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Dying British teenager raises record sum for charity

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AFP London
A terminally-ill teenager has broken all records on the JustGiving fundraising website by breaking the USD 4.2 million mark today in donations to charity.

Stephen Sutton, 19, was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 15, but despite surgery, the cancer spread, and doctors concluded it was incurable.

He has smashed his original target of raising 10,000 pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, though he feared he might not live to see the 1 million pounds mark achieved -- a figure hit on Wednesday -- after his right lung collapsed.

"I am feeling well and would describe my current situation as stable," said a Facebook post from Sutton late yesterday.
 

"Different people will put my recent physical improvement down to different reasons; I don't want to over-dramatise things too much, but I do just want to mention that everyone's positive thoughts and support has been hugely appreciated.

"The tumours in my body are still rife and dangerous, but I feel so lucky to just still be here, and in fact I feel completely privileged to be in this position where I can help make such a difference.

"Thank you from me, and also thank you from every young cancer patient in the future who will benefit invaluably from the money raised!

"The last few days have showed me truly how amazing people and the world can be."

More than 100,000 individual donations have been made.

The largest individual donation previously received by the Teenage Cancer Trust was 500,000 pounds.

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First Published: Apr 26 2014 | 7:29 PM IST

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