A POIGNANT moment from Dame Deborah James’ final days was aired tonight during a special tribute.
The heroic campaigner died on Tuesday at the age of 40. She had been diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer just days before Christmas in 2016.
Deeply moving footage was shown in BBC documentary Deborah James: The Last Dance this evening.
The private moment shows Deborah lying on the sofa as her loved ones stand around her.
The family were celebrating her BowelBabe Fund, which has raised more than £7million since Debs announced last month that she would be receiving palliative care at her parents’ home in Surrey.
Her son Hugo, 14, is seen clapping and cheering as his mum is shown a new total on a laptop screen.
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An interview Deborah recorded with the BBC several weeks ago aired alongside the clips.
In it, she spoke of her pride at raising money for other Brits with cancer.
Voice breaking, she said: “I just cannot thank people enough for their generosity, because it kind of – it just means so much to me.
“It makes me feel utterly loved. It makes me feel like we’re all kind of in it at the end together and we all want to make a difference and say, ‘You know what, screw you cancer, we can do better, we can do better for people’.”
Viewers shared their grief on social media after watching the tender scene.
One said: “Just watched the Dame Deborah James tribute on BBC1.
“My goodness, that was lovely but incredibly sad.”
Another said the programme “perfectly captured her spirit and lust for life”.
And a third said: “I was in pieces.
“Such an inspiration but so heartbreaking at the same time. So much love to her family.”
Friends including Lorraine Kelly and Gaby Roslin were among those to pay tribute in the doc.
It comes as:
- A cancer expert reveals exactly how the BowelBabe Fund will save lives
- Lorraine Kelly remembered her friend as a “smasher”
- Hundreds of Sun readers have paid tribute to an “inspiration”
- Deborah’s family urged fans to “buy a drink” for her – and continue supporting her fundraiser
- Friends say they want the total to reach £10million
Meanwhile, Deborah’s parents called for viewers to raise a glass in her memory while watching the show, sharing a photo of them clinking glasses of red wine.
They have encouraged her legions of supporters around the country to continue donating to the BowelBabe Fund to “give more Deborahs more time”.
After learning last month she would receive end-of-life hospice care, the campaigner began fundraising in earnest.
She wrote a chart-topping book and designed a sell-out fashion range for In The Style to help raise money.
Her legions of fans around the country learned of her death in an Instagram post shared from her account on Tuesday night.
It read: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy.
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“Deborah passed away peacefully today, surrounded by her family.”
Debs herself had added a postscript to the message.
In a special message to her fans, she said: “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.”
Last month Deborah was handed a damehood in just 24 hours after Sun readers led calls for her to be honoured.
Normally, damehoods and knighthoods are announced only twice a year at either the New Year Honours or Queen’s Birthday Honours.
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But because of Deborah’s circumstances, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and No 10 pulled out all the stops.
In an “unprecedented” move, Prince William cleared his diary to do the honours at a tea party at her parents’ home.
He and Kate Middleton paid tribute to Deborah this morning.
“We are so sad to hear the heartbreaking news about Dame Deborah,” they said in a post on Twitter.
“Our thoughts are with her children, her family and her loved ones.
“Deborah was an inspirational and unfalteringly brave woman whose legacy will live on.”
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In light of Dame Deborah James’ death we have re-released the episode of Fabulous Magazines podcast Things I Told My Daughter featuring Deborah and her daughter. You can listen here.
- Donate here to keep raising money for Deborah’s BowelBabe fund
