DEBORAH James says she is “blown away” as the BowelBabe Fund hits £800K within hours of launching.
Trending In The News’s columnist urged people to donate to the fundraiser – at bowelbabe.org – as she revealed she had been moved to hospice care at home.
Forty-year-old Deborah, who has advanced and incurable bowel cancer, told Trending In The News: “I’m just blown away, I never thought we’d get to that number in 12 hours.
“It makes me emotional to see the outpouring of love x”
The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK is Deborah’s final endeavour of many to support research into bowel cancer, and its partners.
“All money raised will be allocated, with the support of CRUK [Cancer Research UK] to funding causes & projects that I really care about”, the website says.
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In a heartbreaking Instagram post last night, the mum-of-two said: “I always knew there was one thing I always wanted to do before I died.
“I have always over the years raised as much awareness and money for the charities that are closest to me. @cr_uk @royalmarsden @bowelcanceruk
“As a result, the @bowelbabefund is being established and I’d love nothing more than for you to help it flourish.
“Please visit bowelbabe.org for all the info and to donate.
“All I ask if you ever read a column, followed my Instagram, listened to the podcast or saw me dressed as a poo for no reason.
“Please buy me a drink to see me out this world, by donating the cost to @bowelbabefund which will enable us to raise funds for further life saving research into cancer. To give more Deborah’s more time!”
Deborah, who writes Things Cancer Made Me Say for Trending In The News, revealed she is now receiving hospice care because her “body just can’t continue”.
Having been living with stage four bowel cancer since 2016, Deborah has spent the past five years raising awareness of the hideous disease.
She wrote last night: “The message I never wanted to write. We have tried everything, but my body simply isn’t playing ball.
“My active care has stopped and I am now moved to hospice at home care, with my incredible family all around me and the focus is on making sure I’m not in pain and spending time with them.
“Nobody knows how long I’ve got left but I’m not unable to walk, I’m sleeping most of the days, and most things I took for granted are pipe dreams.
“I know we have left no stone unturned.
“But even with all the innovative cancer drugs in the world or some magic new breakthrough, my body just can’t continue anymore.
“In over five years of writing about how I thought it would be my final Christmas, how I wouldn’t see my 40th birthday nor see my kids go to secondary school – I never envisaged writing the one where I would actually say goodbye.
“I think it’s been the rebellious hope in me.”
Deborah has shared every step of her journey with cancer in her column Things Cancer Made Me Say, first telling of her shock diagnosis despite a healthy, fit lifestyle.
She has become a national treasure with an army of loyal Instagram followers and listeners and on her BBC podcast called You, Me and the Big C.
At 35, Deborah, a former deputy head teacher, was given just an eight per cent chance of surviving five years.
2022 saw her come face-to-face with the severity of her disease, after constant hospital trips during the summer of 2021.
Deborah was told she had a growing tumour around her bile duct the was causing her liver to fail.
It is ultimately the cause of her medical emergency in January, when she almost died of a bleed that left her in critical care for several days.
The “traumatic” experience, in which Deborah said goodbye to her children – Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, who she shares with her husband Sebastien – didn’t extinguish her light.
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Deborah said in February she still had a “glimmer of hope” and was “ploughing on with a slim chance of more treatment for my incurable bowel cancer”.
You can make a donation at bowelbabe.org.
