Dame Deborah James: Cancer campaigner dies aged 40on June 28, 2022 at 8:40 pm

Cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James has died at the age of 40, her family has said, describing her as an “inspiration”.

She had been receiving end-of-life care for bowel cancer at home and had raised millions to help others affected by cancer.

The host of the BBC’s You, Me and the Big C podcast was given a damehood in recognition of her fundraising, in May.

Dame Deborah, a mother of two, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016.

A post on her Instagram page read: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy.”

She passed away peacefully surrounded by her family, the post read.

It said she was an “inspiration and we are incredibly proud of her and her work”.

Dame Deborah announced on social media on 9 May that she was no longer receiving treatment and did not know how long she had left.

“My body just can’t continue anymore,” she said in a post on her @bowelbabe Instagram account.

She also launched a new fund, called the Bowelbabe fund, to raise money for research into personalised medicine for cancer patients.

It surpassed £1m in less than 24 hours – smashing her initial goal of £250,000 and has now raised more than £6.75m.

She was given a damehood by Prince William at her parents’ home in May, where she had chosen to stay.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – who donated to the research fund – described her “tireless efforts” in raising awareness of cancer as inspirational and thanked her for “giving hope” to those living with the disease.

The money raised through her Bowelbabe fund will be going to support Cancer Research UK, Bowel Cancer UK and the Royal Marsden Hospital – a specialist cancer treatment facility.

Dame Deborah revealed in an Instagram post that she did not know how long she had left to live after stopping treatment and moved to hospice care at home.

The former deputy headteacher said her liver had stopped working over the past six months and doctors had advised that more treatment was “fruitless”.

The podcaster said she had gone to her parents’ home to spend her remaining time with her family because it was “where I always wanted to die”.

She said that meant her family home in London could remain her children’s home without leaving “medical equipment scars” in their memories.

Her mother, Heather James, has said her heart is “broken” following the death of her daughter.

She shared a series of photos of Dame Deborah on social media and wrote: “My heart is broken. Love you forever.”

Boris Johnson tweeted, saying he was “deeply saddened” and described the campaigner as “an inspiration to so many”.

“Because of her, many many lives will be saved”, the prime minister said.

The chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, Genevieve Edwards, said she was “deeply saddened that our patron Dame Deborah James has died”.

“She turned her bowel cancer diagnosis into an incredible force for good and through her tireless campaigning to raise awareness of bowel cancer symptoms, will have saved countless lives.”

James began co-presenting You, Me and the Big C alongside Lauren Mahon and BBC Radio 5 Live newsreader Rachael Bland in 2018, with the show earning praise for its frank discussion of cancer.

They spoke to celebrity guests and addressed practical matters, including hair loss, tips for dealing with finances and telling your nearest and dearest about illnesses.

Bland died aged 40 in September 2018, two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.