10 years on and now £6m later – the enduring legacy of teenager Stephen Sutton’s bucket list
On the 10th anniversary of fundraiser Stephen’s death from colorectal cancer aged 19, it has been announced that his fundraising total has now reached an incredible £6 million.
- Published:
Today (Tuesday 14 May) marks 10 years since inspirational teenage fundraiser Stephen Sutton MBE died of colorectal cancer aged 19.
His positivity in the face of incurable cancer, bucket list, and viral ‘last thumbs up’ photo and message to supporters from his hospital bed moved and motivated a nation, and spurred millions of pounds worth of donations to the charity that supported him through four years of treatment, Teenage Cancer Trust.
Today his mum Jane Sutton and Teenage Cancer Trust announce that the total raised by Stephen, and in his memory, has now reached an incredible £6m. And to mark the anniversary, the charity has worked with Jane to create a moving short film where she reflects on her son’s life and enduring legacy.
Jane said:
“After Stephen’s diagnosis of incurable cancer, I was in awe of his bravery. His bucket list of the 46 things he wanted to do typified Stephen, ranging from raising £10,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust to hugging an animal bigger than him, to crowd surfing in a yellow dinghy! He was determined to squeeze every drop of joy out of life.
“There will always be a Stephen-shaped hole in my heart, and I miss him every day. But knowing that he has changed the lives of thousands of other young people with cancer for the better, and that he’s still making a difference to others, which is all he ever wanted to do, brings some comfort.
“Stephen really did appreciate Teenage Cancer Trust being there for him during his illness, and he was very aware that not every young person can get the charity’s support, which was why the fundraising aspect of his bucket list became so important to him.
“So today I’d like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported Stephen’s fundraising all those years ago, and to the people who have donated or fundraised in his memory since he passed.
“It means the world to us, and we are so proud of Stephen and to have reached the £6 million milestone in the 10th anniversary year.”
New fundraising challenges inspired by Stephen
Jane also announces today that to mark the 10th anniversary she’ll be starting a series of 16 fundraising challenges inspired by Stephen, which will cover every region in the UK where Teenage Cancer Trust funds specialist units for young people with cancer. She is also encouraging further donations to Teenage Cancer Trust in his memory.
Jane is determined to raise £300,000, an amount that could fund an additional 10,000 hours of expert care and support for young people with cancer.
Her first challenge will take place at Noah’s Art Zoo Farm in Bristol on 22 May where she’ll be reunited with Sutton the elephant, named after Stephen.
Hugging an animal larger than himself was on Stephen’s bucket list, and Sutton, now 10, is the son of the elephant he got the chance to hug. Animal-lover Jane will be taking part in an elephant poo shovelling challenge, which she thinks Stephen would have found ‘hilarious’.
Jane said: “10 years on since Stephen passed and 7 young people every day are still hearing the devastating news that they have cancer. By 2030 that figure will rise to almost 10 young people daily.
“Like Stephen, I want all young people diagnosed with cancer to be able to access the support and services Teenage Cancer Trust offer, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop fundraising until that’s the case.
“With cancer in young people on the increase, and the charity struggling to find the money needed to grow their services, these young people need our help and support more than ever.”
Frontman of The Who and Teenage Cancer Trust Honorary Patron, Roger Daltrey CBE, said:
“Stephen remains an inspiration.
“He had incredible courage and spirit and was determined to live life to the full and make a difference to others.
“He certainly achieved all of that. By sharing his story, he put the spotlight on what life is like for teenagers with cancer in a way that has never been done before or since.
“He raised millions of pounds to help other young people with cancer and since Stephen died, his mother Jane has continued his legacy. Jane remains completely determined that in the future, every young person can access the support Stephen had from Teenage Cancer Trust. In the face of such heartbreak that truly is incredible.
“I would encourage everyone to get behind Jane and support her new target which will have a huge impact on people, at the time they need it most.”
Inspiration behind Stephen’s fundraising and his enduring legacy
Stephen was supported by three Teenage Cancer Trust units during his four years of treatment – at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the unit at Royal Orthopaedic, Birmingham followed by the unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the city.
Teenage Cancer Trust fund units within NHS hospitals which are designed for young people and staffed by specially trained nurses and youth teams. It means that they can be treated around others their own age, as opposed to on a ward with young children, or on an adult ward surrounded by people decades older than them.
Jane said: “Being on the units made Stephen realise that he wasn’t the only young person with cancer and gave him the opportunity to speak to other young people going through what he was going through.
“His friends were fantastic, and all rallied around and always there. But Stephen said that they couldn’t understand what he was going through – the only people who could understand were other young people going through the same thing. That for Stephen made a big difference.”
His experiences on the units and at the charity’s events inspired Stephen to fundraise for the charity, and when he reached the £3m mark he was asked by Teenage Cancer Trust if there was anything in particular that he would like the charity to spend the money on.
Having benefited hugely from the charity’s services he simply replied that Teenage Cancer Trust should “just keep doing what it’s doing.”
Teenage Cancer Trust say that to date:
- £2.87m has been spent refurbishing and upgrading its hospital units within NHS hospitals around the UK.
- £1.2m has been spent on educating and raising awareness of the early signs of cancer in young people.
- £975,000 has been spent on research and essential training for nursing and health care professionals supporting young people with cancer.
- £500,000 has been spent on improving information and online resources for young people with cancer.
- £140,000 has been spent on facilitating events that bring young people with cancer together, to reduce the sense of isolation a cancer diagnosis often brings.
- The remaining £315,000 has been spent by the charity wherever it has been needed most within its services.
Kate Collins, Chief Executive, Teenage Cancer Trust, said:
“Stephen himself said ‘I don’t see the point in measuring life in terms of time anymore, I’d rather measure life in terms of making a difference’ and the difference he - and everyone who has been inspired by him - continues to make is extraordinary.
“Stephen shone the brightest of lights on the needs of young people with cancer, inspiring thousands of people to support us and helping Teenage Cancer Trust to expand our work.
“Young people with cancer need our support now more than ever and his mum Jane’s commitment to continuing his legacy by helping us continue our work is as extraordinary as Stephen was.
“We are all so grateful to Stephen, to Jane and to everyone who helps make sure young people don’t face cancer alone by donating to our work.”
Through Jane’s 16 challenges and call for donations in Stephen’s memory, she is determined to raise £300,000, an amount that could fund an additional 10,000 hours of expert care and support for young people with cancer. To support Jane make a donation at www.teenagecancertrust.org/stephen or text THUMBSUP to 70470 to donate £10.
Teenage Cancer Trust will receive 100% of your donation. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message. For full terms & conditions, visit teenagecancertrust.org/text
ENDS
Notes to editors:
To download a selection of hi-res and collected images for this story click here: https://we.tl/t-lisDY6KLhP
To view and embed or extract audio from the 10th anniversary film (also under embargo until 00:01 on 14 May 2024) please use the links below.
Subtitled version: https://vimeo.com/943696554/a2a623afba?share=copy
No subtitles: https://vimeo.com/944039350/912133dc56?share=copy
For further information and interview requests please email [email protected] or call 07522 956 697.
About Teenage Cancer Trust:
- Every day, seven young people in the UK aged 13 to 24 hear the words “you have cancer”.
- Teenage Cancer Trust puts young people in the best possible place, physically, mentally and emotionally, for their cancer treatment and beyond.
- We do it through our expert nurses, support teams, and hospital units. And we’re the only UK charity dedicated to providing this specialised nursing care and support.
- Teenage Cancer Trust is a registered charity: 1062559 (England & Wales), SC039757 (Scotland).