The parents of Bradley Lowery – the six-year-old Sunderland fan who lost his battle with neuroblastoma cancer earlier this year – will collect an award in his honour at the 2017 Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.

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Gemma and Carl Lowery will attend the awards at the Echo Arena Liverpool to pick up the Hellen Rollason Award in recognition of their son's battle with a rare childhood cancer – a fight he sadly lost in July 2017.

Bradley was born in 2011 and diagnosed with the illness aged just 18 months. But he became a popular figure, bringing joy to those around him in the face of adversity and striking up a close friendship with Jermain Defoe – the star striker at his favourite football club, Sunderland.

"Every time I saw him was a special feeling. He was my best friend," said Defoe after Bradley passed away.

The youngster was a guest at the 2016 SPOTY ceremony, meeting England manager Gareth Southgate and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker at the event in Birmingham.

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He was also a mascot for the England football team at Wembley Stadium back in March in a World Cup qualifier which saw Defoe score to help secure a 2-0 win over Lithuania.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds were raised in support of Bradley's fight and a foundation now exists in his name, helping to treat children with similar conditions.

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The Helen Rollason Award was first introduced in 1999 and exists in memory of the BBC Sport journalist and presenter who lost her battle with cancer that year, aged 43.

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