Bradley Lowery's family recognised for fundraising

Football presenter Jeff Stelling and the family of Bradley Lowery are among the winners at the eighth annual JustGiving awards- which recognises fundraisers.

A posthumous Special Recognition Award was presented to the family of six-year-old Bradley Lowery, who died in July following a long illness with neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer.

Bradley was a fan of Sunderland FC and went on to be the club's mascot and became best friends with his hero, striker Jermain Defoe.

Well-wishers raised more than £700,000 through JustGiving to pay for him to be given antibody treatment in New York, but medics then found his cancer had grown and his family was informed his illness was terminal.

JustGiving received a record 72,000 nominations this year – from a man crawling the London Marathon dressed as a Gorilla to a 10-year-old victim of the Manchester Arena attack raising funds for the British Red Cross.

Special Recognition Award – Bradley Lowery

Bradley was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, neuroblastoma, in January 2013 when he was just 18-months-old.

He fought and beat the disease once, but sadly the cancer returned in July 2016. Gemma and Carl, his mum and dad, were told the devastating news that his cancer was terminal the following December.

Bradley went on to touch the lives of millions with his brave fight. As a huge Sunderland AFC fan, Bradley formed a close friendship with his football hero, Jermain Defoe.

He regularly joined Jermain on the pitch as club mascot, with the striker playing a special role in Bradley’s fight, regularly visiting him during his treatment. His story moved people all over the world, and Bradley’s family raised over £700,000.

Six-year-old Bradley lost his battle on July 7th 2017. But his fight against neuroblastoma left a legacy that will help generations of children suffering from the disease. His story has raised crucial awareness and Gemma and Carl have set up the Bradley Lowery Foundation to help other children fight.

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Watch Bradley's mother, Gemma Lowery, give her emotional acceptance speech:

Celebrity Fundraiser of the Year – Jeff Stelling

Football presenter Jeff Stelling's March for Men saw him walk 15 marathons in 15 days, visiting 40 football clubs and encouraging hundreds of people to join him along the way.

It was Jeff's second year of marching to beat prostate cancer. He's raised over £700,000 to help Prostate Cancer UK fight for better diagnosis, better treatment and better support.

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