Estranged mum of homeless Manchester attack hero Chris Parker breaks down in tears as she begs him to get in touch
A PROUD mum has said she is determined to track down her homeless son after he risked his life to save terrified victims of the Manchester terrorist massacre.
Fighting back tears, Jessica Parker told the Eastern Daily Press she was "extremely proud" when she heard of son Chris's heroism.
Chris cradled a dying woman and wrapped a bloodied child in merchandise T-shirts after a suicide bomber struck during an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on Monday night.
Jessica said she was stunned to see tales of her 33-year-old son's bravery and said he could "easily have died".
She is now frantically trying to get in touch with Chris, who grew up in Norwich, and contact between the pair had been sporadic in recent years.
And she added that she is determined to start again and rebuild their relationship from scratch.
Jessica, of Sprowston, Norwich, said: "I'm extremely proud of him and really feel like I need to get in contact."
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Mr Parker said he was knocked to the floor when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the venue's foyer, but immediately got back up and began trying to help the dozens of injured.
Mum Jessica has said her son's reaction was "exactly the sort of thing Chris would do" - adding he "has such a good heart".
She added: "He wouldn't think twice about helping those poor people.
"I'm extremely proud of him and I just feel like I need to get in contact.
"He was knocked down in the blast and he so easily could have died."
She added: "I realised that if that had happened I might have never known about it, which has really upset me the most.
"I am so proud of him but I am so sad for what he's had to see and go through.
"I just want the chance to be reunited."
Jessica also said she is worried about how Chris will cope with the media attention and said he may need her "more than ever".
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Chris said he also tended to a woman who was badly hurt from the bombing with serious leg and head injuries - he also believed she may have died from her injuries.
He said: "She passed away in my arms. She was in her 60s and said she had been with her family.
"I haven't stopped crying.
"The most shocking part of it is that it was a kids' concert.
"There were nuts and bolts all over the floor. People had holes in their back.
"It's the screams I can't get over and the smell ... I don't like to say it but it smelled like burning flesh.
"I don't think anything has sunk in yet. It's just shock."
Another homeless man, Stephen Jones, was sleeping near the arena when he heard a huge bang, which he initially thought was a firework.
He described how he had to pull nails from a little girl's face.
The 35-year-old told : "It's just instinct to go and help if someone needs your help and it was children.
"It was a lot of children with blood all over them - crying and screaming.
"We were having to pull nails out of their arms and a couple out of this little girl's face."
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Local supermarkets also stepped in to help and donated food and drinks to injured children at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Thousands of youngsters had been at the US pop star’s concert when the blast hit the foyer around 10.35pm last night, killing 22 and injuring 59.
Among the dead is 18-year-old Ariana super fan Georgina Callander, eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos and 26-year-old John Atkinson.
Many others have not been seen since the concert and worried relatives have flooded social media with appeals to find their loved ones.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attack, which is the worst terrorist incident to hit Britain since the July 7 atrocities.
Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: "With regards to the ongoing investigation into last night's horrific attack at the Manchester Arena, we can confirm we have arrested a 23-year-old man in South Manchester."
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and warned of more "severe" attacks in Britain.
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