The Wanted’s Tom Parker Diagnosed With Terminal Brain Tumor
Tom Parker, former member of popular boy band The Wanted, has revealed he has an inoperable brain tumor.
Parker and his wife, actress Kelsey Hardwick, released a joint statement about his diagnosis on Instagram Monday (October 12).
“There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour [sic] and I’m already undergoing treatment," Parker revealed in the caption. "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."
In an interview with Britain's OK! Magazine, the 32-year-old singer said he went to hospital after suffering two seizures over the summer. The couple said his doctors described the tumor as a "worst-case scenario" and informed them that it was terminal.
“They pulled the curtain around my bed and said, 'It's a brain tumour.' All I could think was, 'F--king hell!' 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."
The average survival time for patients with a stage four glioblastoma is between 12 to 18 months. Parker is currently undergoing duel chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
"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," Parker added.
In 2014, Parker's band, The Wanted, went on indefinite hiatus to pursue solo projects. Hardwick said Parker's bandmates have rallied around him, with members Jay McGuinness and Max George visiting over the past few weeks.
"Siva [Kaneswaran] and Nathan [Sykes] obviously live a lot further away, but all four of the boys have been texting regularly and sending through different articles and possible treatments and therapies that they're all reading about. They've been amazing," she shared.
Parker and Hardwick married in 2018. The couple have a 16-month-old daughter, Aurelia, and are currently expecting their second child.