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Estranged Sprowston mum of homeless Manchester Arena bombing hero Chris Parker desperate to reunite with him

Jessica Parker, whose estranged son Chris helped victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester. She is holding a photograph of Chris and his brother Josh. Byline: Sonya Duncan ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434

The estranged mum of a homeless man who rushed to help children injured in the Manchester terror attack has said she is “extremely proud” of her son - and is desperate to be reunited with him.

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Chris Parker, pictured in his early 20s.. Picture: Sonya Duncan/Jessica Parker Chris Parker, pictured in his early 20s.. Picture: Sonya Duncan/Jessica Parker

Jessica Parker, who lives at Gilman Road in Sprowston, spotted her son Chris on the news on Tuesday after he raced to help those who were seriously injured in the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on Monday night.

Her son, who has slept rough in Manchester for about a year but lived in Norwich until he was seven, has told of how he helped a young girl who had lost her legs in the blast, before a woman he believed to be her mother died in his arms.

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Jessica Parker, whose son Chris helped victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester. Picture: Sonya Duncan Jessica Parker, whose son Chris helped victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester. Picture: Sonya Duncan

Mrs Parker, who believed her son had been living with a girlfriend and admitted the pair had a rocky relationship, said she is now desperate to make contact and patch things up.

“It’s exactly the sort of thing he would do - he has such a good heart,” she said. “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 - I realised that if that had happened I might have never known about it, which has really upset me the most.

Chris Parker, who rushed to help victims of the Manchester terror attack. Picture: Sonya Duncan/Jessica Parker Chris Parker, who rushed to help victims of the Manchester terror attack. Picture: Sonya Duncan/Jessica Parker

“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.”

She said she is worried about how her 33-year-old son will cope and said “he might need me more than ever”.

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Mr Parker, who had been begging inside the venue foyer, said he heard a bang and saw a white flash, before people started screaming.

“It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help,” he said.

“I saw a little girl ... she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said ‘where is your mum and daddy?’ She said ‘my dad is at work, my mum is up there’.”

He said a woman who appeared to be in his 60s later died in his arms, and that he “hadn’t stopped crying” since.

Recalling the chaotic scenes, he said there were “nuts and bolts all over the floor,” and that “people had holes in their back”.