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The news about the deterioration in Deborah James’s health is utterly devastating. The love and high regard that she is held in by so many people has never been in doubt and the incredible sum raised for the Bowelbabe Fund she has set up during its first 24 hours is testament to just how loved she is. I am no different to most people in that I have followed her on social media and been totally inspired by everything that Deborah has achieved. It’s because of people like Deborah that I continue to do what I do with fundraising and raising awareness about bowel cancer.
I did have the good fortune to meet Deborah back in September 2017 when we spent a really nice evening in Richmond for her inclusion my last fundraising book. It was a fascinating and enlightening experience listening to her story, and talking at length about bowel cancer. My lasting memory is waiting for her to arrive and seeing her float across the cobbled street to the river in a pair of stunning red high heeled shoes!
I discovered that Deborah had at least one thing in common with my late mum – a love of wine! We chatted for about three hours with beers and wine as refreshments, and although the conversation covered every aspect surrounding her illness, Deborah was great fun, a master of fruity language, and with laughter never too far away.
I also managed to catch up with her at the Henley Literary Festival in 2018 where she was speaking about her book and once again she was incredibly kind. More recently my last communication with her was on Instagram when I had the idea of doing the Life of Mique teddy bears.
Like anyone who follows Deborah I am feeling sad, emotional and a little broken by this news. If ever I needed a gentle reminder to live my life for the moment then this has been it. But also, no matter how difficult or valid my own problems have been or still are, I realise that a sense of perspective is needed and just how shitty and cruel life can be for others going through so much worse and dealing with situations that I could never begin to comprehend.
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Bowelbabe Teddy Bear£20.00
This morning I launched the bowelbabe teddy bears to raise funds for the Bowelbabe Fund. Sometimes you just have to go with an instinct and I’m well set to do this kind of fundraising with the teddy bears and got them up and running pretty much straight away. The support for them today has been amazing, and as devastated that I am by Deborah’s situation, I am reminded just how much love and kindness there is in this world. Thank you for the support and keep it coming. The amount raised by the bears is heading towards £300 tonight x
Bowel cancer claims 16,000 lives in the UK, and is the second biggest cancer killer. However if caught early at stage 1 it is very treatable, and the five year survival rate is over 90%. When detected at the late stage 4 the five year survival rate drops dramatically to 7%. This shows how crucial early diagnosis is to getting a better outcome. Knowing the symptoms is so important.
