The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to BBC cancer podcaster Deborah James, saying she had “conquered the heart of the nation” after her fundraiser exceeded £ 3 million today.
This comes when the presenter said she was preparing to spend her last hours on her parents’ lawn, surrounded by family.
In a tweet, William and Kate said: “From time to time, someone conquers the heart of the nation with his passion for life and his persistent desire to return to society.
“Bowelbabe is one of those special people. Her tireless efforts to raise awareness about bowel cancer and end the stigma of treatment are inspiring.
“We are so sad to hear its recent update, but we are pleased to support the Bowelbabe, which will benefit the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, among others.
“Deborah, our thoughts are with you, your family and your friends. Thank you for giving hope to so many people living with cancer. TOILET. ‘
Tonight, the managing director of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Antonia Dalmahoy, thanked everyone who donated.
“The national outpouring of love and support for Deborah and her gut baby fund was absolutely phenomenal and really lifted her spirits,” she said.
“We would like to thank everyone who donated to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charitable Foundation, Cancer Research UK and Bowel Cancer UK. This amount of money will make a huge difference for people with cancer and will create a lasting legacy for Deborah.
The 40-year-old woman announced earlier this week in a heartbreaking message that active treatment for her bowel cancer had stopped and she was being moved to a hospice at home.
The nation has been thrilled by its tragic history in recent days, with at least £ 1 million in donations now made daily on the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK page it created.
Earlier, Ms. James said she wanted to die at her parents’ house in Woking to spare her son Hugo, 14, and daughter Eloise, 12, from constant reminders at their home in London.
Deborah James, 40, pictured, announced earlier this week in a heartbreaking announcement that active treatment for her bowel cancer had stopped and she was being moved to a home care hospice.
Deborah James talks about her desire to die at her parents’ house in Woking to spare her son Hugo, 14, and daughter Eloise, 12, from constant reminders at their London home
The nation has been thrilled by its tragic history in recent days, with at least £ 1 million in donations now made daily on the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK page it created. Over £ 3 million today (pictured)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pay tribute to BBC cancer podcaster Deborah James after her fundraising exceeded £ 3 million today
In a tweet, William and Kate said: “From time to time someone conquers the heart of the nation with his passion for life and persistent desire to give back to society.” Pictured is the couple during a visit to Glasgow, Scotland, today
Deborah James explained how she had “difficult conversations” with the children, but put her faith in her husband Sebastian Bowen, a London banker with whom she had been married for more than 13 years.
BBC podcast host Deborah James, who has incurable bowel cancer, previously choked on tears today when she thanked everyone who donated to her fundraising campaign for cancer, which raised a staggering £ 2.5 million. Today it has exceeded £ 3 million.
“She’s an Amazing Woman”: Adele Roberts praises Deborah James, a cancer patient, for raising awareness as she describes her own struggles with chemotherapy
Kind: Adele Roberts praises BBC-affected bowel cancer podcaster Deborah James for raising awareness of the disease in a passionate fast on Wednesday – and also revealed some of the side effects of her own grueling chemotherapy
Adele Roberts praised BBC podcast caster Deborah James for raising awareness of the disease in a passionate fast on Wednesday – and also revealed some of the side effects of her own debilitating chemotherapy.
The 43-year-old BBC Radio 1 presenter, Adele, announced her own diagnosis of bowel cancer in October and has been sharing her journey on social media ever since.
On Instagram, Adele thanked Deborah and called her a “miracle woman” after the 40-year-old revealed earlier this week that she had moved to a hospice for the end of her life during her battle.
Adele wrote: “Living with cancer, she made me realize that I need to focus on the things I can control, not the things I can’t. She really is an amazing woman.
“I really think about her friends and family, and it’s like she’s still helping people. She has done amazing things for people living with cancer.
She explained how she had to break the news to the children, but trusted her husband, Sebastian Bowen, a London banker whom she married in 2008.
The couple separated briefly seven years later and began divorce proceedings, but soon reunited after agreeing to consult to be on better terms with their children.
Speaking to the Times today, she said: “My husband Sebastian was amazing, he dropped everything and is with me 24/7. My first thought was [that] I don’t want my children to see me like that. I didn’t think I could talk to them without crying, but I would like to hug them one last time.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen my husband so emotional; but now he suddenly realized the enormity of it. I gave him strict instructions: I want him to move on. He is a handsome man, I say to myself: “Do not walk, do not marry a prostitute, find someone else who can make you laugh, as we did [together]’.’
The heartbreaking interview also revealed how she will write down letters for her children to open after she dies, including tips on how to act on a first date or what to do on their wedding day.
Ms James said she had been in hospital for months, but since she had been cared for in a hospice, she had planned her last hours on the lawn with her family to drink champagne, with staff joking with her: “You’re dying, you can to drink whatever you want. ‘
Charities and fundraising organizations were ordered to thank her for her efforts.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, said: “Since being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, Deborah James has shown an incredible commitment to campaigning, fundraising and raising awareness about cancer.
“Even at this most challenging moment, her determination to raise money and awareness is inspiring, and we are honored to support Deborah and her family in setting up the Bowelbabe Fund.
“This fund will raise awareness of cancer together with the tools for clinical trials and research in the field of personalized medicine, in order to create new and better treatments for cancer patients and provide more time with their loved ones.
“The fund will support the work of Cancer Research UK and those causes for which she and her family are passionate, such as Bowel Cancer UK, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden.
“So far, we have been overwhelmed by the support for the Bowelbabe Fund, significantly exceeding our goal within hours. This is a real testament to how many people have touched Deborah’s life with her honesty, humor and compassion.
A spokesman for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity added: “Deborah is an absolute inspiration to so many people with cancer and a passionate supporter of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. It is usually selfless of her to spend that precious time she has left to raise money for us, Cancer Research UK and Bowel Cancer UK.
“The Bowel Babe Foundation, as Deborah said, will help fund clinical trials and research on personalized medicine for cancer patients and support campaigns to raise awareness about bowel cancer. This may include developing new drugs and new ways to diagnose cancer at an earlier stage.
“In addition to this legacy of fundraising, Deborah’s work over the past five years to raise awareness about the symptoms of bowel cancer and the importance of early diagnosis to improve survival will save and prolong countless lives.”
Earlier, Ms. James spoke about her relationship with her family to the BBC, saying they “really love” and that she “adores” them.
Ms James told the BBC: “I have a really loving family that I adore. Honestly, they are amazing and all I knew I wanted was to come here and be able to relax, knowing that everything was fine.
“I’ve had some really tough conversations over the last week. You think, “God, how can anyone have these conversations?” And then you find yourself in the middle of them.
“And people are very kind, but you’re talking about your own death, and I had five years to prepare for my death.”
The interviewer told the mother of two, “I know it’s not easy,” as she struggled to shed tears, to which he eventually replied, “It’s hard. It’s really hard.”
“The thing I know because I trust my husband – he is just the most wonderful man, as well as my family, and I know that my children will be more than cared for and surrounded by love.
“You always want to know as a mother – will your children be okay?” And my children will be fine. But that doesn’t mean I won’t miss every chance I could have with them.
Recalling her former podcast host Rachel Bland, who died of breast cancer in 2018, Ms. James told the BBC: “I’m really scared. I don’t know how she could handle such a “I’ll do it” [approach]I am petrified.
“Unfortunately, I can no longer make a deal with the devil. I just feel uprooted to have no more life because you know me, I love life so much.
“But I hope that all our stories, the podcast and everything we’ve shared over the last few years have saved lives.
“I just knew I wanted to make sure I could leave them enough money to do something meaningful, which would mean we could fund projects that I would have myself …
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