A WINCHESTER cancer patient has harnessed the power of social media to raise almost £10,000 from his hospital bed.

David Cradduck, from Cheriton, keeps a tablet computer by his bed at Southampton General Hospital and has taken to Facebook to raise money for lymphoma awareness.

He was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a rare form of lymphatic cancer, in October last year.

His social fundraising has raised £9,601 for the Lymphoma Association and he is now appealing for a final push to break the £10,000 barrier.

The cash will help fund an online training programme for GPs to help them spot signs of the disease.

More than 14,000 new lymphoma cases are identified in Britain every year, but it can be difficult to diagnose because many symptoms are shared with common conditions.

The most frequent sign of lymphoma is a painless lump or swelling, often in the neck, armpit or groin.

Mr Cradduck said: “I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who has supported me. “I never thought we would raise this much – but now that we have got this far, it would be absolutely amazing if we could beat that £10,000 mark.

“The fact this money has been used towards helping to inform GPs about lymphoma is particularly resonant with me since I’m not convinced that my GP knew much about it when I was diagnosed.”

Mr Cradduck also chronicles his journey online on An Ill Bloke’s Blog, a detailed account of his treatment with information on fundraising and advice for sufferers.

Jonathan Pearce, chief executive of the Lymphoma Association, said: “We are enormously grateful to Mr Cradduck and his supporters. Raising this amount of money is a massive achievement and will make a real difference to our work supporting people affected by lymphoma.”

You can donate by visitng uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/anillblokesteam or read Mr Cradduck’s blog at anillblokesblog.blogspot.co.uk.