The professional sporting industry has rarely been viewed as a spearhead for community and bringing people together. However, 5 year old Bradley Lowery and his story have been embraced by the British soccer scene, giving everyone something to smile about, no matter which team they support.
Having been diagnosed with neuroblastoma at just 18 months, Bradley Lowery was one of around just 100 cases of his kind each year in the UK. Initially overcoming the tumour, he unfortunately went into remission before relapsing in 2016, given just months to live. However, where all seems bleak, the brave boy has refused to be defined by his cancer, his love of soccer giving him hope and happiness despite the illness.
Always an enthusiastic and keen supporter, Bradley’s story began to catch the eye of his favourite club Sunderland AFC as fundraiser to help with his treatment reached an astonishing £700,000. With the fans and the players behind him, Bradley was invited late last year to explore their stadium prior to one of their big games. To his utter delight, he was even invited to score a penalty on the pitch with some of his idols. With the event touching so many, the brave young boy swiftly became a national treasure in the world British soccer, with over 250,000 fans wishing him well with Christmas cards and letters.
In an inspiring turn of events, tonight Bradley stepped out onto Wembley stadium, hand in hand with his favourite Sunderland and England international player who went on to score in the game. Indeed, he lead the team onto the pitch ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Lithuania to a crowd of over 77,000, fulfilling the dream of every soccer lover.
The pictures speak for themselves. Where all hope seems to be lost, it seems smiles can still be found. Bradley serves as an inspiration to us all.
Watch the full video here: pic.twitter.com/DdUPKUGxUE
Donate to #BradleysFight here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bradleylowerysfight
