:00:00. > :00:00.News at 6.00pm. For this evening, it's goodbye are from me, on
:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to a special edition
:00:07. > :00:09.of Midlands Today, on BBC one and the BBC News Channel ` coming
:00:10. > :00:18.A vigil for Stephen Sutton, the teenager from Staffordshire who
:00:19. > :00:27.raised millions for charity as he fought cancer.
:00:28. > :00:33.He was an extraordinary young man who has had a great impact on
:00:34. > :00:38.And hometown pride ` a sea of yellow as Stephen's friends in
:00:39. > :00:51.Yellow is one of the brightest colours you will get. He liked it so
:00:52. > :00:53.why not? Everywhere you go you will see some were yellow and it will
:00:54. > :01:04.remind you of Stephen. Good evening from Lichfield
:01:05. > :01:06.Cathedral as friends and family gather to say a final goodbye to
:01:07. > :01:09.Stephen Sutton, the inspirational teenager from Staffordshire who
:01:10. > :01:12.raised millions of pounds for Within the next 20 minutes,
:01:13. > :01:19.Stephen's body is due to arrive The coffin will be moved inside
:01:20. > :01:24.at seven o'clock for a short service Stephen's mother, Jane,
:01:25. > :01:31.wants the next 24 hours to be a colourful celebration
:01:32. > :01:34.of her son's remarkable young life. And that's a message that's clearly
:01:35. > :01:41.been embraced in Stephen's home town of Burntwood,
:01:42. > :01:44.just four miles from here. Giles Latcham is there for us this
:01:45. > :01:47.evening at Stephen's old school. Giles, a lot
:01:48. > :02:06.of fond memories there tonight. It is half term here at Chase
:02:07. > :02:14.Terrace Technology College. You will have been dropping off donations. We
:02:15. > :02:20.are hearing amazing news that the total sum raised for Teenage Charity
:02:21. > :02:23.Trust is ?4 million. Other people have come to put down flowers and
:02:24. > :04:43.visit the memorial garden. It is a always have the best way to help
:04:44. > :04:49.myself is to help others. One of Burntwood's keenest cyclist is going
:04:50. > :04:55.the extra mile. Cyclists are to take to the road this weekend with yellow
:04:56. > :05:03.ribbons on their handlebars. He came out of the local health service and
:05:04. > :05:05.smiled at me and that inspired me. Britons won't last forever but
:05:06. > :05:25.people here are determined to remember with pride, Stephen Sutton,
:05:26. > :05:28.one of the on. He said it wasn't about how you lived but what you
:05:29. > :05:35.achieved. People here are inspired by those remarks. In their streets
:05:36. > :05:43.here, his life will be long remembered and celebrated. Because
:05:44. > :05:51.of his illness... I'm joined now by Emma Scholes,
:05:52. > :05:54.who was Stephen's head of year during his time at
:05:55. > :06:15.Chase Terrace Technology College. What are your memories of Stephen? I
:06:16. > :06:25.have many memories of him. The only time I ever saw him at first was to
:06:26. > :06:29.say well done. He was involved in a lot of the celebrations for
:06:30. > :06:36.achievements that we did. Towards the end of year ten when he started
:06:37. > :06:39.to become poorly then we started to work more closely with them to
:06:40. > :06:47.support the best way we could as a school. He was 15 when he was first
:06:48. > :06:52.diagnosed. How did you cope? He just said to stop he got on with it. He
:06:53. > :06:57.was having chemotherapy every fortnight and the only time he had
:06:58. > :07:02.off school was the days when he was hooked up to the drip. In fairness,
:07:03. > :07:06.if we had allowed him to bring it into school he probably would have.
:07:07. > :07:16.Is it accurate to say he was inspirational? The first three words
:07:17. > :07:20.in his record of achievement were awesome, amazing and inspiring. Not
:07:21. > :07:26.many people could get away with that but he could. Those words are
:07:27. > :07:32.reflected by the number of people turning up already. This vigil will
:07:33. > :07:38.continue until tomorrow afternoon. Hazard taking you by surprise, the
:07:39. > :07:46.scale? I don't think by surprise but it seems surreal. One of his friends
:07:47. > :07:51.said to me a few weeks ago, in one breath they talk about the Royal
:07:52. > :08:01.family and in the next they are talking about Stephen. He was just
:08:02. > :08:08.one of our class of 2011. What kind of support have you been able to
:08:09. > :08:15.offer, or the skill, for former pupils and current pupils? There is
:08:16. > :08:20.the memory wall that students have been putting messages on. From the
:08:21. > :08:26.time when he was first taken into hospital, we have had fantastic
:08:27. > :08:31.support from the local hospice, and crews have been in schools, and
:08:32. > :08:49.Teenage Charity Trust have offered their services. And he raised a
:08:50. > :08:51.phenomenal amount of money. We will get back to that as quickly
:08:52. > :08:54.as we can. Stephen created headlines around
:08:55. > :08:56.the world with his fundraising His original aim was ?10,000, then
:08:57. > :09:01.when his condition deteriorated, he The donations continued to grow
:09:02. > :09:05.at an incredible pace. Money was sent
:09:06. > :09:09.from nearly 100 different countries and the fundraising target is now
:09:10. > :09:12.over ?4 million. Bob Hockenhull reflects
:09:13. > :09:14.on a short but remarkable life. Stephen Sutton didn't view
:09:15. > :09:17.his cancer as a death sentence. It was instead an opportunity
:09:18. > :09:20.to live life to the full. It was a huge kick up
:09:21. > :09:23.the backside that gave me a lot But his positivity extended way
:09:24. > :09:29.beyond enjoying himself in Ibiza. Stephen's fundraising campaign
:09:30. > :09:31.means the Teenage Cancer Trust Today the charity spoke
:09:32. > :09:41.for the first time since his death. To have raised ?4 million is
:09:42. > :09:44.an extraordinary amount of money and nobody has ever done
:09:45. > :09:48.that in our 24 year history. However,
:09:49. > :09:50.as important as the money is the awareness that Stephen has raised
:09:51. > :10:07.the fact that people get cancer. `` young people. He has shone a
:10:08. > :10:11.light on that and was able to so and simply articulate what the use
:10:12. > :10:15.are for a young person with cancer, doing it with great humility,
:10:16. > :10:17.courage and above all humour. Stephen told Midlands Today he had
:10:18. > :10:21.no hesitation in inviting the world I'm proud of the feeling I get just
:10:22. > :10:26.by raising all this money and in a way actually it's a thank you
:10:27. > :10:30.to Teenage Charity Trust because in a way actually it's a thank you
:10:31. > :10:33.to Teenage Cancer Trust because they supported me when I needed it
:10:34. > :10:37.and without them I wouldn't be here Always modest
:10:38. > :10:39.about his own achievements. But his friends said he would have
:10:40. > :10:43.been smiling inside as donations On the outside,
:10:44. > :10:55.he doesn't tend to let it show On the inside, I think he'll be very
:10:56. > :11:00.excited and just really happy that his positivity and the message he
:11:01. > :11:03.wants to send to people of making the most of the time you
:11:04. > :11:07.have is getting as far as possible. Stephen's fundraising activities
:11:08. > :11:09.had him reaching for the skies. His bucket list also included
:11:10. > :11:12.playing the drums in front Stephen's fundraising activities
:11:13. > :11:16.had him reaching for the skies. His bucket list also included
:11:17. > :11:19.playing the drums in front But as his mum recalled he never
:11:20. > :11:23.turned his back He used to make sure that he missed
:11:24. > :11:31.as little school as possible. For example, when he was first
:11:32. > :11:34.in Birmingham Children's Hospital, he was taking his GCSEs. He'd
:11:35. > :11:38.be in hospital, and not coming home sometimes quite late. On a Wednesday
:11:39. > :11:41.evening and he had had chemotherapy for three days
:11:42. > :11:44.but he would get up for school. No longer here, but his
:11:45. > :11:46.life`affirming message lives on. I don't really want to die but if
:11:47. > :11:50.my story teaches others not to take Amy Cole is with some of the people
:11:51. > :12:18.touched by Stephen's story who are Within the last hour, the crowd has
:12:19. > :12:23.really started to build and they're stretching right around the corner.
:12:24. > :12:29.People touched by his story and inspired by his relentless optimism.
:12:30. > :12:33.Let's speak to able now. You are here wearing yellow. How did he
:12:34. > :12:38.inspire you? I thought he was an amazing young man and he showed what
:12:39. > :12:44.young people can actually do when they put their minds to it. He has
:12:45. > :12:54.done a lot of good. Did you meet him personally? On a professional level,
:12:55. > :12:58.last July. He was amazed that somebody as far out as Walsall
:12:59. > :13:03.recognised him and he knew who he was back then. You gave money and
:13:04. > :13:12.you physically came here with your family. Why is it so special?
:13:13. > :13:18.Nathaniel goes to the same school. I thought he was inspirational and I
:13:19. > :13:25.want to show my respect. You are here as well. Why is it so important
:13:26. > :13:30.for you? I just followed his story. I didn't meet him but he is an
:13:31. > :13:36.amazing young man that has brought the country and the local community
:13:37. > :13:40.together for such a good cause. Stephen talked about people
:13:41. > :13:48.measuring their life not in terms of time but achievement stop what has
:13:49. > :13:53.he achieved? Huge amounts. He has made people think about how they
:13:54. > :14:03.should enjoy every minute of their lives. You have also come here. He
:14:04. > :14:08.is an remarkably brave young man. He has done everything he could to help
:14:09. > :14:18.children in hospitals with the same. His optimism was so
:14:19. > :14:26.incredible. Yes, amazing. I don't know how he was so brave. His family
:14:27. > :14:46.must be getting some comfort now. You are quite cheerful. Yes. ``
:14:47. > :14:47.upset. People will pay their respects and sign the book of
:14:48. > :14:49.condolence. In a moment I'll be joined by the
:14:50. > :14:53.Bishop of Lichfield, who has helped And this is what they have put in
:14:54. > :14:58.place and how you can be involved. And this is what they have put in
:14:59. > :15:04.place and how you can be involved. The vigil for Stephen starts tonight
:15:05. > :15:07.at seven o'clock and the cathedral People who want to pay their
:15:08. > :15:11.respects tomorrow at the cathedral And the Teenage Cancer Trust are
:15:12. > :15:16.planning a moment of celebration They are hoping people touched by
:15:17. > :15:21.Stephen's story will give a thumbs up for Stephen at this time and then
:15:22. > :15:24.post their photos on Twitter using I'm joined now by Rt Rev Jonathan
:15:25. > :15:44.Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield. This is an extraordinary event. It
:15:45. > :15:49.is. And welcome to the cathedral. It seems it is just the right kind of
:15:50. > :16:05.place for an event like this. How did this vigil, bought? ``, bought?
:16:06. > :16:10.The idea came to the Dean and colleagues of mine who organise and
:16:11. > :16:16.run the cathedral and I think they came up with the idea that we might
:16:17. > :16:20.do something here that would be what the family wants and express some of
:16:21. > :16:25.their feelings felt around the world and especially in this corner of
:16:26. > :16:29.Staffordshire. This scale of memorial event is usually something
:16:30. > :16:35.preserved for someone who has been in public office for many years. I
:16:36. > :16:40.couldn't help but think of Princess Diana and the kind of emotion which
:16:41. > :16:44.surrounded her death. This is different of course but there is a
:16:45. > :16:52.touch of that. Mixed emotions here this evening. Yes, people who are
:16:53. > :17:01.crying and people who are giving the thumbs up. There is an area of
:17:02. > :17:06.celebration about this vigil. The family said they wanted that.
:17:07. > :17:15.Stephen said he wanted to put the fun back into funeral. How difficult
:17:16. > :17:24.is it to get the town right and reflect the emotions of everybody?
:17:25. > :17:35.You will need to tell us afterwards. All funerals have a mix of sorrow
:17:36. > :17:40.and Thanksgiving. Of course all of us know it is going to be our turn
:17:41. > :17:52.one day and will we be proud of our lives in the way that he could be?
:17:53. > :17:57.Grief is a personal thing. To some people, this public show of emotion
:17:58. > :18:03.might seem strange. I hope they would go along with the wishes of
:18:04. > :18:10.everybody here. We are not here for ourselves but to mourn and celebrate
:18:11. > :18:13.and show solidarity with the family. So many words have been used to
:18:14. > :18:20.describe him over the last few weeks. How would you sum up his
:18:21. > :18:24.contribution? Inspiration. Often we feel lost in an fuelling world and
:18:25. > :18:32.you will at what the inspired us to do. It shows that many others can ``
:18:33. > :18:38.any of us can achieve more than we thought.
:18:39. > :18:41.During the programme we have heard a lot about Stephen's positive
:18:42. > :18:43.attitude, which inspired so many to join in the fundraising.
:18:44. > :18:46.Through his blog, Stephen shared his experience of living with
:18:47. > :18:55.cancer but, as he wrote, everyone's cancer journey is different.
:18:56. > :18:58.Joanne Writtle has been to meet 15`year`old Mohini Samani,
:18:59. > :19:04.a Black Country teenager who has beaten leukaemia.
:19:05. > :19:08.It's really hard to get your head around but I chose to grow up
:19:09. > :19:10.because I wanted to take control of my life.
:19:11. > :19:13.Mohini Samani was just nine when she was diagnosed with acute
:19:14. > :19:21.Two and a half years in theatre pretty much every week.
:19:22. > :19:24.Drips, lines, tablets, it wasn't nice but it just becomes your life.
:19:25. > :19:33.Shockingly it just becomes so normal.
:19:34. > :19:36.Despite missing chunks of schooling, Mohini is now in the middle of
:19:37. > :19:42.taking ten GCSEs, spending half`term studying at home in Smethwick.
:19:43. > :19:46.I didn't want it to restrict me so I put the work in
:19:47. > :19:52.like anybody else would. I spend my life working.
:19:53. > :19:57.Mohini helps the cancer charity which helped her,
:19:58. > :20:00.cutting her hair off after it had grown back to raise ?1,000.
:20:01. > :20:03.At CLIC Sargent events she met celebrities like Eddie Jordan
:20:04. > :20:08.The charity provided her with a worker to confide in.
:20:09. > :20:11.All of a sudden it's like you're on this little island
:20:12. > :20:15.and nobody else understands what's happening. Your friends don't know
:20:16. > :20:19.what to say and often your family members don't know what to say. To
:20:20. > :20:23.have somebody they're willing to sit and listen makes the world of
:20:24. > :20:28.Stephen Sutton's story has touched Mohini.
:20:29. > :20:32.I think I can empathise with him and and I admire him for
:20:33. > :20:37.According to CLIC Sargent, ten children and young people in the UK
:20:38. > :20:44.But survival rates are good ` eight out of ten will expect to beat
:20:45. > :20:48.The charity estimates there are 10,000 survivors of childhood cancer
:20:49. > :21:04.Cancer is something he will never understand until you experience it
:21:05. > :21:09.and I don't want anybody to have to do that. But people do and if I can
:21:10. > :21:13.make their journey just a little easier because I understand then I
:21:14. > :21:21.will make it easier for them as much as I can. She still has regular
:21:22. > :21:26.checkups. I am in remission but there is never a second day. It
:21:27. > :21:31.could come back tomorrow. I have accepted it. My life will never be
:21:32. > :21:32.normal or easy but it is my life and I wouldn't really have it any other
:21:33. > :21:35.way. A big part
:21:36. > :21:38.of Stephen's motivation was a bucket list of what he called 46 weird
:21:39. > :21:41.and wonderful things I want to do. He completed many of them including
:21:42. > :21:44.skydiving, writing a book and drumming in front of a huge crowd,
:21:45. > :21:49.which he did very impressively. He also wanted to set a world
:21:50. > :21:52.record, which he also achieved. He became a celebrity around the
:21:53. > :22:02.world, but for many of those who gathered in the grounds of his old
:22:03. > :22:21.school in Burntwood a few weeks ago, Hello, everyone. I'll keep it short
:22:22. > :22:22.and sweet. Thanks for coming. It's good to be here.
:22:23. > :22:26.Hundreds turned up to help Stephen become a world record holder.
:22:27. > :22:29.It was to be the 34th and final item he managed to tick
:22:30. > :22:41.People want to come together and support him because he is one in a
:22:42. > :22:45.That afternoon was a moment nobody dreamt would ever happen.
:22:46. > :22:48.Less than a fortnight before Stephen had posted a final goodbye message
:22:49. > :22:55.So to have him there meant the world to his mates.
:22:56. > :23:01.It is such a great feeling to think that two weeks ago he had been taken
:23:02. > :23:05.to hospital and we thought we would have to be here ourselves. The now
:23:06. > :23:13.he has been part of his own record is amazing. Incredibly positive.
:23:14. > :23:18.More than anyone I've ever met. Look what he has achieved. Who else has
:23:19. > :23:23.In his 19 years Stephen Sutton achieved more than many
:23:24. > :23:28.He was an inspiration to millions, a role model to look up to
:23:29. > :23:37.and with the help of his friends, a world record holder.
:23:38. > :23:43.In a few minutes Stephen's coffin will be moved inside
:23:44. > :23:48.the cathedral where a short service will mark the start of the vigil.
:23:49. > :23:55.It is just coming in now. Let's take a moment to reflect on the reaction
:23:56. > :24:26.as his body arrives. In a few moments, his coffin will be
:24:27. > :24:32.taken inside the cathedral. A short sermon he will take place. Coverage
:24:33. > :24:38.will continue on the BBC News Channel. I'll be back after the
:24:39. > :24:51.weather forecast. We have had reports of fairly
:24:52. > :24:55.prolific showers in the region. The south`west has seen some of the
:24:56. > :25:03.worst. This warning is in place until nine tonight of heavy
:25:04. > :25:07.downpours. For a couple of days at least afterwards we have a respite
:25:08. > :25:13.as high`pressure builds up from the West. The arrival of the next system
:25:14. > :25:20.on Sunday appears to be coming sooner than expected. It could turn
:25:21. > :25:23.out to be a more wet day than drive. Across this period, the temperatures
:25:24. > :25:35.are looking more respectable for the time of year. These are the showers
:25:36. > :25:39.affecting the region tonight. Affecting southern counties at the
:25:40. > :25:43.moment. They will fade of the next few hours leaving us with a dry end
:25:44. > :25:49.to the night. A combination of moisture and warmth means
:25:50. > :25:52.temperatures dropping to a minimum of 10 Celsius and there could be
:25:53. > :26:01.mist and fog patches in low`lying areas. Tomorrow is a daytime version
:26:02. > :26:14.of the night. A lot of cloud. It all looks much more drive. Temperatures
:26:15. > :26:21.will be fairly mild 15`17dC. For Saturday, marginally better with a
:26:22. > :26:29.bit more brightness and slightly higher temperatures. In spite of the
:26:30. > :26:35.cloud, temperatures in the high teens on Sunday. Hopefully it will
:26:36. > :26:36.be a dry day but the system from the West could arrive sooner in which
:26:37. > :27:08.case it could be right. `` more wet. We appear to have lost the seat. ``
:27:09. > :27:14.live feed. We can go back now. It shows the mixture of styles
:27:15. > :27:19.happening here. We have the bell toll in the background. The service
:27:20. > :27:23.will begin. It is a fantastic atmosphere and I am so glad to be
:27:24. > :27:30.here. A celebration of a remarkable young life. Thanks for your time
:27:31. > :27:34.this evening. If you want to come to Lichfield Cathedral to join in the
:27:35. > :27:41.celebration of Stephen's life it will be open until midnight tonight
:27:42. > :27:47.and reopens from 7am to 7pm tomorrow. Stephen's mother said she
:27:48. > :27:49.wanted