Tom Parker - Brain Tumour
Tom Parker's Story
- Brain Tumour
During 2020, Tom, from boyband The Wanted, began to feel unwell but he couldn't put his finger on what was wrong. Then, whilst on a family holiday in Norfolk, he had a seizure. The paramedics came and checked him over. They told his wife, Kelsey, he was going to be out of the hospital in four hours. He wasn't.
Due to COVID restrictions, he was on his own in Norwich hospital when doctors gave him the news that he has a brain tumour. His immediate response was, "I can't have. You've got to have made a mistake. I'm thirty-two years old."
In that moment, Tom just shut down. He didn't want to acknowledge anything to do with brain tumours or cancer. Tom said: "I just couldn't think about anything."
Kelsey has been his rock throughout this, and every day Tom continued to fight for his children and wife. He said: "They need me, and I need them."
Tom's diagnosis dramatically put life into perspective: "Nothing's ever guaranteed" Tom said. "Tomorrow is never guaranteed for anybody."
After deciding as a family to share Tom's diagnosis with the public, they received a wave of support and love which has been a true source of strength for the family and helped them get through this punishing time.
The family further opened their lives to the public by welcoming cameras into their home to film his documentary, Inside My Head. Watch this feature-length documentary here.
On 30 April 2022, aged just 33, Tom sadly passed away surrounded by his family and band mates. His talent, courage and commitment to the cause will leave a lasting legacy and our thoughts are with his family and friends.
"I was just a kid from Bolton... All I remember is just thinking, 'Am I going to die?'."
Tom
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