A week after Kelsey Parker spoke to Christine Lampard about the loss of her baby boy Phoenix on Lorraine, she’s remembered her late son with a poignant tattoo.
Little Phoenix was stillborn 39 weeks into Kelsey’s pregnancy earlier this summer. Kelsey Parker was due to welcome her baby with boyfriend Will Lindsay.
Kelsey previously lost her husband, The Wanted singer Tom Parker, to cancer in 2022. The couple shared two children – Aurelia, six, and Bodhi, four. Back in 2023, she shared a reel of a tattoo she’d had done in memory of Tom.
Now, following the death of Phoenix, it has even more significance…
Tattoo tribute for baby Phoenix
Kelsey reposted a clip of herself getting the tattoo on her Instagram Stories earlier today (August 14). In the video, taken in the aftermath of Tom’s death, she is seen getting the inking done on her ribcage.
It features a phoenix rising up towards the sky, with the word ‘Hope’ written on its belly. Two butterflies also feature.
Kelsey captioned the clip: “My little Phoenix with me every day.”
In the original caption, Kelsey explained why she was getting it done. Kelsey said: “I used to send Tom a quote about a Phoenix to encourage him to rise up. This past year has shown me whatever happens I can rise up. So I wanted to get this tattoo for all of us.
“A phoenix. Hope because that’s all we have and had. Two butterflies for Rae and Bo and now that Tom is flying with them. And a star because he always is our star.”
One follower commenting today told Kelsey: “So beautiful how this tattoo links Tom and little Phoenix. He was always meant to be.”
Kelsey Parker on how she told her kids their brother had died
Earlier this month, Kelsey appeared on Lorraine and told Christine Lampard how she shared news of Phoenix’s death with her young children, Aurelia and Bodhi.
“It’s being honest, it’s telling them facts. I never want them to feel I haven’t been honest with them. I don’t want them to be in separate rooms to adults. Kids listen.
“For me, we are so honest with them. And obviously they’ve gone through this before – they’ve lost their dad. They know their dad’s in heaven with the angels now, so we said: ‘Phoenix has gone with your daddy.'”
Kelsey then revealed how she and partner Will Lindsay are doing. “For me, we just take each day, and each day is so different for both of us. But I’m strong. And the one thing we are guaranteed is that we are going to die. So talking about death and grief is so important.”
View this post on Instagram
‘They understand what death is’
Speaking to the Mirror, Kelsey doubled down on her comments and added: “For the kids, it just breaks my heart for them because obviously we wanted the happy ever after and to have Phoenix but that didn’t pan out for us.
“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. Because I think people underestimate their children and what their children can cope with.
“I think for them it actually makes it easier because they’ve gone through loss, they understand what death is. We’re sort of almost like the Addams Family because we’ve gone through so much death and darkness. Aurelia likes to tell people that her dad’s died and her brother’s died. She will openly say it, but it’s other people’s reactions. They can’t cope with how honest and open we are.”
Read more: All the stars who’ve found love after heartache – from Kelsey Parker to Dame Deborah James’ widower
So what did you think of Kelsey’s interview? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.