It was an unlikely friendship – a member of a chart-topping boyband and the vice provost of one of the world’s leading universities.
But diagnosed with the same inoperable brain cancer, The Wanted singer Tom Parker found a friend in fellow hospital patient Lori Houlihan.
Their relationship was captured on Tom’s powerful documentary Inside My Head where Lori, of Aberdeen, called them “treatment buddies”.
Lori’s daughter Poppy, 18, called Tom to say Lori had died and she has revealed just how proud her mother was of him.
She said: “When Mum was diagnosed, she saw her illness as something that had happened to her so that she could do something to help improve things – and Tom is the same.
“Tom and my mum were definitely kindred spirits.”
University College London boss Lori had no idea who the singer was when they received the same pioneering treatment after both were diagnosed with a glioblastoma.
University student Poppy said: “They met because they had a glioblastoma but also because of Covid.
“Covid meant Tom couldn’t have his wife with him during treatment – especially as she was pregnant at the time of his diagnosis – and Mum couldn’t have her family with her either.
“My mum loved to chat, started talking to Tom and they just became friends from there.
“When they were talking one day, he mentioned he was in a boyband. I remember her coming home and saying to me, ‘Have you ever heard of The Wanted?’ I looked them up to show her and played her some songs. The fact Tom was in a band didn’t make any difference to her.
“I remember Mum buying presents for his two little ones. They were like a little support system for each other.
“When Mum learned the treatment offered to patients with a glioblastoma hasn’t changed in 30 years unless you go down the private route for so-called ‘experimental’ treatment, she knew she had to do what she could to raise money to fund medical research.
“While Mum set up her glioblastoma research fund, Tom set up his charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall and made his documentary.”
Poppy received a special invite from Tom to attend the concert last month, which was hosted by DJs Roman Kemp and Sonny Jay and featured Ed Sheeran, Liam Payne and even Tom performing on stage with The Wanted.
It became the focus of Tom’s documentary to raise awareness of glioblastoma and encourage fundraising for research into new treatments and even a cure.
And it revealed Tom’s heartache after he received the news from Poppy that her mum had died in April.
Poppy said: “When Mum died, I knew I had to let Tom know and he has kept in touch. He is an absolutely lovely man – very sweet. My mum was amazing too. She was a real advocate for change. As part of her working life, Mum had raised more than £600million through her fundraising capabilities for UCL and different charities.
“Almost as soon as she was diagnosed, she set up a fund to raise money for research into glioblastoma. So far the fund has raised £250,000.
“She knew average life expectancy for glioblastoma was a year but she survived for 23 months and, right up until very near the end, she lived life to the full.”
Lori’s husband Dominic, a professor emeritus at Aberdeen University, said: “Lori was at the height of her powers when she was struck down by sudden seizures and diagnosed with glioblastoma.
“I think what shines through for me was her courage.”
