The family of terminally-ill football mascot Bradley Lowery said he is still fighting to stay alive.
In the last few weeks the condition of the six-year-old Sunderland fan, who has the rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma, has deteriorated quickly.
But in a post on Facebook, his family said "he has been very close to going with the angels but he pulls himself out of it".
They said: "Bradley is still fighting to stay with us. Nobody knows where he is getting the strength from or how he is doing it.
"He has been very close to going with the angels but he pulls himself out of it. It is a hard time for us waiting and watching for our baby to take his last breath, he started with fighting and he is ending with fighting."
On Saturday the youngster was visited by his "best friend" Jermain Defoe after his family threw him a party.
He had asked to have a party with his cousins and girlfriend and pictures showed him snuggled up to the football player.
The youngster's family, from Blackhall, County Durham, have used social media to regularly update his many thousands of well-wishers around the world about his condition.