BRADLEY Hooper, the 16-year-old school boy from Farnham who tragically died in a motocross accident in May 2014, has finally been given the gift of his headstone after a kind gesture by Portsmouth Motocross Club.

A blessing was held on Saturday, January 16, as Brad’s mum Michelle and his sister Beth wanted to show their sincere thanks to Martin Bradbury, Kay Turner, the committee and all the members for kindly offering to pay for Brad’s headstone, something Michelle could not have paid for alone.

Michelle said: “It was a lovely crisp day with the sun setting, it was a lovely ceremony, I will never forget it. Bradley will never be forgotten. We would also like to thank Kelly Gathercole a friend of the family and whose son was a friend of Brad’s, as she had a huge part in this process.

“When Kay contacted me to ask if they could pay for Brad’s headstone, we were completely overwhelmed by the generosity and shed many tears over this kind gesture by the club. This is something I desperately wanted for Brad and what he deserves but something I sadly could not afford.

The headstone was designed by Michelle and Beth, which included stars representing ‘Bradstar’ which is a name that Brad enjoyed to be known as, a sun which represents Brad being the sunshine in his families and friends lives, and the number 23 representing his riding number.

Beth narrated a poem about her brother and joined in as everyone sang the popular hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful.

The club has been very supportive and has raised thousands of pounds for Brad’s charity which is the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance - which were in attendance on that fateful day but due to Brad’s severe injuries were unable to save him.

Michelle continued: “Brad is desperately missed by us, he is in our thoughts every second of the day and we love him so very much. Our lives have been shattered and will never be the same, the day Brad died part of us died too. Everyday feels like a mountain to climb, the days can be very dark and lonely.

“People who have not been through a tragedy don’t understand what you are going through, don’t know how you feel or what to say to you. You look OK on the outside but on the inside you are crying.”