Tom is born on Millennium Eve 1999 to parents Gordon Cunningham (Bernard Latham) and Helen Cunningham (Kathryn George). Tom had to deal with a lot of family tragedies. Gordon's daughter Dawn Cunningham (Lisa Williamson) died of leukaemia two years before he was born, the suicide of Helen's son Lewis Richardson (Ben Hull) in 2001, Helen and Gordon are killed in a car crash in 2004 and Tom survived the crash. Helen's daughter Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn) becomes his legal guardian. Some time after, Mandy cannot cope looking after Tom and hands him over to Gordon's son Max Cunningham (Matt Littler). Max and best friend Sam "OB" O'Brien (Darren Jeffries) raise Tom in their flat. Tom runs away from home after overhearing Max tell OB he believes Tom will be better off in care. However, Mandy finds him by his parents' grave.