They called it “the worst club in the world” to be in... and with good reason.
Singer Tom Parker of The Wanted was a member. So was Amani Liaquat, 23 – who became a friend to Tom, 33, in their final weeks.
And George Fox, 13 – dubbed Gorgeous George by family because of his blond locks – was yet another to suffer from a merciless disease.
He, too, was in contact with Tom.
All three had glioblastoma multiforme... a fast-growing brain tumour which is nearly always fatal.
Amani died in February, Tom in March and George in April.
Now, Amani’s mum Yasmin Stannard and George’s mum Louise are doing their utmost to raise awareness about the cancer – and fighting for a cure.
They are staging a Walk of Hope next week in honour of their children, with funds going to Brain Tumour Research.
Yasmin, 49, says: “Research and treatment in Britain is poor, so families have to stand together.
“Each of us have searched the world for a cure, desperate to keep our child alive long enough to save them.
“It’s too late for Amani, Tom and George. But the two of us want to help the other families who still have hope.”
Louise, 48, adds: “Until it happens to you, no one can understand the brutality of waking up each day knowing your child is going to die. Going through this together makes it less lonely. Yasmin has been my rock.”
It was April 2020 when Amani collapsed with a seizure while celebrating her 22nd birthday at home in Luton, Beds.
Her mum, dad Khuram, 50, and sisters Ruqayyah, 21 and Maleehah, 16, were horrified.
Rushed to hospital, she was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, for which doctors said there was no cure.
The first-class law graduate had radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a string of brain operations.
When NHS treatment ended, her family raised more than £100,000 for pioneering immunotherapy drugs available in Germany.
And despite her ill health, incredibly, Amani completed her Masters in social work and started a podcast about her cancer called Chat2Amani. This led to her meeting Tom, as he made a documentary on his own illness, Tom Parker: Inside My Head.
They chatted on Amani’s podcast and she invited people to “listen as we bond over our shared experience of being members of the worst club in the world”.
They also exchanged messages and voice notes. Supportive Tom would tell her: “I know it’s scary but you’re going to be fine... you’ve got this!” He invited Amani to see him with his band at London’s Royal Albert Hall in September 2021.
When Amani died on February 21 this year, Tom paid tribute on Instagram, saying: “My thoughts and love are with her family. She was an incredible young lady. Bright, smart, funny and I had the greatest pleasure to meet her.”
He also sent Amani’s family a ceramic angel in a box, a candle inscribed “In loving memory”, a packet of forget-me-not seeds and a silver picture frame.
When Tom died five weeks later, leaving wife Kelsey and children Aurelia Rose, two, and Bodhi, one, Yasmin and her family felt like they had lost another relative.
She says: “Tom was really gracious and sweet to Amani. She was stuck at home 24/7 when she should have been out living her life. Their friendship gave her something to talk about and think about, instead of her illness.”
During Amani’s battle, Yasmin grew close to other parents in the same situation – swapping information and offering each other a shoulder to cry on.
She goes on: “The brain cancer community is really supportive. The NHS and the doctors don’t have the answers in this country, so we have to look for them.
“We wish we weren’t here but we are glad we are here together.”
One of Yasmin’s greatest supporters has been Louise, who lives just 10 minutes away. Son George was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme after weeks of headaches in April 2021.
Louise explains: “I was told they were migraines or tension headaches, but he was leaping out of bed at 4.30am in pain. I knew that could be a symptom of a brain tumour and begged for a CT scan. When a scan took place, George was blue-lighted from our local hospital to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge.”
The Arsenal-mad schoolboy spent 10 hours in surgery having most of the tumour removed in May 2021 – and was able to return home within a few days. But once the tumour was analysed, Louise and husband Matt, 53, were told George’s illness was terminal.
Louise says: “We were told to take our son home and enjoy his last 12 months. I wasn’t going to stand for that. I vowed to George I would search the world for a treatment to make him better.”
George’s tumour grew back in full within five weeks of surgery and, after he collapsed at his 13th birthday party last November, he underwent a second operation. Like Amani’s family, his parents raised £70,000 to get George on to clinical trials abroad. But a trip to America after Christmas ended badly.
He suffered seizures on the plane and at their hotel. George spent a week in hospital and needed steroids – which in turn ruled him out of the drugs trial.
Medical bills soared and the family did more fundraising. The total was £487,000 – just enough to cover their costs.
Louise – also mum to Jamie, 18, and Isabella, 12 – says: “He told me, ‘Mum, this is the worst holiday I’ve ever been on’. So when he got his strength back, we took him to Disneyland in California.
“Even when we went to Germany for treatment, George saw it as a holiday, not a hospital appointment.”
Louise never let on to her beloved boy that he was dying. She adds: “We thought he would be scared and give up hope.
“I think that’s why he was so strong until the end. He was just amazing – really bright, funny and kind, always worrying about other people more than himself. He stood out from the time he was born because of his blond hair, so we called him ‘Gorgeous George’. He was gorgeous as a person as well.”
The lad died on April 12 this year, his brokenhearted parents by his side.
In his final months, pop star Tom had contacted George and his family, posting encouraging notes on his social media and even sending a video last Christmas.
Louise says: “He heard about George and wanted to support him. He didn’t have to and it was really kind. In the video, alongside his wife Kelsey, he said: ‘We hear you’ve been an absolute
trouper and a warrior, mate. We’re so proud of you. Keep going’.”
Louise’s grief is matched by anger that only 1% of Britain’s national spend on cancer has been steered towards brain tumour research over the past two decades.
Yet it is the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, says Brain Tumour Research. Life expectancy is short – usually 12-18 months. A quarter of sufferers survive more than a year and 5% edge past five years.
But cancer medics can’t explain why some live longer than others.
Louise, who lives in Barton-le-Clay, Beds, says: “Sadly, it is only when you become a parent or carer of someone with a brain tumour that you find out how desperate it is. We will never, ever get over losing George. His trainers are still by the front door and we take it in turns to sleep in his room.”
The family are getting through each day with the help of other parents – like Yasmin – and the couples recently drew strength by attending a weekend bereavement retreat together.
Louise adds: “We feel very let down at the lack of awareness, the lack of hope and the lack of research. The world can come together to find a Covid vaccine. Why can’t we tackle this?”
The walk
Yasmin and Louise have teamed up for a Walk of Hope, in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
At the inaugural event last year, organised by Yasmin, Amani gave a speech to encourage more research funding.
The walk raised more than £13,000 and Amani’s family donated another £40,000 that was left over from a campaign to pay for her treatment. The fundraising total in Amani’s memory stands at £100,000.
This year’s event is being held in Luton next Sunday. Participants have been asked to wear a touch of red – for Arsenal fan George – and a splash of purple, Amani’s favourite colour.
There will also be a “memorial of shoes”, which bereaved families can contribute a pair to, as a visual reminder of just how many lives have been lost to the disease.
Yasmin says: “Campaigning and fundraising keeps me busy. It also keeps me connected to Amani. I feel like I am spending time with her.
“People loved her honesty and resilience. I want to keep that spirit alive.”
Louise adds: “As long as I am breathing, I will fight against brain tumours. I will never see my son grow up and achieve his dreams but I want to make sure other families will.”
- Find out more about the event at gofundme.com/walk-of-hope-in-memory-of-george-and-amani
