Cancer activist and BBC presenter Deborah James died on Tuesday at the age of 40, her family confirmed.
James had been receiving hospice care at home for intestinal cancer and had raised millions to help others affected by the disease.
Precisely the presenter of the BBC podcast “You, Me and the Big C“ (in allusion to the c of cancer) received the decoration of Lady for her fundraising work.
Deborah James was the mother of two children and was diagnosed with cancer in 2016.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Deborah James; the wife, daughter, sister and mother most awesome”says a post on his Instagram page.
James was an “inspiration and we are incredibly proud of her and her work.”
“The Message I Never Wanted to Write”
Since being diagnosed with cancer six years ago, James has posted several posts about her illness for her more than 300,000 Instagram followers.
On May 9, the presenter announced on social networks that she was no longer receiving treatment and did not know how long she had left to live.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdWDrzYo3XM/
This is “the message I never wanted to write,” he posted on his @bowelbabe Instagram account at the time.
“My body can no longer continue”he explained, thanking his followers and signing off with the words: “No regrets. Enjoy life.”
While he was dealing with his illness, James created a fund, called Bowelbabe, to raise money to fund personalized medicine research for cancer patients and support bowel cancer awareness campaigns.
And it has already raised over £6.75 million (about $8.1 million), which will go to support Cancer Research UK, Bowel Cancer UK and the Royal Marsden Hospital, a specialist cancer treatment centre.
The podcast host said she had decided to spend her remaining time with her family at her parents’ house. there it is where i always wanted to diehe claimed.
Her mother, Heather James, said her heart is “broken” following her daughter’s death and shared a series of photos of Deborah James on social media.
James began co-hosting “You, Me and the Big C“ alongside Lauren Mahon and BBC Radio 5 Live news presenter Rachael Bland in 2018, with the show receiving praise for its frank discussion of cancer.
They spoke with celebrity guests and touched on practical matters such as hair loss, tips for managing finances and how to tell loved ones the news of the disease.
Bland died in September 2018, also aged 40, just two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
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