イギリスよりこんにちは。
イギリス通信 第二便はイギリスのがん当事者と慈善団体の関係を少し知っていただく為に、イギリス全土を感動させたスティーブンという名の少年の話を紹介します。
スティーブンが15歳の時、ステージ3の大腸がんと診断されました。スティーブンは、いろいろな治療を受けながらブログを始めました。
治療の効果はあまりよくなく、大学と将来の夢は諦めなくてはいけないかもしれないという状況でした。
16歳になった時、叶えてみたい夢として46のやってみたい事リストをブログに載せました。
その内容は、本当に10代の少年が普通にやってみたい事が盛りだくさんでした。
例えば、
スカイダイビングに挑戦したい！
タトゥーを入れてみたい！
プレミアムリーグのサッカー試合が見たい！自分より大きな動物とハグしてみたい！
など。
スティーブンは体力の続く限り、このリストの夢を実現させ、達成した様子をブログに載せていきました。
そして、このスティーブンのリストの中に含まれたていたのが「Teenage Cancer Trust 」という10代でがんに罹ってしまった若者をサポートしている慈善団体へ約150万円の寄付金を集める事。
この寄付金は自分に見返りがある訳でもありません。これは自分のようにがんと闘う若者の役に立てたらという思いからでした。
スティーブンの諦めないで46の夢を実現させていく姿と慈悲深い行いにたくさんの人々の心が動かされました。スティーブンのブログは瞬く間にSNSを通しイギリス中に広がり、約1年間で4億5千万円もの寄付をTeenage Cancer Trust に集めたのです。
その3年後、スティーブンは46の夢をほぼ実現しましたが、がんは全身に転移。19歳の若さで天国へと旅立ってしまいました。
スティーブンが亡くなった後も寄付をする人は絶えず、現在約8億5千万円の寄付が集まってきているそうです。
このスティーブンの行動はたくさんの若年層のがんに対する認識を深めただけでなく、より多くのがんと闘う若者に勇気を与えました。そして何よりもTeenage Cancer Trust を通してたくさんのがん患者の若者達がサポートやケア（専門看護師の派遣、若者向けデザインの病棟、若者へのがんの教育など全て無料です）を受けられました。
この話を通して、少しでもイギリスの慈善団体とがん当事者さんの関係が何となく分かっていただけたら幸いです。
Hello from England!!
In order to explain a little more about relationships between cancer patients and charity organisations in England, I would like to introduce the story about the young man who made many people in England inspired and cried.
The 15-year-old boy, named Stephan was diagnosed with the Stage 3 of colon cancer. He started to write his blog while taking various treatments.
The outcome of treatments was not so good, and because of his condition he had to faced to the reality that he might not to be able to go to the university and also had to give up all his future dreams. When he turned 16, he posted the list of 46 items which he wanted to do on his blog. The lists were a lot of things which an ordinal teenager wanted to do. For example, skydiving, having tattoos, watching the football game of the Premium League, hugging with animals bigger than him, and so on.
Once he had managed to complete his list of dream, he posted on his blog and tried to continue to achieve all listed dreams come true as long as his physical strength lasted.
One of his listed items was to collect donations of 1.5 million yen (apx.) for the charity organisation called “Teenage Cancer Trust”, which supports teenagers suffering from cancer. This does not mean that he could be rewarded from the donation. He just wanted to help the teenagers who suffer from cancer like him. Many people were moved by his generous charitable spirit and also inspired by his challenges that he had never gave up to try to achieve his 46 dreams.
His blog was spread immediately via SNS throughout England and he collected 450 million yen(apx.) donation to Teenage Cancer Trust within about one year. After three years later from that, he managed to achieve almost all of his 46 dreams, but unfortunately,his cancer had spread to his whole body and he died at the young age of 19.
Many people continued to donate even after his death. It seems that the organisation has collected the total donation of 850 million yen today.(apx.)
I think that not only Stephen’s action improved the awareness and knowledge of cancer in younger people but also many young people who suffer from cancer have been encouraged to fight with cancer.
In addition, I would like to emphasis that Stephen helped more young cancer patients to receive care and support from Teenager Cancer Trust by his donations which include a specialised nurse care, ward design for young people, cancer education for young people, and so on ( no fee required, provided by Teenager Cancer Trust ).
I hope this story helped to understand the relationship between charity organisations and cancer patients in England.
