<div><p>On the night of May 22, 2017 the worst terror attack to hit Britain since July 2005 took the lives of 22 people and injured at least 59 others when a suicide bomb exploded an Ariana Grande concert. </p><p>After the explosion occurred, parents and children were separated as they swarmed out of the arena and scattered into the streets. </p><p>In the chaos, many families were separated and as many as 12 children were injured. Immediately after the explosion, before first responders could arrive, ordinary citizens leapt into action to secure lost children and rescue the injured and the dying.</p><p><strong>These are their stories:</strong></p><h3>The 'Angel Of Manchester'</h3><p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4532794/Manchester-throws-open-doors-victims.html">Paula Robinson</a> was waiting at Victoria Station with her husband, when she heard the explosion tear through Manchester Arena. She felt the blast reverberate through her body, then turned towards where the sound came from. </p><p>Suddenly, crowds of terrified teenagers came pouring from the arena - some screaming, some crying, all of them confused and scared. Without a second thought, Paula and her husband rushed forward - towards the blast. </p><p> "We ran out. It was literally seconds after the explosion. I got the teens to run with me," she told <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/808231/Manchester-terror-bombing-explosion-attack-arena-Paula-Robinson-Ariana-Grande">Express</a>.</p><p>The 48-year-old woman from West Dalton, herded about 50 traumatized teens towards a nearby Holiday Inn. Once safe, she immediately posted a notice to Facebook that she and her husband had as many kids as they could care for waiting to be reunited with their parents. </p><p>Then the couple waited with the teens until every last one was accounted for. </p><div><figure><a href="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-12.jpg" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-12.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-12_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-12_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-12.jpg" target="_blank">Paula Robinson</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><div><figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/paula.robinson.14855" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/PAULA-ROBINSON-ANGEL-OF-MANCHESTER.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/PAULA-ROBINSON-ANGEL-OF-MANCHESTER_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/PAULA-ROBINSON-ANGEL-OF-MANCHESTER_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/PAULA-ROBINSON-ANGEL-OF-MANCHESTER_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/paula.robinson.14855" target="_blank">Paula Robinson/ Facebook</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-15.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-15_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/hero-woman-manchester-attack-paula-robinson-15_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Getty </cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Another, unexpected hero selflessly rushed forward to help those who had ignored him only hours before...</strong></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><h3>Homeless With A Heart Of Gold</h3><p><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/manchester-terror-attack-homeless-man-pulled-nails-face-children-injured-arena-bombing-a7751656.html">Steven Jones</a> and <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/manchester-terror-attack-homeless-man-arena-help-victims-woman-die-arms-60-year-old-explosion-a7750961.html">Chris Parker</a> had been panhandling near the Manchester Arena hours before the explosion. They begged for change as many people who entered the arena passed them by. Little did they know, later that same evening, these two men would be holding one of them in her final hours and nursing many of the children who were injured in the blast. </p><p>Jones, 35, was sleeping when the bomb went off, but he heard the explosion and rushed to help. Without a thought for his own safety, to his horror, he found " a lot of children with blood all over them crying and screaming."</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/manchester-terror-homeless-man-helps-victims-808259.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/manchester-terror-homeless-man-helps-victims-808259_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Getty-ITV</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>"They needed the help, I'd like to think that someone would come and help me if I needed the help," he told <a href="https://twitter.com/itvnews/status/867001780193898498" rel="nofollow">ITV News</a>. "It was just my instinct to go and help people out."</p><p>He and his friend came across a woman in her 60s who was so badly injured the only thing he could do was hold her as she took her last breaths. Somewhere in the chaos, her family was looking for her.</p><p>Parker was in the foyer of the arena when the blast hit. He found a little girl who had lost her legs. He tells the Telegraph that he wrapped her in a merchandise T-shirt and spoke to her until help arrived. </p><p>Rather than run away, these brave man stayed to pull nails out of children's bodies and sooth the injured as best he could. A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/3dgkuj-help-chris-parker">crowdfunding </a>page has been set up in honor of Parker's courage, more than £4,000 has been raised so far. </p><div><amp-twitter height="472" width="375" layout="responsive" data-tweetid="867001780193898498"></amp-twitter></div><p><strong>Taxi drivers dropped everything and raced to the scene ...</strong></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><h3></h3><p></p><h3>From Taxi Driver To First Responder</h3><p>Teams of taxi drivers turned off their meters after the explosion rocked through the Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert. No one knew if the danger was over, but much like the good Samaritans on the street, these auto angels directed passengers to safe places so they could pick them up. </p><p>As terrified parents and teenagers called on taxi services to drive them away from danger, chauffeurs of every background and religion directed the desperate victims to safe pick-up spots and navigated their way out of danger. </p><p>In the aftermath of the explosion, people were quick to cast an eye of doubt on the muslim community, but victims were quick to silence the hatred:</p><div><amp-twitter height="472" width="375" layout="responsive" data-tweetid="866941995314446337"></amp-twitter></div><div><amp-twitter height="472" width="375" layout="responsive" data-tweetid="866930974369632256"></amp-twitter></div><p><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/manchester-arena-bombing-muslim-taxi-drivers-victims-free-lifts-suicide-attack-a7751306.html">Taxi drivers</a> like <a href="http://aplus.com/a/manchester-attack-taxi-drivers-free-rides-aj-singh?no_monetization=true">AJ Singh</a> turned off their meters and put signs in their windows advertising free rides just moments after the explosion. </p><p>"˜I've had people who needed to find loved ones, I dropped them to the hospital, they've not had any money, they've been stranded, there's no transport,' he tells <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/866911600661340162">Channel 4 news</a>.</p><div><amp-twitter height="472" width="375" layout="responsive" data-tweetid="866911600661340162"></amp-twitter></div><p>Singh and other drivers worked for free throughout the night, offering water and places to charge their cell phones. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/manchester-attack-bombing-acts-of-kindness-terrorism-cabs-homes-help-free-taxis-homeless-mancunians-a7751886.html">Sikh temples</a> opened their doors to the victims, offering food, shelter and blood donations centres.</p><p><strong>Three kinds of people, from three very different walks of life rushed toward the chaos. Without emergency training, or expertise in disaster management, they followed their hearts and bravely raced to the aid of those most in need. </strong></p><p>Despite the terror of what happened only hours before, what happened after - the heroes that emerged - is proof that Manchester is made of stronger stuff.</p><p>As AJ Sing said, "We should come out and show whoever's done this that it doesn't matter because Manchester, we're glue and we stick together when it counts." </p><p></p></div>
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