Tom Parker’s finally social media post was a poignant tribute to his bandmates in The Wanted, posted just two days before his death.
Parker, who had been battling a stage four glioblastoma brain tumour since 2020,
Just two days earlier, he had shared a photo of him on stage with his bandmates from The Wanted, captioning it ‘Dream Team’, along with a heart emoji.
The photo had been taken during the band’s recent reunion tour, with Parker seen sitting in a throne between Jay McGuinness, Siva Kaneswaran, and Nathan Sykes.
Despite undergoing treatment for his brain tumour, Tom had joined his bandmates on stage for most nights of the tour, completing the later shows in a wheelchair.
Following their final date, George had shared photos of the band with Parker, writing: ‘We did it. .. YOU did it!
‘All I can say in words is thank you for making such beautiful memories over the last few weeks. I love every single one of you who stuck with us.
‘May our hearts be full, like our drinks tonight, may we sing and dance til’ we lose our minds, we are only young if we seize the night, tonight we own the night. This is not the end…..’
News of Parker’s death was shared by his wife Kelsey Parker, who wrote alongside a photo of him on Instagram: ‘It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm Tom passed away peacefully earlier today with all of his family by his side.
‘Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence.
‘We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children.
‘Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you.’
He had discovered he had a terminal brain tumour in 2020, with the average life expectancy being 12 to 18 months after diagnosis.
However, he had had some positive MRI results which showed the tumour had shrunk last year, and had been going to Spain for specialist treatment in the hope of prolonging his life.
He revealed that he had written a book about his life and his experience with brain cancer, which is due to be released in July.
Parker is survived by his wife and two children, Aurelia, two, and Bodhi, one.
