appointment, I tell you what - I'm going to Go Home . "

Then, at 15:10 BST, That Saturday Afternoon , The Bomb - which had been left in a car in the centre of The Town - exploded.

Twenty-nine people, including A Woman pregnant with twins, were killed by The Device planted by the dissident republican Real IRA.

Kate and Rachel were among the Injured - More Than 200 of them.

Rachel Is still having operations, while Kate lost a leg and has had several More amputations since.

In the subsequent years, the pair's already close friendship has deepened.

" The fact the two of us were in it together meant we understood each other, " Rachel explained.

" We could rely on each other because we knew how we coped with it. "

" For me it meant That I wasn't on My Own , " Kate said.

" Of course our families were behind us, but I didn't want to go into The Details with them because I didn't want them to worry any More Than what they were already. "

When both women are speaking about this - it's notable That they sound like Sisters - finishing each other's sentences, placing reassuring touches on each other's forearms.

Earlier this year, they thought about what they wanted to do to mark The Anniversary .

" Twenty-five years ago, we were Young Women who were supposed to be enjoying life, so of course we made plans, " Kate explained.

" One of them was motorbike Lessons - to try to get our test, which Rachel did do, " Kate said.

" Coming Up to the 25th anniversary, we mentioned what about The Other thing we had talked about, a Parachute Jump . "

The Women decided to use a skydive to raise money for The Wave Trauma centre, which has provided support to people in Omagh, and many other victims and survivors of violence in Northern Ireland .

Their jump also had a certain symbolism as they both recount how they felt a " sense of freedom" when they jumped out of the plane at 15,000ft.

" It was a statement for the two of us, That we're still strong, " Rachel said.

" I was absolutely terrified, but once you jumped, it was amazing. "

Kate said she distinctly remembers looking out The Window of the plane and thinking about why they were both there.

" This nearly didn't happen, because it could have gone Either Way for both of us 25 years ago, " She Said .

Kate reflected That when other anniversaries of The Bomb came up, she " didn't want to know".

" Because the Simple Things in life had become More difficult, you thought That Day has made me like this, " Kate said.

'Made us both a lot Stronger '

" Today, I still wish I hadn't been there 25 years ago, but now I'm proud of my scars, I'm proud I have a prosthetic Limb - That 's my story, That 's my history. It's me. "

Rachel said: " When you go in for surgery again and you're recovering, you Think - Why? What was All That for?

" You feel so angry, we wish it Never Happened , but it's made me Stronger - it's made us both a lot Stronger . We're here.

" Sadly, a lot of people weren't so fortunate. "

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Source of news: bbc.com