The Wanted star Tom Parker diagnosed with inoperable brain tumour

The Wanted star Tom Parker has been diagnosed with a terminal and inoperable brain tumour.

The singer, 32, who is expecting his second child with wife Kelsey, said the family were ‘devastated’ but vowed to ‘raise awareness of this terrible disease’ and ‘fight this all the way’ for the sake of his pregnant wife and their daughter.

Tom’s brain tumour is a grade four glioblastoma, with the singer already undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment in a bid to prolong his life. 

Life expectancy for this illness ranges from three months to 18 months after diagnosis, but the couple have not asked to hear Tom’s prognosis amid fears he would ‘sit and count down the days and not live his life’.

Posting a photo of the couple with their daughter, Aurelia Rose, 15 months, on Monday, he wrote: ‘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. 

‘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. Tom and Kelsey xxx.’ 

Glioblastoma is considered the most aggressive tumour that can form in the brain. Senator John McCain was diagnosed with one in July 2017.

Patients have a 10 percent chance of surviving five years after their diagnosis, according to figures. The average lifespan is between 14 and 16 months.

Three adults per every 100,000 will be struck down with a glioblastoma, says The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

It is most commonly found in men aged 50 to 60, and there is no link between developing glioblastoma and having a previous history with other cancers. 

Treatment is usually surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by a combination of radio- and chemotherapy (chemoradiation).

It can be difficult to remove all of the growth as glioblastomas have tendrils that extend to other regions of the brain. These are targeted via chemoradiation. 

Glioblastomas are often resistant to treatment as they are usually made up of different types of cells. Therefore, medication will kill off some cells and not others. 

The tumour is made up of a mass of cells growing quickly in the brain, and in most cases patients have no family history of the disease.

It won’t spread to other organs, however, once it is diagnosed, it is nearly impossible to target, surgeons claim.

Unlike other types of brain cancer which are more specifically located, glioblastoma can occur in any part of the brain. 

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Tom told OK! Magazine he underwent tests after he began suffering unexplained seizures, with doctors giving the family the ‘worst case scenario’ and revealing he had a grade four glioblastoma when they were on a staycation in Norwich just six weeks ago. 

Tom said he was still in ‘complete shock’ from the devastating diagnosis, with Kelsey adding the couple ‘knew’ something was wrong in July’ but would never have imagined he could have a tumour’.    

Tom said: ‘I knew something wasn’t right, but I never expected it to be this. You never think this will happen to you.’ 

The star visited A&E after having his first seizure, where he complained of having a bad back and had a mark on his head.

Tom was then sent home but felt like he had concussion, with the singer returning to hospital the following week and put on a waiting list to have an MRI.

The family went on holiday to Norwich in August with Tom enduring another ‘much worse’ seizure, six weeks after the first one. 

Kelsey said she and Tom had to ‘push’ for paramedic to come, with Tom having an MRI when he arrived.     

He added that he was told he would be out in four hours but ended up being there for three days having tests.  

Discussing the moment he was given his devastating diagnosis, he said: ‘A couple of days later, when we were still on holiday. Kelsey couldn’t come in because of Covid. 

‘They pulled the curtain around my bed and said, ‘It’s a brain tumour.’ 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. 

Kelsey said: ‘It was horrendous. 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. All I could think was, ‘What’s going to happen and what is our life now?’

Tom is now undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment in a bid to shrink the tumour at King’s College Hospital in London which he says has been ‘intense and tiring’.

Kelsey said more tumours will ‘probably pop up’ and that Tom could live with the disease for the rest of his life, undergoing treatment to shrink tumours. 

Due to COVID-19 regulations, Kelsey is not allowed to accompany him to treatment.

The couple added they have not asked about a prognosis, with Kelsey saying it would not be good for Tom’s state of mind, and that he would ‘sit and count down the days and not live his life’. 

Tom and Kelsey are now hoping for a miracle and remaining positive as Tom battles the tumour, with the couple exploring alternative treatments and clinical trials both in the UK and abroad.

The star said he needs ‘everyone’s love and positivity’ during his fight and said he was buoyed by stories of people given a bad prognosis but had defied the odds. 

Kelsey, who Tom praised as his ‘rock’, is 36 weeks pregnant with the couple’s son, but said due to the trauma of their ongoing situation, she had ‘forgotten’ she was expecting, as her focus was on Tom.  

Kelsey has asked for a home birth to ensure that Tom can be there when she delivers. 

Tom has vowed to be there for his children’s future by fighting the disease as hard as he can.          

Tom’s former The Wanted bandmates – Max George, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes and Siva Kaneswaran – have also been incredibly supportive.

Tom added his friends had been texting regularly, visiting and sending through ideas for treatment and therapies they had read about.

Jay and Max took to Instagram to pay tribute to their friend, as Jay branded Tom ‘one in a million’ and Max sent his words of encouragement that Tom would be able to ‘fight’ the illness.

Jay wrote on Instagram: ‘You’ve always been one in a million. I love you Tom, let’s get popping.’

Whilst Max shared in his own message: ‘You will beat this mate. You’re TOM PARKER. Love you.’

More of Tom’s famous friends were quick to send their love and support.

James ‘Arg’ Argent wrote in the comments of his Instagram post : ‘We love you Tom! We got this brother, No doubt about it!’

Whilst Rebecca Adlington – who starred with Tom on ‘The Jump’ – added: ‘Sending so much love and support always.’  

Tom and Kelsey got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot two years later in July 2018. 

They welcomed daughter Aurelia Rose in July 2019 and announced they were expecting their second child, a baby boy, in June this year. 

Tom rose to fame as a singer in boy band The Wanted in 2009, before they went on hiatus in 2014.  

They released their self-titled debut album in 2010 and went on to enjoy several hits including UK chart-topping singles All Time Low and Glad You Came.

In 2013, they starred in their own reality show for the E! network called The Wanted Life, which Tom’s wife Kelsey starred in.

Produced by Ryan Seacrest – the US producer behind TV’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians – and set in the Hollywood Hills, The Wanted Life followed the band as they made their third studio album titled Word Of Mouth.

In 2014, The Wanted announced they were taking some time apart so that each member could pursue personal endeavours.

The couple are raising awareness for the National Brain Appeal which raises funds to support clinical trials into treating Glioblastoma, a pioneering study led by Dr Paul Mulholland at the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery.

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