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

David Cradduck, from Cheriton, near Winchester, 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 for the Lymphoma Association broke the £10,000 barrier last week.

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.

“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, who was discharged last month, 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 visiting uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/anillblokesteam or read Mr Cradduck's blog at anillblokesblog.blogspot.co.uk.