A woman who was in a coma for 11 days after the Manchester Arena bombing has forged a lifelong bond with the man who saved her life.
Lucy Jarvis, 23, was hit by 50 pieces of shrapnel when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his backpack device just feet away from her in the terror atrocity six years ago.
Bleeding heavily and semi-conscious, she was aided and comforted for three hours by John Clarkson, a technical manager at the site.
And as Lucy battled her injuries and went on to make a full recovery, the pair formed a close bond – with John even helping her return to the arena and giving her tickets for gigs there.
Lucy said: “John is my hero. If he hadn’t been in the right place at the right moment, I’d have died – it’s crazy to think.”
John, 56, added: “Lucy has become like my adopted daughter. I’m so proud of her and everything she’s achieved. She’s an inspiration.”
They shared their story ahead of tomorrow’s anniversary of the atrocity, which was carried out as more than 14,000 people left the venue after an Ariana Grande concert.
The blast on May 22, 2017 left 22 innocent people dead – including eight-year-old Saffie Roussos – and more than 1,000 injured and traumatised.
Lucy, then 17, was exiting the venue with pal Millie Tomlinson, 23, when Islamic State fanatic Abedi, 22, set off his homemade device in the foyer.
When John found her she begged him to remove her trainer to help ease the pain in her foot. He refused, fearing she would lose too much blood – and medics later confirmed if he had, she would have been dead in half a minute.
John said: “Your gut reaction is to listen to the patient at that moment but something in the back of my mind just knew not to take her trainer off.
“The doctors said she would have had about 30 seconds and would then have died. It’s scary to think if I’d made the wrong call, she wouldn’t be here.”
Lucy’s memory of the night is patchy but she remembers John’s presence.
She said: “He kept squeezing my hand and wouldn’t let me fall asleep.”
With the help of colleague Paul Worsley, John managed to keep Lucy stable for almost three hours before she was taken to Salford Royal Hospital.
She had a 14-hour operation, then spent 11 days in an induced coma.
Her injuries included a shattered ankle bone, a burst bladder and a ripped femoral artery in her leg. Dad of two John visited days after she woke up and they have been close ever since. And he also became friends with her parents, going on days out with the family.
He said: “We escaped to Liverpool a few months back. Lucy and her mum went shopping while me and Lucy’s dad got drunk.”
John, who still works at the Arena, now treats Lucy to VIP concert tickets.
With his help, she has enjoyed front-row seats at more than 20 gigs, including Beyoncé, Sam Smith and Olly Murs. And she got to see her idol, Ariana, perform again in Sheffield.
Lucy, who last week took a pal to see rapper Post Malone, said: “I’ve had some amazing experiences thanks to John. It was amazing to see Ariana again.”
Lucy was in hospital for eight weeks, then had intense physio to learn how to walk again.
And despite being unable to complete her A-Levels, she managed to bag a place at the University of Salford to study radio and TV – finishing her three-year degree last week.
Lucy, from Wigan, said: “My doctors said I was too ill to go back to college or go to university, but I was adamant I’d prove them wrong.
“University has been amazing and I’ve met friends-for-life who’ve been so supportive.
“But none of this would have been possible without John – I owe him a lot.”
Pop star Ariana, 29, returned to Manchester two months after the attack for the One Love benefit gig at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, telling the crowd: “Thanks for being so loving.”
A three-year public inquiry into the atrocity ended in March. Among its findings, it ruled that MI5 had missed key chances to prevent the bombing.
And an earlier report identified problems with communications between emergency services in the immediate aftermath of the blast, leading to delays in many victims being treated.
Abedi’s younger brother Hashem was jailed in 2020 for a minimum of 55 years for helping prepare the attack.
And elder brother Ismail was summonsed to appear before the inquiry but has reportedly left the UK.
But as the shockwaves of that fateful day continue to be felt, Lucy and John are focusing on the positives.
They plan to commemorate the attack tomorrow night by bringing their families together for a meal.
“We’re going to meet and go out for some nice food,” said Lucy. “John is our hero and we’ll be friends for life.”
