Tom Parker: Charity walk to celebrate singer's energy and positivity

Noreen Parker described her son as "positive and full of life"

The mother of The Wanted singer Tom Parker has told of how he showed "such dignity" throughout his illness and "just wanted to help others".

The star died at the age of 33 on 30 March after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in 2020.

His mum Noreen Parker said she wanted to continue her son's work to raise awareness and funding for brain cancer.

She has set up a charity walk in his hometown of Bolton to celebrate his "positive and energetic" personality.

Parker achieved fame in the early-2010s as one-fifth of The Wanted, reaching number one with the singles All Time Low and Glad You Came.

"Tom was a very energetic, positive and a happy person," Ms Parker told BBC North West Tonight.

"When he was little he was full of energy and as he got older he had the same drive."

Parker married actress Kelsey Hardwick in 2018.

The couple have had two children, Aurelia and Bodhi, who was born weeks after Parker discovered he had cancer in October 2020.

Ms Parker continued: "He wanted to do as much as he could to make people aware there is little funding."

She said he "just wanted to help others" during his treatment, which she described as "so traumatic".

"It has been incredible to know how much he touched other people.

"I am so proud of him because he had such dignity through all of the illness."

Ms Parker said the 5k walk in Bolton would map out some of her son's memorable places when he grew up.

She added the proceeds from the walk would go to Ahead of the Game Foundation, whose team helped her son after he received his diagnosis.

The walk, on 31 July, starts at the singer's primary school to Tonge Park, where he spent "many days playing as a child", Ms Parker said.

The route ends at The Swan and Barristers Bar.

"This was where Tom started his singing career after he won a karaoke competition aged 17," she said.

"We want all of his friends, the people that knew him and anyone who supported him to come along," Ms Parker added.

Brain tumours

Tom Parker had been diagnosed with an aggressive grade four tumour known as a glioblastoma.
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours in the UK every year, and about a quarter are glioblastomas.
Common symptoms of brain tumours include headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, mental or behavioural changes such as memory problems or changes in personality, progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body and vision or speech problems.
Treatments depend on a range of factors about the tumour but can include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, medicines to help with symptoms and steroids.
Parker had chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and went to Spain for what was described as "revolutionary" treatment, but his tumour was inoperable.
Brain cancer survival in England is statistically highest for people diagnosed aged under 40.

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