BBC podcaster and journalist Dame Deborah James has died a month after Prince William honoured her with a damehood. Image via @bowelbabe/Instagram
RIP: Broadcaster Deborah James has died after battling bowel cancer
Deborah James has died following a 5-year-long battle with cancer. Her death comes a month after Prince William honoured her with damehood.
BBC podcaster and journalist Dame Deborah James has died a month after Prince William honoured her with a damehood. Image via @bowelbabe/Instagram
BBC podcast presenter, journalist and campaigner Dame Deborah James has died at the age of 40 after a long battle with bowel cancer.
In a statement posted on Instagram, her family said Dame Deborah passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Tuesday 28 June.
DAME DEBORAH JAMES LOSES BATTLE WITH CANCER
Sharing the news to Instagram, her loved ones wrote:
“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy. Deborah passed away peacefully today, surrounded by her family.”
According to the Daily Mail, the former deputy head teacher turned cancer campaigner was diagnosed with bowel cancer in December 2016. The doctors told her that she might not live beyond five years – a milestone that passed in September 2021.
DEBORAH JAMES’ HEARTBREAKING GOODBYE MESSAGE
On 9 May, Dame Deborah took to her Twitter to express the pain of saying goodbye as she had already accepted that her body could not fight any longer.
“The tweet I never wanted to write. The time has come to say goodbye. It has been 5 years to preparing, doesn’t make it any easy… I’m under hospice at-home care, & I’m spending my time surrounded by my family. Please buy me a wine to see me out and raise vital funds,” she wrote.
Further explaining in an Instagram post, Dame Deborah said that they have tried everything but her body “simply isn’t playing ball.”
“We have tried everything, but my body simply isn’t playing ball. My active care has stopped and 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,” she had told her followers.
ALSO READ: BBC’s Deborah James pens ‘goodbye’ message as she battles cancer
PRINCE WILLIAM HONOURS HER WITH DAMEHOOD
Although gravely ill, Dame Deborah’s campaign work did not stop as she’d still urge her followers to help her raise funds through her Bowelbabe Fund for cancer research, which received more than £6.7 million (R131 million) in donations.
For this, she was made a dame by the Duke of Cambridge at her family home, with Prince William praising her for “going above and beyond to make a very special memory,” the Daily Mail reports. He also told staff at the Royal Marsden who had treated her that “she is a brave and inspirational woman.”
Dame Deborah leaves behind her children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, as well as her husband Sebastien.
Tags:
