Kelsey Parker has opened up about the devastating loss of her baby son Phoenix, revealing she is “taking each day as it comes” as she copes with grief for the second time in just two years.
The 34-year-old, who was previously married to The Wanted’s Tom Parker, revealed in June that her first child with partner Will Lindsay had tragically been “born sleeping”, just days before his due date.
In her first interview since Phoenix's death, Kelsey told The Mirror: “I didn't think I'd be living a relived experience, first losing Tom and now losing Phoenix. But I think with any grief and loss, you have to take each day as it come and work through it.”
Tom died in March 2022 at the age of 33 following a battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer.
The pair welcomed two children together: Aurelia, six, and Bodhi, four.
Kelsey shared that she was honest with her children about Phoenix’s death, just as she had been when their father passed.
She continued: “I spoke about it like I did with Tom, I just told them the truth. I think that's all you can do with your children, in anything you're going through, be honest.”
Kelsey added that, because they had already experienced grief at a young age, her children were able to understand what had happened.
“We're sort of almost like the Addams Family because we've gone though so much death and darkness. The children are very aware,” she said.
The podcaster also praised Tom’s parents, Noreen and Nige, for their continued support.
She remains close with the family and shared that Noreen had given her blessing when she first shared news of her pregnancy.
After losing Phoenix, Kelsey said she threw herself into routine making sure to be present at the school gates every day. “You have to be brave and show up,” she said.
She confirmed Phoenix’s death just one week before his due date, sharing a heartfelt poem on Instagram in June to announce the news.
She wrote: “The world grew quiet as you arrived, So loved, so longed for, yet not alive. Our precious boy, our angel light, Born with wings, took silent flight”.
“We named you Phoenix, brave and bright. A soul of love, of warmth and light Though we never heard you cry, You'll live in hearts that won't ask why.
“No breath you drew, no eyes to see, Still, you mean everything to me. You'll journey with us, softly near, in every sigh, in every tear.”
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