- Gemma and Carl Lowery wiped away tears as they accepted award for their son
- The Sunderland fan, who died in July at age of six, was honoured posthumously
- Emotional parents looked on as sporting heroes and celebrities applauded them
- Were greeted on stage by Harry Kane and England’s manager Gareth Southgate
Bradley Lowery’s parents were given a standing ovation as they accepted an award on his behalf at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.
Gemma and Carl Lowery wiped away tears as they were greeted on stage by England player Harry Kane and national team manager Gareth Southgate.
The Sunderland fan, who died in July aged six, was honoured posthumously with the Helen Rollason award.
His emotional parents looked on as a crowd of sporting heroes and celebrities stood and applauded.
Bradley Lowery’s parents (pictured) were given a standing ovation as they accepted an award on his behalf at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony
Gemma and Carl Lowery wiped away tears as they were greeted on stage by England player Harry Kane and national team manager Gareth Southgate
His mother Gemma told the audience: ‘I’m slightly overwhelmed but I’m absolutely honoured to receive this on behalf of Bradley.
‘Bradley was only here for six years but the nation took him into their hearts and he raised so much awareness for childhood cancer that was unbelievable and I’m so proud of him.
‘We’ve set up the Bradley Lowery Foundation because we want to continue the good work he’s done. Not only will we be supporting people with fundraising but we will be giving grants out.
‘We want to build an amazing house for sick children to go and be able to enjoy, have some normality and have some special memories because all we’ve got left is those memories but we treasure them every day and we want to give that back
He struck up a close friendship with former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe and the pair led out England at Wembley for a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania in March
His emotional parents looked on as a crowd of sporting heroes and celebrities stood and applauded
‘Thank you so much for your continued support and we couldn’t do it without you and together we can make a difference.’
Lowery suffered from neuroblastoma – a rare type of cancer – from the age of 18 months and captured the nation’s hearts during a number of appearances as a mascot.
He struck up a close friendship with former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe and the pair led out England at Wembley for a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania in March.
The Helen Rollason award was introduced in 1999 in memory of BBC Sport journalist and presenter Helen Rollason MBE, who lost her battle with cancer in that year, aged 43. Previous winners include Sir Frank Williams and Jane Tomlinson.