Stephen Sutton Cancer Fighter & Hero Portrait Auctioned; Memorabilia Part Of ‘Bucket List’ Experience For Inspirational Figure

Stephen Sutton, the 19-year-old cancer fighter and hero who succumbed to the disease May 14, 2014, has a portrait made by artist Kelvin Okafor being auctioned in London to support the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The memorabilia featuring the young British inspirational figure was part of Stephen’s “bucket list” of experiences. He managed to complete 46 items on the list before he passed away Wednesday.

According to the BBC, the portrait was due to be sold on Saturday, but the Albemarle Gallery said the auction would now remain open for bids until May 31, with money going to the charity.

The decision to extend the auction had been prompted by Stephen’s death and a wish to raise as much funds as possible for the charity, a spokesman for the Teenage Cancer Trust said.

Bids for the portrait opened at £7,500 or an estimated $12,600.

BBC notes that Kelvin Okafor from Tottenham has received a number of national awards for his photorealistic pencil drawings.

The gallery said that a West Mercia Police officer had put Stephen forward as a potential subject after hearing about his “bucket list,” BBC reports.

Stephen was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of 15. He was from Burntwood in Staffordshire.

Some of the items he managed to complete on his “bucket list” included going crowd surfing in a rubber dinghy, getting a tattoo and drumming in front of 90,000 people before the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley in 2013.

The 20-year-old inspiration used his bucket list to help raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and his appeal currently stands at more than £3.8 million (est. $6.39 million). It is by far the biggest single donation in the charity’s history.

Stephen’s story has captured the whole United Kingdom. Celebrities, politicians, classmates have joined the family of the young hero in an outpouring of grief after he lost his fight for life.

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