The Wanted's Tom Parker diagnosed with terminal brain tumour
12 October 2020, 08:36 | Updated: 12 October 2020, 09:30
The Wanted's Tom Parker has revealed he was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and is fighting to prolong his life.
The singer said he is fighting a tumor on his brain with various therapies so he can be with his newborn daughter as long as possible.
The 35-year-old, who has a 15-year-old daughter and another child on the way, revealed the devastating news in an interview with OK! Magazine on Monday.
He said the disease was "all he can think about" and explained that he will undergo rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to fight stage four glioblastoma.
Tom described how doctors discovered the tumor after getting an MRI scan following a summer of strange experiences, including what he thought were minor seizures and back pain.
"They pulled the curtain around my bed and said, 'It’s a brain tumour,' he said.
"All I could think was, 'F*****g hell!' - I was in shock.
"It’s stage four glioblastoma and they’ve said its terminal. It was a lot to deal with by myself. I still haven’t processed it."
In an Instagram post, the couple explained why they had been so quiet on social media recently, but said they had "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" to let fans know about his diagnosis.
His partner Kelsey said it "still doesn't feel real" and that she struggles to watch Tom go through the heartbreaking experience.
"I don’t think Tom will ever process this information. It’s horrendous. Watching your partner go through this is so hard, because how can I tell him to not let it consume him?
"I take his phone away from him, because otherwise he will sit there and Google things and then end up in a hole. The more you Google, the worse possible stuff it throws at you, and that’s not good for anyone."
The couple confirmed there were signs that something was not right during the summer, when Tom believed he had a minor seizure in July and on holiday during August, was complaining of back pain and later found a strange mark on his head.
Asked about how the couple will explain the upsetting news to their kids, they said that 15-month Aurelia was able to "pick up on moods" well and knew something was not right.
"She knows something is happening and that’s why I think you just have to be as normal as possible," Kelsey told the magazine.
"We’ll explain more when she’s old enough to understand Daddy’s not well."
