5-year-old boy with cancer receives 250,000 Christmas gifts

Bradley Lowery, 5, is fighting a rare cancer. Photo / Twitter.com/bradleysfight

Like any five-year-old, Bradley Lowery is excited about opening his cards and presents on Christmas Day.

But this year he had to start a little early - and enlist the help of 200 volunteers - after receiving 250,000 packages from around the world.

Parcels and envelopes for Bradley flooded in after a social media campaign was launched to make the football-loving youngster's Christmas a special one.

Bradley has cancer and is terminally ill, but he could not wait to join in with the great unwrapping.

A van was needed to transport the mountain of post to the local community centre, where he was helped by friends, family and well- wishers. His mother Gemma Lowery, 33, of Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, said: "This is all so overwhelming. It's fantastic to read the messages in the cards, especially some from little children."

Bradley was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, which attacks the nervous system, in January 2013. After enduring radiotherapy, chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, he was thought to be beating the disease. However it returned in July this year and Mrs Lowery and her labourer husband Carl, 33, were told it was terminal.

As news of his story spread, the youngster was invited to be a mascot for his favourite football team, Sunderland, earlier this month and met his idol, striker Jermain Defoe.

The turn out for @Bradleysfight Christmas Card Opening is amazing! - Justin & Kelly xx pic.twitter.com/kjXKphOoVx

— Heart North East (@heartnortheast) December 22, 2016

The campaign of cards and presents began when an Everton fan tweeted: "Wouldn't it be nice if everyone sent him a Christmas card?"

A postal address was set up as the campaign snowballed. Yesterday Bradley - who also has a brother Kieran, 14 - received 14,000 cards, arriving from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and the US.

His parents are raising money to fund life-prolonging treatment for Bradley. Any left over will be put towards helping other ill youngsters.