Deborah James: Prince William & Kate praise ‘tireless’ Sun columnist and donate money to her £3m fundraising page
PRINCE William and Kate have said their thoughts are with Deborah James and her family after donating an undisclosed amount to her fundraiser.
Deborah, 40, known as Bowel Babe online after campaigning for cancer awareness, has raised more than £3 million after setting up a.
The former deputy headteacher was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 and has kept her half a million strong Instagram followers up to date during her treatment.
In a personal tweet, William and Kate praised Deborah, writing: "Every now and then, someone captures the heart of the nation with their zest for life & tenacious desire to give back to society.
"@bowelbabe is one of those special people. Her tireless efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer & end the stigma of treatment are inspiring.
"We are so sad to hear her recent update but pleased to support the @bowelbabef, which will benefit the @royalmarsdenNHS among others.
- Deborah has urged people to donate to her fundraiser - at - which has already raised more than £3million
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"Deborah, our thoughts are with you, your family and your friends. Thank you for giving hope to so many who are living with cancer. W & C."
Deborah has been treated at the Royal Marsden hospital where William is a patron and it is one of the hospitals which will benefit from her fundraiser.
Even as the mum stares death in the face, her determination to raise awareness of her rare cancer has not faltered.
The fundraiser broke the scale in just 24 hours, easily smashing its original target of £250,000 shortly after going live.
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And it has now reached the whopping £3 million mark in what is a superb achievement.
Deborah told how she had made the decision to die at her parent's property for the sake of her children, so they can be spared from constant reminders in their family home.
She also revealed she has planned her funeral, which will be in Barnes near to where her family home is.
The mum : "It sounds morbid, but I want a sombre funeral in black and white because I think people look good in black and white.
"There’s a big church in Barnes and I’ll leave Seb to decide on the reception, as long as there is tequila.
"I’m thinking of asking people to bring a picture or a funny anecdote, so my family have something to remember.
"Otherwise, how can my children collect memories from people in my life they don’t know?
"At 12 and 14 I hope they will remember me, but [they are] still very young, so my image will fade and they will have to rely on videos or photos."
Bowel cancer symptoms to speak to your GP about:
The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits - going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs of bowel cancer include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain - like doing a number two - but after you've been to the loo
After reminiscing on her rollercoaster five years following her diagnosis, Deborah said she is now facing the "unknown".
But her unfaltering fans are sure to have made her smile with their extraordinary donations.
The 40-year-old, who has advanced and incurable bowel cancer, earlier told The Sun: “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 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.
In a heartbreaking Instagram post on Monday, 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
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“As a result, the @bowelbabefund is being established and I’d love nothing more than for you to help it flourish.
“Please visit for all the info and to donate."
