‘We don't know Tom's prognosis… but we're planning more kids'

Kelsey Hardwick, 31, opens up about hubby Tom Parker’s brain cancer fight – and why she and The Wanted star, 32, look to the future positively

- JOSIE COPSON

Sitting in the doctor’s small office, at the height of summer last year, I felt like it was too stuffy to breathe all of a sudden. We were there to get Tom’s MRI scan results and I sat numbly trying to take in the doctor’s words.

“Tom has glioblastoma,” he gently explained, which we learned was the most aggressive form of cancer – starting in the brain. As I struggled to comprehend what this meant for us, I could feel sweat beads forming on my forehead.

But I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I didn’t leap up and shout, “Why us?”

I just accepted the news, digested it, and made plans to move forward.

We were told his treatment was starting in three days, so I turned to my husband and said, “Let’s go home and figure it out.”

The car journey back was silent aside from my friend, who had driven us, trying to make small talk. We then had to relay all the information to each of our family members. We definitely went into complete survival mode and just did what we needed to do on that day. We really are a strong bunch and they all reacted in a similar way to me.

Even before learning about the extent of his condition, we were sort of expecting it to be something very serious because of a seizure he had while we were on holiday in Norfolk. He’d also had a weird experience while watching a football match, where he couldn’t see the ball.

Tom had seen a doctor in Norfolk on his own, who said he suspected some sort of brain tumour. It was horrific that Tom had to get that news without any support. He just cried his eyes out in a room alone. When he told me that later, it broke my heart.