Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey has announced a tribute football match in his memory as she and her children prepare to mark two-years since his death.
The Wanted singer passed away aged 33 in March 2022 following an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer.
Kelsey, 33, who has Aurelia, four, and three-year-old Bodhi with the late star, has announced that for the second year running, she will host the the Tom Parker Charity Football Match at Bromley Football Club in an attempt to tackle the lack of funding given to research for the killer disease.
She hopes the event can help her two young children ‘remember and celebrate’ their dad, as she doesn’t want them to ‘feel sadness’.
Speaking ahead of the two-year anniversary since his death, Kelsey told : ‘March is such a difficult month for us as a family. I can’t actually believe that in just a couple of weeks it will be two years since we lost Tom.
Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey has announced a tribute football match in his memory as she and her children prepare to mark two-years since his death
Kelsey, 33 has announced that for the second year running, she will host the the Tom Parker Charity Football Match at Bromley Football Club in an attempt to tackle the lack of funding given to research for the killer disease
Kelsey, 33, who has Aurelia, four, and three-year-old Bodhi with the late star, hopes the event can help her two young children ‘remember and celebrate’ their dad, as she doesn’t want them to ‘feel sadness’
‘It’s so strange as some days I feel like it only happened yesterday, and then on others I feel like so much time has gone by since we last saw him and it just breaks my heart. I think about him every single day and that won’t ever change.’
Last year, Kelsey launched a charity football match in Tom’s honour, which took place on Father’s Day, and she was delighted to announce that a second one will be taking place on this year’s Father’s Day – June 16.
She said: ‘One thing I promised myself and Tom was to continue his legacy. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer.
‘That is more than leukaemia, prostate and breast cancer, yet the government only gives brain tumour research 1 per cent of its funding.
‘More needs to be done and I feel like when Tom passed he handed the baton over to me to continue raising awareness and funding. We can’t keep losing our children, husbands, wives, parents, brothers and sisters to this cancer.
‘So as part of Tom’s legacy, we will be holding a second charity football match in his honour this Father’s Day. It’s a great way for Rae and Bo to remember and celebrate their dad, I don’t want them to feel sadness.
‘The money raised will go back into research and to help families like mine who have lost a loved one.
‘We’ve had so much celebrity support and interest already and I can’t wait to start revealing who will be taking part in this year’s line up.’
The Wanted singer passed away aged 33 in March 2022 following an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer
Last year, Kelsey launched a charity football match in Tom’s honour, which took place on Father’s Day, and she was delighted to announce that a second one will be taking place on this year’s Father’s Day – June 16
Brothers Ryan and Scott Thomas, X Factor’s Jake Quickenden and Love Island’s Nathan Massey were among the stars who supported Kelsey last year
Brothers Ryan and Scott Thomas, X Factor’s Jake Quickenden and Love Island’s Nathan Massey were among the stars who supported Kelsey last year.
100% of the proceeds raised from the game will be donated to brain tumour charity’s Ahead of The Game – which helps fund lifesaving treatment and support affected families.
The charity invests in cancer sufferers and their families providing rehabilitation, mental and emotional support as well as financial help.
It comes after Kelsey revealed she had come to the ‘painful’ decision to take off her wedding rings after months of ‘torturing herself’.
Following Tom’s death Kelsey found happiness with former convict Sean Boggans, who was jailed in 2013 for four years after he killed a man with one punch, but they later split.
Taking to Instagram last month she said she wanted to do something special with her engagement and wedding ring so as ‘to honour my marriage with Tom, while not living in the past’.
Alongside a photo montage of their 13-year relationship, Kelsey wrote: ‘Hi everyone, hope you have had a lovely Sunday.
‘I wanted to share something with you all this evening. It’s something I’ve been thinking long and hard about for a while now, and as we end the first week of a new year, I have decided to take off my rings.
Speaking ahead of the two-year anniversary since his death, Kelsey told : ‘March is such a difficult month for us as a family. I can’t actually believe that in just a couple of weeks it will be two years since we lost Tom.’
‘It felt really painful every time I looked at them and I have been torturing myself over when will be the right time. I know now there will never be a right or wrong time, but there does have to come a point in my life when I remove them.
‘Of course I’ll always be Tom’s, he’ll always be in my heart and I know I will forever be in his, but right now, in this world I’m not married anymore as much as that breaks my heart to admit.’
Kelsey asked fans for their creative ideas about how she could do something ‘special’ with the rings until she bestows them to their children Aurelia, four, and son Bodhi, three.
She continued: ‘Sometimes I wonder if I’ve left them on too long and other times I think I just expected to wear them forever.
‘How do I protect and honour my marriage to Tom while not living in the past?!
‘Anyway, I’m going on here, but it is something I wanted to share with you all as you give me so much love and support. Please do send me any ideas you have of what I could do with my rings, and no hate please! I want 2024 to be a positive year and I have no space for negative energy or comments. Love and light xxx’.