Kelsey Parker says The Wanted's Tom's mum is supporting her after baby son's death with new partner

Cosmopolitan

5 days ago

Kelsey Parker, the widow of singer Tom Parker from The Wanted, who sadly died in 2022 of a brain tumour, has given her first interview about losing her baby boy, Phoenix, at 39 weeks.
Little Phoenix was Kelsey's first child with her subsequent partner Will Lindsay and although the pregnancy was a surprise, she said on her Instagram account that it was one of the best unexpected gifts she could have received following the loss of Tom aged 33.
Heartbreakingly, baby Phoenix was "born sleeping, forever loved" in June.
Now, Kelsey has bravely spoken out about the loss of her son in an interview. Speaking to The Mirror, she said, "I didn't think I'd be living a relived experience, first losing Tom and now losing Phoenix, but I think with any grief and loss, you have to take each day as it come and work through it."
Sadly, it's believed that around one in 250 pregnancies that are beyond the 24-week mark result in a loss, as per NHS data.
The podcast host also shared how her two other children, Aurelia, 6, and Bodhi, 4, have been processing the sudden loss of their new sibling.
"We wanted the happy ever after and to have Phoenix but that didn't pan out for us," she shared. "I spoke about it like I did with Tom, I just told them the truth.
"I think that's all you can do with your children, in anything you're going through, be honest. Because I think people underestimate their children and what children can cope with. Children have little ears and they listen to a lot of conversations."
Kelsey also revealed that Tom's parents have been a huge support to her during this extremely difficult time, and that she speaks with his mother, Noreen, on a regular basis.
"We [have spoken] to each other every day since losing Phoenix and she was just as devastated as as every family member because she wanted that happiness for me and the kids."
As for how she's coping on a day to day basis, showing up for her family is somewhat of a tonic, says Kelsey. "You have to be brave and show up and that's what I try and do. Show up for my children so they can look at me and go, you know what, my mummy's very strong. She will get us through anything."
In sharing her story, Kelsey will no doubt be helping countless other parents going through a loss to feel less alone.
If you're looking for support or more information about premature births, stillbirths or miscarriage, Tommy's have a free helpline 0800 0147 800 and be contacted via email on [e-mail]. There's also a Facebook group.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.