Bradley Lowery was a worldwide inspiration and his legacy is continuing to inspire youngsters on Wearside and beyond.
On Saturday, Chloe Gray and her family put their fight to one side, as the Disney-mad youngster attended Sunderland’s game against Queens Park Rangers in the Bradley Lowery Foundation Box - formerly Box 18.
Chloe, 7, suffers from a condition known as Diamond Blackfan Anaemia, which affects just 700 people in the world.
This means she is reliant on blood transfusions every three to four weeks and her only chance of a cure is a stem cell transplant, but, sadly, there is currently no match for her on the donor register.
But despite battling her illness every day, her determination and fearlessness leaves her family in awe.
“She inspires me every day with the way she deals with it, but on the other hand it’s so sad that she’s become used to living with it because no child should be used to going into hospital,” said Francesca Bowser, Chloe’s mother.
“We just want to get the word out there so we’re present on social media and we’re hosting events where people can come and register, and you can also register online but that takes a little longer.”
She continued: “We’ve been searching for a match on the register for over a year but we haven’t found one.
“The Bradley Lowery Foundation also put it on their social media and it’s really boosted the awareness, with over 2,000 people signing up within two days.
“Gemma [Lowery] has been amazing and I don’t know how she’s so strong – I don’t know if I would be – but what she’s doing to help people is fantastic.”
From the moment I walked into Box 18 the feeling of togetherness was overwhelming, and it all came from one centre point – Chloe.
Alongside her parents, grandparents and siblings, she enjoyed an unforgettable day at the Stadium of Light and with your help it will be the first of many.
“It’s been a real family day and it’s rare that we get time to do stuff like this, so to have this box for the day and this opportunity really is special.
“We plan things but she often ends up in hospital or is too poorly to actually do it, so it’s lovely just to have a day out.”
She added: “Days like today mean everything to families like us.”
You can help find #AHeroForChloe by using the hashtag on social media and by encouraging more people to join the Anthony Nolan register
Anyone aged 16-30, weighing at least 50kg and in good health, can join the register.
The charity will send a ‘spit kit’ in the post to test a sample of the donor’s saliva and inform them if they are a match for someone in need of a stem cell transplant.
For more information, just click here.
