Stephen Sutton’s hometown decorated with hundreds of balloons ahead of funeral

Cancer sufferer Stephen Sutton’s hometown has been decorated with hundreds of yellow balloons, ahead of his funeral on Friday.

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by Ellie Hooper |
Published on

The 19-year-old hit headlines earlier this year for his quest to raise £10,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, even as he lay on his deathbed.

After his story went viral, Stephen was able to raise almost £4 million for the trust – a record for the charity.

And before Stephen is laid to rest on Friday, well wishers in his hometown of Burntwood, Staffordshire, have tied hundreds of yellow balloons around the area to celebrate his life.

Stephen Sutton died of bowel cancer

His mother, Jane, said: ‘Stephen wanted to put the fun in funeral, so don’t feel you need to wear black. It’s a celebration of his life and achievements.’

Stephen inspired millions with his selfless quest to raise money for other teenage cancer sufferrers.

Despite the money being too late to help him, he campaigned tirelessly to raise funds so that others might not suffer the same fate.

Before his death on May 14, Stephen said: ‘I don’t see the point in measuring life in terms of time anymore.

‘I’d rather measure life in terms of making a difference.’

Celebrities from Jason Manford to Simon Cowell all supported the young man’s fundraising efforts, with many writing of their sadness at his loss.

Tomorrow Twitter users are being encouraged to tweet their 'thumbs up for Stephen' to the social networking site.

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