Stephen Sutton's legacy: donations to JustGiving page reach £3.5m a day after his death

Stephen raised £3.2 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust before his death

The teenager celebrated the charity milestone on Facebook (Facebook)

Donations are continuing to pour in to Stephen Sutton’s JustGiving page, after news of the inspirational fundraising teenager’s death was announced by his mother on Wednesday.

In the few weeks before the 19-year-old passed away peacefully in his sleep, Stephen raised £3.2 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Just hours after his death was announced, donations to his page have surged to more than £3.5 million.

A spokesperson for the site said the team has had to boost the server in order to accommodate the 6,000 people visiting Stephen's JustGiving page at any one time.

"We were incredibly sad to hear today that Stephen Sutton has passed away, following his return to hospital," the spokesperson said.

"Stephen’s achievements in raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust were absolutely inspirational and JustGiving is honoured to have played a part in enabling people from all over the world to donate in their thousands to Stephen’s cause.

"His fundraising broke all records for an individual appeal on JustGiving. His legacy will make an incredible difference to young people diagnosed with cancer."

More than 140,000 people from around the world have already made donations on his page.

Many of those donating praised his courage throughout his battle with cancer, describing him as an “inspirational young man” and a "hero", while others paid homage to his “spirit” and “bravery”.

His mother Jane Sutton released a statement on the Stephen's Story Facebook page confirming his death, where she said her heart is "bursting with pride".

In a statement after news of Stephen's death was announced, the Teenage Cancer Trust said: "We are humbled and hugely grateful for what Stephen achieved and continues to achieve for us.

"The thoughts of everyone here at Teenage Cancer Trust are with Stephen's family and friends."

Read more: Stephen Sutton dies after making over £3 million for charity

Comedian Jason Manford, who helped to champion Stephen's fundraising, said today: "Stephen Sutton was the most inspiring person I've ever met and touched more lives than he will ever know.

"He was an incredibly positive young man and a credit to his family, to Burntwood and to humanity itself. The reason we took to him so passionately was because he was better than us, he did something that none of us could even imagine doing.

"In his darkest hour he selflessly dedicated his final moments to raising millions of pounds for teenagers with cancer.

"Some of Stephen's words will stay with me and others forever and they are words to live by - 'life isn't measured in time, it's measured in achievements'. If that's true, Stephen, then you had a fulfilling life full of special moments and you will live long in the memory of thousands, if not millions, of people."