BRADLEY Lowery's mum shared her heartbreak today as she marked the five-year anniversary of her son's tragic death.

Gemma Lowery vowed to continue her precious boy's legacy as she admitted losing Bradley to a rare form of cancer still feels "like yesterday".

Footie-mad Bradley, who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at just 18 months, lost his battle to the disease on July 7 2017.

The Sunderland mega fan captured the hearts of a nation with his determination to fight, even striking up a close friendship with hero and former England player Jermain Defoe.

Nearly £7million has been raised in Bradley's name since, and in an emotional tribute today, mum Gemma vowed to continue making her son proud.

She wrote on Facebook: "Five years today my world got torn apart when my precious boy went with the angels.

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"No words I write will be able to describe how I feel on brads angelversary. I wish I could skip the 7th of July and wake up when the day is over.

"Five years without seeing that beautiful smile, your infectious laughter and your little cheeky personality."

She added: "It feels like a life time away since I got to hold you in my arms but the pain in my heart feels like it only happened yesterday.

"My heart is broken and will never be fixed but I will continue your legacy through the foundation and I will continue to make you proud."

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Bradley was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when he was just 18 months and despite beating the disease once, it came back in July 2016.

His family desperately raised money for treatment in the US but doctors later delivered the heart-breaking news that the little boy's cancer had become terminal.

Bradley's heartbroken family revealed the tragic news in a Facebook post five years ago, where they paid tribute to their "little superhero".

Any money raised which did not go towards their son's treatment was put into the Bradley Lowery Foundation, supporting others going through the same ordeal.

The foundation's total is now nearing an astonishing £7million.

Lynn Murphy, chief operating officer of the Bradley Lowery Foundation, told Chronicle Live: "Bradley did what a lot of people couldn’t do, he got people talking about childhood cancer.

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"It’s a subject no one likes to talk about, but Bradley’s journey proved to the world, that no matter what the diagnosis, it would not define him.

"He went through years of gruelling treatments and did it all with a huge smile on his face; he inspired the world with his positive attitude and with his legacy, we are now able to help other families just like his."

What is Neuroblastoma?

Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that most commonly afflicts babies and young children.

The disease develops from special nerve cells, known as neuroblasts, which get left behind from the child's development in the womb.

It mostly begins in the sufferer's adrenal glands located above the kidneys but can occur in the nerve tissue that runs along the spinal cord in the neck, chest, abdomen or pelvis.

The vicious illness can then spread to other organs like the bone, bone marrow, lymph nodes and skin.

Neuroblastoma afflicts around 100 children a year in the UK but the cause of the disease is still not known.

Its symptoms can include:

• a swollen painful tummy, sometimes in association with constipation and difficulty passing urine
• breathlessness and difficulty swallowing
• a lump in the neck
• blueish lumps in the skin and bruising, particularly around the eyes
• weakness in the legs and an unsteady walk, with numbness in the lower body, constipation and difficulty passing urine
• fatigue, loss of energy, pale skin, loss of appetite and weight loss
• bone pain, a limp and general irritability
• jerky eye and muscle movements

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