Hi! My name’s Stephen and I’m pretty much like your averageteenager- except for the last three years now I’ve been battling cancer. Thecurrent opinion voiced by my doctors is that my disease is incurable, and as aresult I want to spend as much time as possible raising funds for a charityvery close to my heart.
Last year I posted a bucketlist online and start blogging my journey on www.facebook.com/stephensstory.Since then “Stephen’s Story” has grew exponentially and I’ve achieved all kindsof fun and wonderful things. Feel free to check out www.stephensstory.co.uk to find outmore.
Number 1 on my bucketlist, and by far the most important thing to me, was toraise £10,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust… but I think it’s fair to say we’vesmashed that total!!! But why stop there?! With everyone’s help we currently have a platform to achievesomething 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’vealways found the best way to help yourself is to help others, so pleaseconsider helping out!
Teenage Cancer Trust have helped me hugely throughout my owncancer battle and helped shape who I am and my positive attitude today. Theyoffer hope and a sense of community to young people with cancer like myself,and directly help face associated pragmatic and emotional issues. In my ownwords, here is a brief introduction to the work Teenage Cancer Trust does:
- They provide specialist units where Teenagers and Young Adults like me can betreated. These wards invaluably allow me to spend time being treated with otherpatients 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 eventis attended by young people with cancer from across the country. Throughout theday there are motivational speakers and health professionals talking aboutissues to do with cancer, alongside complementary therapy and activitysessions, combined with lots of opportunity to socialise with other youngcancer patients. The event is just fantastic and is a life changing experiencefor many young cancer patients (me included), providing them with theconfidence to help them through their current treatment and general life in thefuture.
- They educate young people about issues and information to do with cancer.Delayed diagnosis is a common problem experienced by Teenagers and Young Adultswith cancer- myself included. If I knew what symptoms to look out for I couldhave 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 whynot learn all the facts about it at an early age?
- They are involved with research that helps improve the careTeenage and Young Adult cancer patients receive.
- They fund specialist healthcare professionals that supportyoung 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 andafter every hospital consultation I have been to) and a Youth SupportCoordinator (who organises things like social evenings, workshops and otheractivities that me and other young cancer patients can benefit from).
- Through time on the ward, social evenings, Find Your Sense of Tumour andother ways, Teenage Cancer Trust have offered me the opportunity to meet otheryoung people with cancer, and have gained something I call my “Cancer Friends”.We have formed an invaluable support network where we help each other throughour illness and life in general, while meeting up regularly having good timesand 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.
