Goodbye Bradley, our superhero
ENGLAND striker Jermain Defoe wiped away tears yesterday as he joined thousands of well-wishers to pay tribute to six-year-old Bradley Lowery, whose cancer battle captured the hearts of the nation.
The youngster lost his five-year fight with neuroblastoma last week, after his bravery had inspired millions of people around the globe.
Yesterday his mother Gemma paid an emotional tribute to her “superhero in the sky”, as massive crowds, resplendent in football shirts, lined the streets of Blackhall Colliery in County Durham to bid Bradley farewell.
The youngster first came to the public’s attention when his parents appealed for wellwishers to send him Christmas cards, leading to an astonishing 250,000 arriving from around the world.
He then developed a unique friendship with Defoe – his favourite Sunderland player – and went on to become a mascot for both his favourite team and England.
Yesterday Bradley’s coffin arrived in a glass carriage, pulled by two white horses decked out in the red and white colours of Sunderland.
A line of his favourite superheroes – including Batman, Spider-Man and Captain America – saluted as the little coffin was carried into St Joseph’s church. Before the service, Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love, a Sunderland anthem, was played to the masses of people outside. Bradley’s mother, supported by husband Carl, read a poem which included the line: “We will meet again – our superhero up in the sky.” Defoe, who last month left relegated Sunderland to join Premier League Bournemouth, broke away from pre-season training in Spain to attend the funeral of his “best friend”. He wore one of his England shirts with “Bradley 6” emblazoned on the back. The star sobbed as he left the church and got into a waiting car ahead of a private ceremony at a nearby crematorium. Sunderland players John O’Shea, Lee Cattermole, Vito Mannone and ex-manager David Moyes were among the mourners. Sunderland’s team chaplain Marc Lyden-Smith said: “Bradley Lowery has done much more than just touch the hearts of so many football fans, he has been an encouragement to many and a loving smile to all of us.”