I know what I'm betting on. He only found out about the appeal when the tally reached about 3000. THEN he agreed to the appeal. Even then, however, the official appeal was launched by the Royal Marsden Hospital. It first went out privately to big companies in the UK at the beginning of 1989.
Urban legends do that.
February 13 1989. Before that he was in hospital with a brain tumour that had not yet been identified as cancer. During January 1989, when Craig's doctor, Richard Hayward, saw how many get-well cards from his extended family, friends and family acquaintances were strung up above his hospital bed, he suggested he go for the Guiness Book of Records spot. His mother Marion was present with a family friend, Alison Ingram. She was PA to a director of Glibeys, and had extensive business contacts.