With and Without You

“They say the first year is the hardest.”

Kelsey Parker’s world was turned upside down in the summer of 2020 when her husband Tom, singer in boyband The Wanted, was cruelly diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

Heavily pregnant with their second child and coping with her own heartache at losing her partner of 13 years, Kelsey remained a tower of strength and positivity for Tom during his darkest days. When traditional treatments stopped working, she spent hours researching alternative therapies to give her husband extra time with his young children Aurelia and Bodhi.

Hope came late in 2021 when Tom’s tumour became stable, but sadly his condition quickly deteriorated and on March 30, 2022, aged just 33, he died surrounded by his loyal wife, family and friends.

With And Without You is her moving, deeply personal story of the first 12 months since Tom’s tragic passing. An intimate diary of how she coped with a year of unwanted firsts – first birthdays, first Christmas, first Valentine’s Day – all without the love of her life. It is the story of how she rebuilt her life, and bravely found a way to face the future. Since Tom’s death, Kelsey has been an inspiration to many and a rock to the couple’s children. She has sought to raise awareness of glioblastoma and has bravely campaigned for vital funds for more research into the disease. She has also found spirituality – following Tom’s long held belief there is something greater than just one life.

With And Without You is not only a story of coping with unimaginable heartbreak and grief, but how your love for someone you’ve lost can be turned into something positive and bring hope and light into your life as you carry on your journey without them.

© 2024 W. F. Howes Ltd (Audiobook): 9781004160723

Release date

Audiobook: 4 July 2024