Six-year-old ‘superhero’ Bradley Lowery died in his parents’ arms today after losing his long and brave battle with cancer.
The young Sunderland fan earned the love and admiration of millions as he fought the rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma and in his short life raised more than £1million to help others through his Bradley’s Fight charity.
Today his bereft mother Gemma revealed on Bradley’s Facebook page that her son had died at 1.35pm.
She said: ‘My brave boy has went with the angels today, in mammy and daddies arms surrounded by his family. He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where.
‘There are no words to describe how heart broken we are. Thank you everyone for all your support and kind words. Sleep tight baby boy and fly high with them angels’.
His fundraising and courageous fight won him many fans around the world and he enjoyed a close bond with England and ex-Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, who called Bradley his ‘best mate’ and is ‘heartbroken’ today.
Bradley’s death has led to an outpouring of grief – especially in the world of football – with clubs and their stars paying tribute to the ‘ultimate little fighter’.
Many used the hashtag #OneBradleyLowery and Gary Lineker described him as a ‘warrior and an inspiration to the end’.