SPECIAL GUEST AT CANCER BOY’S FINAL PARTY The last goodbyes for brave Bradley
party with his cousins and school sweetheart Poppy Moore. The moving photos sparked an outpouring of love and support which his family said “really mean a lot to us all”, as well as praise for Jermain. One supporter wrote: “What an incredible child, he’s my little hero. Jermain Defoe is an absolute gentleman and exceptional guy. “If only love was a cure he would have been saved a million times over. There’s only one Bradley Lowery. Keep fighting lil man.” A fellow cancer sufferer left a message saying: “I love this kid and I have a new-found love for Jermain Defoe. What a guy. An absolute legend in my eyes. “Keep on fighting this, Bradley. It’s so inspirational to me as a 34-year-old terminal cancer patient to see how strong you are.” But it was clear from other family photos that Bradley is now fading.
Mum Gemma posted an image of him being hugged by brother Kieran with the caption: “My two boys, my world, my everything.”
And in another post she wrote: “Bradley is very weak now but is still fighting on in true Bradley style. He will only go when he decides.” Tragically, that time seems to be drawing near – and Jermain was determined to let his little pal know how much he cares. Earlier this year the footballer told TV’s Lorraine Kelly that Bradley had made him want to have kids of his own and he has taken his girlfriend to meet the youngster. He said: “People talk about what I bring to Bradley’s life but I can honestly say that he has changed me as a person. When I went to see him in hospital he said, ‘Mum, can you turn the lights off?’ and he said to me, ‘Do you want to get in the bed?’ “So I said, ‘No problem, Brad” and I got in the bed and he pulled the covers over us. “He just wanted a cuddle. It was an amazing feeling.” On Friday night the two great friends had what may be their last-ever cuddle – though Bradley was feeling too weak to pull the covers up. But the look on both their faces told you that Bradley and his hero Jermain were both feeling the love.