Tom Parker Is Not '100 Percent' but Getting There 'Day by Day' After Brain Cancer Diagnosis
tom Parker/ instagram Tom Parker
Tom Parker is ending 2020 on a positive note.
On New Year's Eve, The Wanted singer, 32, shared a hopeful message to Instagram about living with stage four glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer which he was first diagnosed with over the summer.
"Hey, I may not be [at] 100% yet but I'm out here doing it ... getting there day by day," Parker captioned a selfie. "Overwhelmed by all your love and support. So thank you all for that. Hope you all had a lovely Xmas and get to at least celebrate NYE in some capacity."
In his Instagram Story, Parker shared a video of him and his wife, Kelsey Hardwick, lying in bed with their son Bodhi Thomas Paris, who was born in October. The couple — who celebrated their 11th anniversary earlier this month — also share daughter Aurelia Rose, 18 months.
"Look at us lovebirds," Parker says in the video. "It's 10 [minutes] to 8 [p.m.], and we're in bed on New Year's Eve."
"Watching Pitch Perfect 2," Hardwick, 30, interjects, as Parker says, "Jesus. A few years ago, I'd probably be off my head at this point."
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Days earlier, Parker threw it back on Instagram with a selfie he took in the hospital two days before being told he had an inoperable brain tumor.
"It turned my world upside down," Parker wrote in the caption. "I don't really remember them earlier days of when I was told. I was living in such a haze. But I've come a long way even in such a short space of time."
Parker then thanked his followers for their "love and support over the last few months," as well as their "friends and family who have really come together and helped wherever needed with the kids and helping with the house."
Tom Parker, kelsey parker Tom Parker and wife Kelsey
He gave a special shout-out to his manager, Damien Sanders, for putting "himself out of his way to help" him and his wife. He also thanked Hardwick, his "beautiful wife who has managed to cope with the tears, and looking after an 18 month old and a new born [sic]" and is "the true warrior here."
"I promise to keep you updated with how things are progressing over the next few months," he concluded the post. "And here's hoping for a fantastic 2021."
In October, Parker first revealed to the world that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Tragically, life expectancy for patients with glioblastoma ranges from three to 18 months after diagnosis. Parker is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment in an effort to shrink the tumor.
"I knew something wasn't right, but I never expected it to be this," Parker previously told OK! magazine. "It's all I can think about right now."
RELATED VIDEO: The Wanted's Tom Parker Diagnosed with Terminal Brain Cancer: 'I Still Haven't Processed It'
The Wanted's Tom Parker Diagnosed with Terminal Brain Cancer: 'I Still Haven't Processed It'
The singer was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma six weeks ago and is currently undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment
Parker first displayed symptoms of the tumor in July, when he suffered a seizure at the family's home in Southeast London and checked himself into his local hospital emergency department.
After being assessed and sent home by the medics, Parker returned the following week because "he felt like he was concussed," said Hardwick. He was then put on a waiting list for an MRI scan.
Six weeks later, the couple and their daughter were enjoying a summer staycation in Norwich, England, when things took a turn.
"He suffered another seizure, which was much worse," said Hardwick. "It was really bad."
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Parker was immediately sent for an MRI scan and remained in the hospital for three days having tests. It was then that the doctors pulled a curtain around his bed and told him their diagnosis.
"All I could think was, 'F—ing hell!'" Parker said. "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."
Weeks after opening up about his diagnosis, Parker and his wife celebrated a happy milestone: the birth of their second child.
“At first it was us @tomparkerofficial Then along came our Rae of sunshine 💗," Hardwick wrote on Instagram last month alongside a black-and-white image of Bodhi snuggling up to his older sister.
"We are now complete with our enlightenment Bodhi 🥰," she added. "Life is tough my darlings but love, positivity and light will always push us through."
