Words by Smiley Team
Podcaster Deborah James has raised more than £6m for her fund to support bowel cancer patients, after being diagnosed herself in 2016.
The campaigner, most known for presenting You, Me & the Big C, died on 28 June, surrounded by her family.
But her legacy of raising awareness of cancer lives on. “I always knew there was one thing I wanted to do before I died,” Deborah told the BBC.
“But you don’t quite realise how little time you have to suddenly organise things. Had I actually thought ‘Oh, yes, I’m going to die’, I would have started organising it about six months ago. But thank God for an incredibly organised family,” she said.
[Discover other stories about people working hard to promote good health and wellbeing]
After Deborah found out she needed end-of-life care, her brother and his girlfriend set up a cancer research fund, the Bowelbabe Fund, which is dedicated to raising money for Cancer Research UK.
Donations will help fund clinical trials and research into cancer treatments as well as campaigns spreading awareness about bowel cancer.
Deborah was overwhelmed when the donations came flooding in back in May 2022. She said it made her feel “utterly loved” to receive so much so quickly.
Since being diagnosed in 2016, she has recounted her journey through treatment in her You, Me & the Big C podcast.
“Ultimately, I don’t want any other Deborahs to have to go through this. We know that when we catch cancer early, we can cure it,” she said.
“So before I died, the one thing I knew I wanted to do was set up a fund that could continue working on some of the things that gave me life.”
In a message on the fund’s website, Deborah explains that to support the fund, all she asks is that when you buy a coffee for yourself or a friend, you consider donating the cost of another coffee to Bowelbabe.
DONATE: To help fund vital research into cancer treatments, donate to Bowelbabe.
