British teen who raised millions to fund teen cancer charity has died at 19

LONDON, May 14 (UPI) -- British teenager Stephen Sutton, who raised $5.6 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust, died Wednesday.

Sutton's mother shared news of Sutton's death in a Facebook post Wednesday, telling followers that the 19-year-old had died peacefully:

My heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for my courageous, selfless, inspirational son who passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 14th May. The ongoing support and outpouring of love for Stephen will help greatly at this difficult time, in the same way as it helped Stephen throughout his journey. We all know he will never be forgotten, his spirit will live on, in all that he achieved and shared with so many.

Love, His mom x

Diagnosed with terminal cancer at 15, Sutton was readmitted to the hospital on Sunday after experiencing difficulty breathing. Doctors discovered, as his family wrote via Facebook, "the breathlessness which had re-admitted to hospital is due to the regrowth of tumours which are blocking his airways ..."

Sutton petitioned for donations to the Teenage Cancer Trust, originally envisioning raising around $17,000. He far surpassed his goal when a selfie of him posted online went viral.

Comedian Jason Manford, one of the celebrities inspired by Sutton, remarked, "In his darkest hour he selflessly dedicated his final moments to raising millions of pounds for teenagers with cancer."