WANTED STAR TOM IN TUMOUR FIGHT
He’s diagnosed as ‘inoperable’
THE Wanted star Tom Parker has revealed he has been diagnosed with a “terminal” brain tumour.
The 32- year- old has begun radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the hope of prolonging his life.
Tom and his pregnant wife, Kelsey Hardwick, who have 15-month-old daughter Aurelia, said they want to raise awareness about brain tumours.
The singer wrote on Instagram: “There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a brain tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment.
“We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way. We don’t want your sadness. We just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options.
“It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this.”
Kelsey was unable to be in hospital with him when he was given the diagnosis, due to Covid restrictions.
Tom said: “They pulled the curtain around my bed and said ‘It’s a brain tumour’. I was in shock. It’s stage four glioblastoma and they’ve said it’s terminal. It was a lot to deal with by myself. I still haven’t processed it.”
Kelsey, 30, said: “They rang me and told me over the phone. They said ‘ It’s a tumour and it’s worst-case scenario’. They also told us it was inoperable and what the treatment would be. I was in a complete state.”
Asked about her pregnancy, she said: “To be honest, I think I’ve forgotten I’m pregnant. It’s all about Tom at the moment. In four weeks’ time [when their baby is due] it obviously won’t be, but the whole thing has consumed us.
“I said that for Tom’s state of mind, and who he is as a person, that would not be good for him. He would literally sit here and count down the days and not live his life.”
Tom added: “There are so many stories of people who were given a bad prognosis and are still here five, 10, even 15 years later. We’re going to fight this all the way.”
Tom found fame in the early 2010s as part of The Wanted, reaching number one with the singles All Time Low and Glad You Came, with bandmates Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes and Jay McGuiness. Since they went on hiatus in 2014, he has played Danny Zuko in a touring production of Grease and made the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef.
We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight it all the way
WANTED STAR TOM PARKER ON HIS TUMOUR DIAGNOSIS