Bomb victim's degree of success

Delighted: Suzanne and proud mother Chris

A young woman who lost a leg in the Omagh bombing has proved that courage can triumph over adversity.

Three years after the horrific explosion, Suzanne Kelly has graduated with a degree in education without needing extra time to complete her studies.

Suzanne was one of more than 200 people who were injured in the August 1998 atrocity, carried out by the dissident republican paramilitary group, the Real IRA.

A massive car bomb exploded during a busy shopping day in the County Tyrone town and killed 29 people.

Omagh: The aftermath of the atrocity

Suzanne, who is from Omagh, was in the middle of a four-year course at the University of Liverpool when she was caught up in the explosion.

Despite serious injuries, she made an early promise to herself about her future.

"The day after the bomb when I realised what had happened to me, I just thought the IRA had taken away a part of my body, but they weren't going to take away the rest of my future.

"So I decided from the very outset that I was going to continue."

Suzanne was allowed to study at home until she was well enough to return to university, where she coped with the difficulties caused by her injuries.

"I found it very hard trying to get from one class to the next because my walking wasn't as great as what I had hoped it would be, at the beginning," she said.

Suzanne leaving hospital after the bomb

"But my friends were of great support to me when I went back and they really did contribute to helping me get through it."

She said she had a lot of very bad days, but something inside kept her going.

She also had to learn to cope with a prosthetic limb.

"The last three years were very, very hard, she said.

"I put a lot of work into them, but as well as that I was getting over an injury from the bomb, so it was quite emotional."

Graduating was an "emotional experience" for Suzanne

Suzanne said graduating had been a very emotional experience.

"I couldn't believe I had actually got there and that this was it. I was getting my certificate," she said.

"Everybody was very happy for me. There were a lot of tears from my friends when I went up to get the certificate, but it was great day."

Suzanne's mother Chris who was also badly injured in the explosion said she was very proud of her daughter.

"This is just unbelievable. She never gave up once and I really admire her for that. Since she got her results, I haven't stopped crying.

"It's just fabulous that she's got through this. She's an inspiration to everybody who was injured in the bomb."

Suzanne will not be back at home in Omagh for long - she starts teaching at a primary school in Liverpool in September.