Kelsey Parker reveals she ‘got a tic’ after losing husband Tom to brain tumor as she discusses battle with anxiety on anniversary of his death
Kelsey Parker has revealed she “got a tic” after she lost her husband Tom to a brain tumor last year.
The actress, 33, admitted that the anxiety caused by the one-year anniversary of his death caused the disorder.
Her husband, who played in the band The Wanted, was diagnosed with the inoperable brain tumor glioblastoma in 2020 and died 18 months later.
Speaking on Friday’s Loose Women, Kelsey admitted that March had been “difficult” for her as she faced the end of her freshman year without him and was “reliving” the event.
She explained, “March has been so hard for me. I was so scared when it was the anniversary of his death.’
Horrible: Kelsey Parker, 33, has revealed she ‘got a tic’ after she lost husband Tom to a brain tumor last year
Difficult: The actress admitted that the anxiety caused by the one-year anniversary of his death was the cause of the disorder (pictured with daughter Aurelia, three, and son Bodhi, two)
Kelsey added: “In early March I started clearing my throat all the time. We had my birthday, Mother’s Day and a year since we lost Tom.”
The health service describes tics as rapid, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and hard-to-control body jerks or involuntary noises. Common examples include blinking, grimacing, sudden jerks, and repetitive sounds or phrases.
“Last month I was not positive. I really struggled a lot last month. It is heavy. Like I said, there’s no rule book,’ she explained.
‘From the boy [Tom’s bandmates] are in touch. They are great. Siva did the Dancing On Ice tribute and I was allowed to take the children there.’
Kelsey and Tom married in 2018 and were in a 13-year relationship before his tragic death. They share two children, daughter Aurelia, three, and son Bodhi, two.
She choked and continued, “You are reliving death. When I hear the music and see Tom I just can’t believe I’ll never see him again. It breaks my heart.’
She said heartbreakingly, “All the time Bodhi went, that was my father. It’s heartbreaking. My children are now two and three without a father.
Kelsey talked about how fast the year had gone and admitted she was “completely in shock” for the first six to eight months.
Anxiety: Kelsey explained: ‘In early March I started clearing my throat all the time, we had my birthday, Mother’s Day and a year since we lost Tom’
Difficult: choked, she continued, “You relive death. When I hear the music and see Tom I just can’t believe I’ll never see him again. It breaks my heart’
Reflective: Kelsey talked about how fast the year had gone and admitted she was in ‘complete shock’ for the first six to eight months
Speaking of their children, she added, “Their lives are not normal for them, Aurelia asks me why her best friend has a father and she doesn’t.” It’s really hard being a single parent.
“Honestly, you have a father, your father is not here, but father. What else can I say to her?’
On the anniversary of his death, Kelsey posted a touching photo, taken shortly before his last tour with The Wanted, of her kissing her wheelchair-bound husband on the cheek.
She accompanied her post with a tear-jerking caption about celebrating her birthday without him for the first time, describing it as another “first time” after his loss.