£6,007,144.82 has been donated to Teenage Cancer Trust as of 13th May 2024 to support young people with cancer.

Hi! My name’s Stephen and I’m pretty much like your average teenager- except for the last three years now I’ve been battling cancer. The current opinion voiced by my doctors is that my disease is incurable, and as a result I want to spend as much time as possible raising funds for a charity very close to my heart. Last year I posted a bucket list online and start blogging my journey on www.facebook.com/stephensstory

Since then “Stephen’s Story” has grew exponentially and I’ve achieved all kinds of fun and wonderful things. Number 1 on my bucket list, and by far the most important thing to me, was to raise £10,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust… but I think it’s fair to say we’ve smashed that total!!! But why stop there?! With everyone’s help we currently have a platform to achieve something truly special, so I have upped the new target to ONE MILLION- yes, one million- pounds!!! Your support in achieving this target would be hugely appreciated. Personally I’ve always found the best way to help yourself is to help others, so please consider helping out!

Teenage Cancer Trust have helped me hugely throughout my own cancer battle and helped shape who I am and my positive attitude today. They offer hope and a sense of community to young people with cancer like myself, and directly help face associated pragmatic and emotional issues. In my own words, here is a brief introduction to the work Teenage Cancer Trust does:

- They provide specialist units where Teenagers and Young Adults like me can be treated. These wards invaluably allow me to spend time being treated with other patients my own age and the ward itself contains age appropriate items (PS3’s,musical instruments, WiFi, etc) to help keep morale high while receiving treatment

- They fund an annual conference called “Find Your Sense of Tumour”. The event is attended by young people with cancer from across the country. Throughout the day there are motivational speakers and health professionals talking about issues to do with cancer, alongside complementary therapy and activity sessions, combined with lots of opportunity to socialise with other young cancer patients. The event is just fantastic and is a life changing experience for many young cancer patients (me included), providing them with the confidence to help them through their current treatment and general life in the future.

- They educate young people about issues and information to do with cancer. Delayed diagnosis is a common problem experienced by Teenagers and Young Adults with cancer- myself included. If I knew what symptoms to look out for I could have been diagnosed quicker, and perhaps my current prognosis could be better. Statistically 1 in 3 of us will get cancer at some point in our lives, so why not learn all the facts about it at an early age?

- They are involved with research that helps improve the care Teenage and Young Adult cancer patients receive.

- They fund specialist healthcare professionals that support young cancer patients and families throughout their medical journey. For example, I regularly have contact with a specialist Teenage and Young Adult Lead Nurse (who, for example, is there providing invaluable pragmatic support before and after every hospital consultation I have been to) and a Youth Support Coordinator (who organises things like social evenings, workshops and other activities that me and other young cancer patients can benefit from).

- Through time on the ward, social evenings, Find Your Sense of Tumour and other ways, Teenage Cancer Trust have offered me the opportunity to meet other young people with cancer, and have gained something I call my “Cancer Friends”. We have formed an invaluable support network where we help each other through our illness and life in general, while meeting up regularly having good times and experiences in the process.

-And lots more.

To summarise, Teenage Cancer Trust believes that a teenager shouldn't stop being a teenager just because they've got cancer. The support they provide makes a huge difference to people, real people, like me. So please dig deep, be generous and donate- thank you!!

How is the total on this page worked out?

The total amount at the top of this page (by the purple totaliser) shows all the donations that have been given through this page (called online donations) and all the donations that have been given directly to Teenage Cancer Trust where they know the donations were absolutely because of Stephen’s Story. These donations are called ‘offline’ donations and are at the bottom of the page.

The amount of money in ‘offline donations’ includes hundreds of thousands of text donations, sponsorship from other events (like Skydive for Stephen, Great Midlands Fun Run and Jane running the London Marathon and climbing mount Kilimanjaro) and donations that have been posted to Teenage Cancer Trust. Every month the team at Teenage Cancer Trust update the ‘offline total’ figure."

The total at the top by the big purple totaliser doesn’t include the Gift Aid on all the donations to this page – that number is at the bottom of the page. What that means is the total is higher than it first appears – which is amazing news for young people with cancer across the UK.

Stephen inspired more people than we will ever count and it is never an exact science to be 100% sure that the ‘offline’ total covers every single penny he inspired – but Teenage Cancer Trust do everything they can to include every donation they know about.

Please do tell the team at Teenage Cancer Trust if Stephen’s Story is what has inspired you to give by emailing hello@teenagecancertrust.org – that way it will go into the total.