'My brave boy': Gemma Lowery on Bradley's incredible legacy, his friendship with Jermain Defoe and the future
‘He was put on this Earth to do a job - and I think he smashed it.’ Gemma Lowery has looked back on the incredible life of her son Bradley and the amazing legacy he left.
In episode 6 of the Wearside Echoes podcast, sponsored by Mobility Care Solutions, Gemma has given an emotional insight into the life of the little boy who had such a huge impact on the world.
‘No matter who met him and which paths he crossed, everyone just kind of fell in love with him’
Bradley lost his fight to neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, in July of 2017.
But in the six years that he lived, he made a huge difference in the world and Gemma said: ‘He just had this ability for everybody to fall in love with him. No matter who met him and which paths he crossed, everyone just kind of fell in love with him.
“I honestly believe that he was put on this earth to do a job, and I think he smashed it. He did that job which was to raise awareness of childhood cancer and he did that so well.”
‘ He was just so happy to meet Jermain and after that, the connection they had was undeniable’
Bradley’s story ‘went viral’ when he suffered a relapse in his cancer fight and he struck up an incredible friendship with the Sunderland AFC legend Jermain Defoe.
In 2013, Gemma started a fundraising campaign to raise funds to get Bradley treatment in the USA, which was not available in the UK.
She said: “When he relapsed he went viral and it was Sunderland really. It was the Jermain and Bradley effect that got it. He was mascot for Sunderland and he just loved Jermain, and that’s because he heard his brother and his dad talk about Jermain who was the best player in our eyes at the time.
‘You have Jermain, an England professional footballer from London and then you have a little boy from a village. How does that connection even work?’
“All Bradley wanted to do was meet this Jermain who was spoken about in the house.”
She recalled when Bradley did get to meet the SAFC star and ran up to him shouting ‘Jermain in the cutest little voice!’ He was just so happy to meet Jermain and after that, the connection they had was undeniable.
“That is when the media started to be interested. You have got Jermain Defoe, an England professional footballer from London and then you have a little boy from a village. How does that connection even work?’
And while it was an astonishing time for the Lowery family, Gemma’s thoughts were centred on ‘how I could get the money to save Bradley’s life’.
Making memories in Bradley’s name
Gemma also talks of her memories of the day of Bradley’s funeral and of the work of the Bradley Lowery Foundation which is striving to help other poorly children.
She also gave us an update on the progress of the holiday home which is being built in her son’s memory.
“We got to make so many incredible memories when Bradley was here. One of the things that is really important to us now is memory making.”
To find out more, listen to the episode which is available on all major podcast platforms.
You can also enjoy all the previous episodes of Wearside Echoes series 3 and we are delighted to have Mobility Care Solutions on board as our backers.
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