After the family of Deborah James announced her tragic death, there was widespread mourning for the incredible woman who made it her mission to raise awareness for bowel cancer sufferers.
In a statement posted to Deborah's personal Instagram, her family wrote: "We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy. Deborah passed away peacefully today, surrounded by her family.
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“Deborah, who many of you will know as Bowelbabe, was an inspiration and we are incredibly proud of her and her work and commitment to charitable campaigning, fundraising and her endless efforts to raise awareness of cancer that touched so many lives.
“Deborah shared her experience with the world to raise awareness, break down barriers, challenge taboos and change the conversation around cancer. Even in her most challenging moments, her determination to raise money and awareness was inspiring.
“We thank you for giving us time in private as a family, and we look forward to continuing Deborah’s legacy long into the future through the @bowelbabefund. Thank you for playing your part in her journey, you are all incredible.
“And a few final things from Deborah…’find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope. And finally, check your poo – it could just save your life.’”
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The life Deborah led before she broke into the media industry was fairly standard - a deputy head teacher specialising in computer science and e-learning at Salesian School, Chertsey, and later moving to the Matthew Arnold School in Staines-upon-Thames.
After she was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, at the age of 35, Deborah began writing columns in The Sun, that went into detail on her journey with the disease. Two years later, the reporter then began presenting the You, Me and the Big C podcast for BBC Radio 5, alongside fellow cancer patients Rachael Bland and Lauren Mahon.
Rachael sadly passed in September 2018 after a long battle with the disease.
In October of the same year, Deborah released her debut book, F*** You Cancer: How to Face the Big C, Live Your Life and Still Be Yourself. It became a bestseller, and Deborah was still undergoing extreme treatments during this time.
However, in June last year, Deborah admitted that her cancer was "moving in the wrong direction", and felt the treatments were not working as effectively as they should be.
In May 2022, Deborah made the sad announcement that she would no longer be receiving treatment for her cancer, and had decided to have hospice care in the comfort of her own home. She stated that "her body just couldn't continue anymore", and decided to focus her energy into spending time with her loved ones.
Two days following this announcement, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). Her damehood was conferred on her by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, at her parental home.
Her fundraising website, BowelBabe, has raised a whopping £7million in order to fund "clinical trials and research into personalised medicine for cancer patients and supporting campaigns to raise awareness of bowel cancer." Prime Minister Boris Johnson described her as, "an absolute inspiration", and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a statement that "Deborah was an inspirational and unfalteringly brave woman whose legacy will live on."
Deborah's fundraising website is available here for anyone who would like to pay tribute to a woman who never shied away from her condition, and used her platform as a means to educate, inform and help people understand cancer more.
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