Siva Kaneswaran, a member of the boyband The Wanted, has spoken about the final apology he received from his late bandmate Tom Parker before his death from a brain tumour. The singer opened up as he fronted GenesisCare UK's Memory Bank installation in Oxford, which explores the experiences of brain cancer patients.
Tom Parker was diagnosed with a grade IV glioblastoma in October 2020 and given six to twelve months to live, but he survived for 18 months. Siva recalled a moment in the back of a tour van when Tom apologised for past arguments. 'We used to butt heads a lot... In that van, he apologised for anything offencive,' Siva said. 'He was covered in Monster Munch dust – it was a typical Tom moment.'
The Memory Bank aims to create a positive mindset for people with brain cancer, harnessing hope to improve quality of life and potentially extend survival. Siva emphasised the importance of talking about cancer, noting that Tom was a vocal campaigner who even went to parliament to advocate for better treatments.
Siva also shared that Tom's legacy is deeply personal to him. 'If I can help one person gain access to treatment, that's a job well done,' he said. Tom, who died at age 33 in March 2022, is remembered as a devoted family man who cherished his wife Kelsey and their two children. Siva praised the 'Positive Parkers' for their optimism, which he credits with extending Tom's life.
