Tributes have poured in overnight for Stephen Sutton, the 19-year-old who's raised more than £3.5m for the Teenage Cancer Trust. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer – bowel cancer had spread to his knee, lungs and liver – he made a bucket list of 46 things he wanted to do, stating that the first and 'by far the most important thing' was to raise £10,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
However, as his health deteriorated in the past month, Stephen gave up on his incomplete bucket list as he was convinced he was going to die. He posted a photo of himself on Facebook with his thumbs up as part of his goodbye message. As the image went viral, suddenly large donations were streaming in from everywhere.
His positive approach to what he was going through touched many people and he was visited at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by prime minister David Cameron, who yesterday tweeted: 'I'm deeply saddened to hear that Stephen Sutton has died. His spirit, bravery and fundraising for cancer research were all an inspiration.'
Simon Cowell was also among those passing on his condolences: 'So very sad to hear that Stephen Sutton has passed away. He was a very brave person and an inspiration to millions. Rest in peace.'
Stephen's mum, Jane, went on Facebook to pay tribute to her son and his bravery: 'My heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for my courageous, selfless, inspirational son who passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning. We all know he will never be forgotten, his spirit will live on, in all that he achieved and shared with so many.'
But perhaps Stephen himself summed up why his story has garnered so much support – and fundraising money – in his first message, when he said, in a typically teenage way: 'Cancer sucks, but life has been brilliant.'
At present, Stephen's JustGiving page stands at £3.5m, but this incredible total is set to rise following front-page coverage of his death.
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.