Siva Kaneswaran fronts brain cancer campaign after death of bandmate Tom Parker

The Wanted singer Siva Kaneswaran is fronting a glioblastoma campaign after his bandmate Tom Parker died from the cancer in 2022.

Kaneswaran, 36, who currently sings in duo The Wanted 2.0, has helped to launch a new art installation with cancer care provider GenesisCare UK, created by brain cancer patients with their friends and family members.

Parker died at the age of 33 in March 2022 more than a year after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

Kaneswaran said: “I know from personal experience that supporting a loved one following a glioblastoma diagnosis can be really overwhelming and while the long-term prognosis is not good, it’s so important to harness the power of hope and a positive mindset after diagnosis.

“This is especially the case with the growing provision of world class treatments and care now available that can help protect the parts of the brain that make you, you.

“What I love most about this campaign is that it’s all about prioritising precious human interactions and connections and making every moment count.”

GenesisCare UK’s Memory Bank is a multi-sensory artwork and installation that patients made with their loved ones following their diagnosis.

Kaneswaran said: “The Memory Bank audio art installation packs a powerful punch as it captures and celebrates the very essence of what makes us who we are.

“It helps those affected to value the moment and ‘bank’ precious new memories, shared with loved ones and to make the most of every day.”

The artwork is an abstract painting of a functional MRI scan, but hidden beneath the surface are messages from glioblastoma patients that are only visible under ultraviolet (UV) light.

UV lighting has been featured in the installation in a nod to an advanced form of treatment that involves an oral medicine called 5-ALA, which makes tumours glow in pink, in contrast to the blue of the brain, so that healthy parts of the brain can be protected during surgery.

A brain tumour is a growth of cells in the brain that multiplies in an abnormal, uncontrollable way and treatment options include steroids, medicines, chemotherapy and surgery, according to the NHS website.

The Memory Bank audio art installation will be displayed at Westgate shopping centre in Oxford before being showcased at the GenesisCare centre in the city.

For more information about glioblastoma and the innovative treatments that preserve quality of life and can be life extending, visit www.genesiscare.com/uk/memory_bank.