A TEENAGE boy who has incurable cancer has set himself a bucket list – and his
biggest goal is to raise £1MILLION for charity.
Stephen Sutton, 19, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer when he was 15.
Doctors removed the tumour but it returned the next year. And when he was told
he would be unlikely to survive more than a few years, Stephen drew up a
list of things he wanted to do before he died.
He has ticked 35 of the 46 items off his list – which included hugging an
elephant, crowd-surfing in a rubber dinghy, skydiving and giving a speech
about cancer at No10 Downing Street.
Each activity has helped him get towards his £1million target in aid of the
Teenage Cancer Trust.
And the lad, from Burntwood, Staffs — who has charted his progress on Facebook
— has already raised £572,000.
Stephen, who has also appeared on BBC drama Doctors, played drums in front of
90,000 people at last year’s Champions League and met Frank Lampard, said:
“I started the list because I wanted to try and raise as much money as I
could for Teenage Cancer Trust.
“I was quite confident I would be able to do that but I never thought I would
get to over half-a-million, that is just crazy but I’m determined to hit the
million pound mark.
“I made my bucket list in January, just on a random date and put all these
things down. I am close to completing it, which I never thought was
possible.
“The one that got me going and was a real thrill was playing the drums at
Wembley.
“It was during the opening ceremony of the Champions League Final and the
noise was amazing, walking on to the pitch, being a part of that is
something I will never forget.
“My family and friends are fully behind me and really supportive, which is
great.
“My cancer obviously changed me and I realised that I would regret the things
I didn’t do, I don’t want to take anything for granted and I don’t plan to.
“I have just finished another round of chemotherapy and I am currently on lots
of medication, but I am used to that.
“I like to think I have motivated people to fundraise and do what I have done.
If I can do it, anyone can, I know that my positivity is rubbing off on
people and that feels brilliant.
“I really hope I can complete my bucket list and that is what I plan to do,
but first and foremost, I want to raise as much money as possible and get to
a million. It will help others, save others and change people’s lives.”
To complete his bucket list, Stephen needs to tick off 11 more activities.
His next ambition is to make it into the Guinness Book of Records by taking
part in the biggest ever tandem skydive with over 251 people.
To donate to Stephen’s bucket list, visit .