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The Queen presents late Stephen Sutton's mum Jane with his MBE

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The mum of late teenage cancer patient Stephen Sutton has accepted an MBE on his behalf. Attending the ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, Jane Sutton was presented with the honour by The Queen. Stephen, who passed away in May after battling cancer for four years, discovered that he had been included in the Queen's Birthday Honours list just days before he died. The inspirational teenager was awarded for his tireless campaigning, which saw Stephen raise more than £4million for charity.

Jane Sutton said she wished her son could have collected his award

Collecting her late son's award, Jane described the moment as "bittersweet"."I'm feeling so proud to be collecting the award on behalf of Stephen but obviously wish he had been here to collect it himself," she said. "But it's just so nice that he knew about this award before he passed away, I'm so pleased about that. "When he found out about it he did use the word awesome, he thought it was awesome. I remember he was in the hospital bed and he had a big smile on his face. He knew how important this was and how high an honour this was."

Campaigner Stephen Sutton raised more than £4million for charity

Jane added that the 88-year-old royal had been "very impressed" by the staggering amount of money Stephen had raised. Jane, who continues to fundraise for Teenage Cancer Trust, added: "He's touched the hearts of so many people and inspired so many people. "His fundraising is just part of his legacy. I don't think that's the only important thing because he also taught people to make the most of their lives and seize every opportunity. "It's incredible. I know how many people Stephen touched, but he was just being Stephen."

Jane Sutton said The Queen was 'very impressed' by how much money her son raised

Her son certainly inspired Jane to live her life to the full. Speaking a few months after Stephen's death, Jane told The Telegraph: "I was never a moaner. But I used to worry about the small things. Now I find myself thinking, 'Why did I ever worry about that?' "One of the things Stephen used to tell me all the time was, 'Don't sweat the small stuff. Go out and enjoy yourself.' That's certainly how I intend to live my life from now on." Stephen passed away on 14 May, having been diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 15.