Charity Fever: Why Helping Others is a Joy for Everybody

Whether you've poked your head in today's newspapers or have cut off your internet connection, one would find it immensely difficult to avoid hearing about an ever-contagious fever surrounding charity which, as I will explain in a moment, has touched all of our hearts to a certain extent.

From a young age, we become familiar with the concept of donating money to those who are in desperate need of it because, as the legend goes, it is a good thing to do. Indeed, offering help to others is as uplifting as fulfilling your own ambitions as lending a helping hand keeps us in touch with the most important part of ourselves: humanity. Would we truly be remaining true to our instincts - the ones which guide us throughout a lifetime as a human - if we never bothered to dip deeper into ourselves and come across a part which is humbled by a particular article? More often than not, those who fail to search within themselves and make effort to be generous towards others are classified as possessors of a cold, frankly heartless hearts; remaining caught up in all but your own thoughts is most selfish act known to mankind and, as many of ourselves have learnt in recent weeks, it will be looked down upon even more so in the future.

However, the world may sometimes send shivers of utmost fear down our spines when we terrorized by those who threaten to destroy the peaceful existences we have worked so hard to achieve but, on a whole, the majority of this planet's population are good-natured, kind-hearted people who, when an urgent matter is brought to their attention, will do their utmost to contribute to a worthy cause. And, for the past few weeks in my native England, thousands upon thousands of people have donated money to a cause which, in a sense, has affected all of us in one way or another: beating cancer.

The 'C' letter alone scares me stiff because, even in an age where revolutionary drugs and medicines have been created to help save patients' lives against this horrendous disease, there are still many who, despite fighting tooth with admirable strength to see the light at the end of the tunnel, sadly don't receive the all-clear as hoped. As figures suggest, one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer within the lives - as the world's population is roughly around the seven billion mark, at least two billion will fight a form of cancer - it truly is impossible to steer clear of the disease through a family member, friend or even yourself being affected. As I have prayed for as long as I can remember, my fingers are crossed in the hope of a cure being found to finally put an end to cancer endangering and sometimes taking away precious lives; I dream of such a revolution taking place in my lifetime as progress for many other diseases and conditions have saved others in recent decades, but one can never be entirely sure of not if, but when scientists will make a discovery that the world has been waiting to hear.

Tragically, a life-saving cure could not have been found for nineteen year old teenager, Stephen Sutton, who passed away in his sleep yesterday morning after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of fifteen. Charismatic, funny and incredibly intelligent - while undergoing treatment for cancer, Stephen still continued with his studies, gaining many A*s and As in both his GCSEs and A-Levels - Stephen was an inspiration to his country and, as many messages of condolence from places such as France and Australia flooded on Face yesterday, the whole world. Having aimed to raise a £1 million for the charity Teenage Cancer Trust who fund equipment and entertainment for teenage cancer sufferers across the United Kingdom, Stephen successfully achieved his ambition several weeks ago when his very life hung in the balance.

Two years after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, Stephen was unfortunately told that his cancer, which had by now spread to his lungs and liver, was incurable. It was the very worst news that a young person - whose life was on the burst of entering a new, exciting chapter and should have been focusing on becoming a doctor, as was Stephen's wish - could ever hear, but despite his devastating diagnosis, Stephen maintained his cheerful persona and wrote a bucket list of all the things he wanted to do, which he later posted on Facebook and his website, Stephen's Story. His entries were heart-warming and brought a lump to my throat to say the least because, on no occasion, did Stephen complain about his terminal cancer, simply saying that 'it is what it is'.

How a person who, had yet to experience the ups and downs of adulthood as many of us are destined to do so, could express such bravery in what would be our very own worst nightmare is nonetheless inspiring, if not the most moving words I've ever heard in my fifteen years of existence on this planet. Although one would never truly gain a proper glimpse into how a terminal cancer sufferer must feel towards the end, it is all too easy to immerse yourself in a fantasy where anger and sadness consumes you, constantly wishing that cancer had never affected you in the first place. But, instead of falling prey to these thoughts, Stephen decided to do something which, even when he had been admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties, he aspired to carry on doing: raise money for charity.

According to his bucket list, Stephen originally intended to raise £10,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust which, to many of us, is a mighty amount in itself and was a supreme effort from somebody who was making the most of the time he had left. In between writing a book, getting a tattoo and, my personal favourite, hugging an elephant, Stephen was spending his time fundraising for charity, an inspirational feat in itself. Once he raised his original amount and ticked off another wish on his bucket list, Stephen didn't even think twice about lifting his feet up; as ambitious as ever, he soon raised the bar to a million pounds.

But his story - and fundraising efforts - was shown in the limelight and won the hearts of the nation when it was feared that he was about to die which, with the help of the likes of the comedian Jason Manford, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and the support of the public, brought about hitting his target within hours. In fact, Stephen had posted a farewell message on his Facebook page with a picture of himself in hospital which didn't leave a dry eye in the house, needless to say. Yet, to the surprise of his family and everyone who had been humbled by his story, Stephen rallied around and later went home, enjoying the time he had left with those he loved.

Though it was ever so obvious that a miracle was unlikely to occur, it didn't stop me from praying that Stephen would get better and lead a happy and healthy life where he could help others for a living, spreading the happiness he gave us during his short, yet inspirationally fulfilling life. Even when the facts cannot be ignored, we humans are unable to resist holding onto false hope, can we? I - amongst the many who hoped for the best - couldn't bear the thought of what would eventually come and, to my utter sadness, it happened yesterday morning.

After being readmitted to hospital at the weekend due to breathing difficulties, Stephen remained as optimistic as ever about his condition, assuring his readers that his condition was stable and there was 'no immediate panic'. Those words were the last he wrote on Facebook only four days ago. It was his mum who announced the news of his passing at midday yesterday afternoon, breaking the hearts of those who had been inspired by his courage and bravery throughout his journey. I choked back tears of grief as I read his mother's words which expressed the utmost sadness that a parent in such a position could ever experience. And still I wonder: though I never met Stephen personally nor attended one of his talks, I felt like sobbing my heart out when the news broke at the lunchtime, blinking back tears which would have flowed like a river down my face.

In many ways which words cannot fully describe, I saw a part of Stephen that reminded me of my younger brother who, whenever he isn't stuffing my packet of Oreos down his throat or hogging the TV for the entire weekend, is the funniest and kindest person I know. In that sense, I feel as though I did know Stephen as he shared so many traits to my own brother, a familiarity which truly hit me at the news of his passing a day ago. Although it would be selfish to compare my own feelings to those of a devastated family, I was sad for thinking about what a disease like cancer could take away from me: and why it should never exist.

Despite a wave of grief bound to hit us when we least expect it, I think that many of us can derive a sense of happiness that, though he has since passed, Stephen's legacy will continue to inspire and provoke others to give a thought about those affected by illness which, as an aspiring doctor, he would have wanted very much. Watching the figures on his JustGiving page increase second by second is a wonderful spectacle, raising a smile on our lips when the saddening process of grief truly hits home. As the figures currently stand, over £3.6 million pounds have been raised for Teenage Cancer Trust, the highest ever amount fundraised for the charity which has helped many teenagers my age since its establishment in 1990. And, as time goes on, I can only expect the figures to go through the roof - long may it continue!

At times like these, I'm grateful for the existence of social networking websites because, through the many 'Likes' and hashtags worldwide, all of this money has been raised for a special cause, including the long-lasting legacy of an inspirational young man. If it wasn't for Facebook, Stephen's Story might not have come to light as it did several weeks ago - and heralded him as a modern day hero. What I would love more than anything is Stephen being given a posthumous award for his hard work and legacy. How many of us will be able to carry on marking achievements such as fundraising in death? That alone ought to count as a reason for a knighthood, as I and plenty of petitioners already believe.

Also, I would like to thank Stephen for giving me some food for thought yesterday, teaching me yet another lesson of which textbooks and schools cannot inform you. For a while, I had been consumed in thought over which books, games and clothes to buy for myself which, despite the prospect of splashing out being incredibly thrilling, had bored me to the extent that I was frustrated over failing to choose what I wanted. Yet almost immediately after I heard of Stephen's passing yesterday, my previous thoughts of purchasing items for myself were forgotten, instantly replaced with the desire to donate to Stephen's cause. And you know what? My eyes may have brimmed with tears, but my heart was bursting with pride over donating my money to worthier causes - all of which was thanks to Stephen. Only a teenager like Stephen could take my attention away from clothes and, in his memory, he will continue to inspire others for what I hope is many years to come.

All in all, I want to say that giving more than a second thought about charities could hold the key to making ill patients feel a bit better inside, putting a smile back on their faces and, ultimately, finding a cure for cancer. Although Stephen will sadly not witness the joyous day when that moment comes, the money that he raised will contribute to the on-going research which will hopefully make the all-important discovery - who knows, our lives may one day depend upon it.

And, for old time's sake, let's appreciate our time on Earth while we can. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and, most important of all, we are in good health. If anything, do it for Stephen. It's what he - and every cancer sufferer - deserves.