Dame Deborah James has hit another milestone with her Bowelbabe Fund, with donations soaring to an eye-watering £6million.
The You, Me & The Big C podcast host has admirably raised money towards charities after announcing that her own bowel cancer was now terminal. She is now at home due to her cancer treatment being stopped last week.
It has since been a , who has bravely shared her devastating ordeal with the public, while also personally, after the Duke of Cambridge paid a visit to her parents’ home in Surrey where she has chosen to die surrounded by loved ones.
Now in another development, had reached £6m donations as of Sunday morning. An initial target was set at £250,000.
Dame Deborah has not reacted to the latest achievement but she wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday: ‘I believe I may have had the most surreal, mind blowing, humbling 5 days of my life.
‘I cannot thank you for your generosity at launching the @bowelbabefund which now stands at £5.7 million, and to the @dukeandduchessofcambridge for going above and beyond to make a very special memory happen yesterday.
‘Can’t quite believe im actually a Dame!’
She continued: ‘My family are being amazing and as emotional as it all is, we are finding so much to smile about in the sadness.
‘I may be getting weaker and more tired each tired having run off pure adrenaline, but my word, I always said I wanted to slide in sideways when my time is up, with a massive smile, no regrets and a big glass of champagne! Still my intention!!!’
Dame Deborah is married to banker Sebastien Bowen and is mother to two children, Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12.
In her final interviews, she expressed her wishes for Sebastien to move on and find love after her death, and revealed she has created memory boxes of messages and gifts for her children’s future milestones, such as getting married and big birthdays.
The BBC podcaster was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2016 and has had at least 17 operations to remove surgeries. Dame Deborah’s supporters have closely followed her journey for the past five years, notably through her You, Me & The Big C podcast which she began in 2018.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their , or for more information.
