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Stephen Sutton: The teenager who became a celebrity for a good cause

Stephen Sutton

A teenager in the UK who has been documenting his fight against cancer on social media for the past 15 months has posted a farewell to his followers: “It’s a final thumbs up from me!” But before his final farewell, he is desperate to raise £1m for charity.

Stephen Sutton, 19, of Burntwood, Staffordshire has been chronicling his battle with colorectal cancer – which he has had since the age of 15 – via his social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Despite having the tumour removed from his bowel, it returned a year later. Knowing he didn’t have much time left, the fun-loving teenager drew up a list of 46 tasks to complete before he dies. From skydiving to hugging an animal bigger than him, his tasks garnered him fame in the UK, turning him into a bit of a celebrity all for a good cause.

Due to his tumours, Stephen’s right lung has completely collapsed forcing him to remain in hospital unable to move much. But he is trying to complete number one – raising £1m for the charity Teenage Cancer Trust.

He has so far raised £961,276, just short of the total. You can donate by visiting his Just Giving page here.


 
“Generally I am feeling very weak and the slightest bit of movement is leaving me short of breath,” he posted yesterday. "I am also finding it tiring to speak and even typing this message is hard work.

"Unfortunately I haven’t got much time left, but I just want to reiterate to you all what a great time I’ve had recently.

"It's a final thumbs up from me! I've done well to blag things as well as I have up till now, but unfortunately I think this is just one hurdle too far. It's a shame the end has come so suddenly- there's so many people I haven't got round to properly thank or say goodbye too. Apologies for that.

"There was also so many exciting projects and things I didn't get to see out. Hopefully some will continue and if you want to carry on the fundraising please do.

"All future updates on this page will probably be from a family member. I hopefully may have the energy to write a few tweets I will continue fighting for as long as I can, and whatever happens next I want you all to know I am currently in a good place mentally and at ease with the situation.

"That's it from me. But life has been good. Very good."



STEPHEN'S BUCKET LIST
1. Raise £1 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust
2. Sky dive for charity
3. Make a bungee jump for charity
4. Organise a charity party
5. Have a charity waxing and head shave (Still to do)
6. Write a book
7. Publish a ‘tumour humour’ book containing jokes, funny stories and anecdotes relating to cancer, so that people can look at the brighter side of life (Still to do)
8. Organise a charity football match
9. Do a charity hitch-hike visiting every Teenage Cancer Trust unit across the country (Still to do)
10. Write, record and release a charity single with my old band (Still to do)
11. Organise a charity gig
12. Go busking, with money raised going to charity
13. Persuade local schools to have a ‘get wiggy with it’ non-uniform day
14. Stage charity quizzes in local pubs
15. Organise a charity ball, including raffle...etc.
16. Host a charity ‘Come Dine With Me’ dinner party for friends, where they pay as much or as little as they want
17. Organise, and be part of, a flash mob
18. Organise a gigantic game of musical chairs or pass the parcel
19. Go to carnival in Brazil (Still to do)
20. Go to Wembley to see a football match
21. Go to Twickenham to see a rugby match
22. Fly somewhere first class
23. Get a tattoo
24. Play drums in front of a huge crowd
25. Do some public speaking in front of a huge crowd
26. Visit a famous waterfall (Still to do)
27. Throw a massive party for all my friends
28. Go on a ‘lads’ holiday’
29. Go to Australia (Still to do)
30. Hug an animal that is bigger than me
31. Ride a Segway
32. Go to a Skrillex concert (Still to do)
33. Go see a darts competition
34. Get my name in the Guinness World Book of Records (Still to do)
35. Go to CERN, home of the hadron collider, in Switzerland
36. Meet comedian Jimmy Carr
37. Go to another music festival, preferably Tomorrowland
38. Find someone with more surgical scars than me
39. Appear as an extra in a film or music video
40. Get music comedian Tim Minchin to write a song for me (Still to do)
41. Learn to juggle
42. Inspire someone to be a doctor or fundraiser
43. Have my portrait painted
44. Crowd-surf in a rubber dinghy at a gig
45. Try breathing in Xenon or sulphur dioxide and talking (it has the opposite effect of helium) (Still to do)
46. Visit Machu Picchu (Still to do)