'I cope by talking about Tom and singing his songs'

The Wanted's Siva Kaneswaran on former bandmate Tom Parker and the powerful legacy he's left behind

- YASMIN VINCE

He might have been busy with rehearsals for The Wanted 2.0's North American tour, but band member Siva Kaneswaran still made time to front GenesisCare UK's Memory Bank - an art installation in Oxford that explores and celebrates the experiences of brain cancer patients and their loved ones.

Sitting down with OK! just days before he was set to perform in Las Vegas, the Irish singer explains why he's so passionate about being involved in the multi-sensory installation, which captures a powerful mix of memories patients have made with their loved ones following their diagnosis and shows how human connections have helped them navigate this challenging new chapter in their lives.

“A big fear of people with brain tumours is losing their memory,” Siva says. “This exhibition helps create a positive mindset for people with brain cancer. They can go to the exhibition and hear their memories.” The Memory Bank focuses on people with glioblastoma - a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumour - and Siva says, “It's so important to harness the power of hope and a positive mindset after diagnosis. I want to help raise awareness and money for new treatments.”

The singer explains that because cancer is such a “taboo topic”, particularly brain cancer, it isn't spoken about nearly as much as it should be, yet it is one of the top killers of people under 40.

“When it's not spoken about, nothing changes,” he says. “But when it is, types of research and treatments can arise, such as a special dye a patient can drink to make a tumour glow orange during surgery.”