Tom Parker of UK boy band The Wanted has revealed a terminal brain tumour diagnosis. Parker, 32, took to Instagram with his wife, Kelsey Hardwick, who is pregnant with their second child, to share the difficult news with his followers.
“Hey guys, you know that we’ve both been quiet on social media for a few weeks and it’s time to tell you why. There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment,” wrote Parker.
Parker first became suspicious that something was not right after suffering a seizure in July. After being placed onto a waiting list for an MRI, he suffered another seizure and was taken to hospital. Three days of testing followed, at which time he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a deadly and aggressive form of brain cancer in adults.
“We decided, after a lot of thought, that rather than hiding away and trying to keep it a secret, we would do one interview where we could lay out all the details and let everyone know the facts in our own way. 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.”
Parker and Hardwick are parents to 16-month-old girl Aurelia. Speaking to OK! Magazine about his recent diagnosis, Parker fought back tears, admitting, “It’s all I can think about right now.”
Parker rose to fame as part of the British-Irish boy band The Wanted, active between 2009 and 2014. Their biggest hit, ‘Glad You Came’, peaked at No 1 on the UK Singles Chart in 2011. The band is on indefinite hiatus.
