‘Dementia link to sudden low blood pressure and dizziness’
October 13, 2024
Inspirational cancer sufferer Stephen Sutton received a massive boost last night after his charity fund neared £3million – almost three times his target of £1million.
The news came as the terminally ill 19-year-old revealed he felt ‘fantastic’ and was breathing unaided after a surprise improvement in his condition.
Stephen, who originally wanted to raise £10,000 before revising his target to £1million, touched the hearts of millions last Tuesday after writing a final Facebook blog thanking followers and donors to his chosen charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Last night TV comedian Jason Manford paid the latest of many celebrity tributes by bringing forward his May 10 gig – and it sold out in four minutes.
The heartbreaking explanation of Stephen’s Story
Stephen said he was too ill to carry on after doctors told him he could stop breathing after a lung collapsed.
The heartbreaking message was accompanied by a picture of him in his hospital bed giving his trademark thumbs-up.
The poignant last post caused cash to flood in after a host of celebrities helped to publicise his fundraising efforts in a social media campaign called Thumbs Up For Stephen, started by Jason Manford.
A host of others joined in including Who frontman Roger Daltrey and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Simon Pegg and Stephen Fry.
Jason Manford on why he decided to help Stephen
Jason Manford brought forward his May 10 gig at Birmingham Player’s Bar in a bid to boost the figure
Manford also brought in fellow comics Alan Davies, Russell Brand and Bill Bailey as well as Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and chef Raymond Blanc.
At the time, Stephen had raised £570,000, but the money began pouring in at up to £400,000 a day.
On Friday, Manford announced he would perform his May 10 gig at Birmingham Player’s Bar on Sunday to boost the steadily-increasing figure.
By the end of the gig, the total stood at £2,883,691.38 and still rising.
Stephen, of Burntwood, Staffordshire, was diagnosed at 15 with colorectal cancer, but after having the tumour removed it returned and spread to his lungs, groin and knee.
His parents, Andrew and Jane, 49, and stepfather Tony Gallagher, 53, have been with him at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital since he went in on Easter Sunday.
Backing: Simon Cowell has pledged to make a ‘significant’ donation to the campaign
The teenager had set himself a bucket list of 46 achievements to complete before he died, including making a bungee jump, skydiving and watching a football match at Wembley.
But with ten things left, he decided to fundraise instead. The total on his Just Giving webpage has already broken previous records at the online donation site.
Yesterday, his older brother Chris said the surge of support may have bought Stephen more time with his family.
The 21-year-old said they thought Stephen was close to death last week and described his improvement as ‘incredible’, adding: ‘The support has certainly had an effect.
Smiling: Stephen hugging a three and a half tonne elephant at West Midlands Safari Park last year
‘We are not out of the woods but we have been amazed by his constant improvement.’
After warning that he faced the ‘final hurdle’ on Tuesday, Stephen had improved sufficiently by Thursday to update his Facebook followers, saying: ‘Genuinely thought I was a goner…. hey, I’m still here!!’
He described it on Facebook as the most ‘bizarre but fortunate twist’, adding: ‘I am relying on NO external oxygen to breathe at all and I’m feeling bl**** fantastic!! The doctors have discussed what’s happened and the only plausible conclusion is that I’ve literally coughed up a tumour.’
He said the growth had restricted his collapsed lung, adding: ‘A tumour breaking away like this is possible, but it all just seems incredibly surreal – mind, I’m not complaining!’
Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Sutton-TCT to donate to Stephen’s charity fund