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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Connie Rusk

Deborah James' Bowelbabe fund hits £6.5MILLION as she receives end-of-life care

Dame Deborah James has raised a staggering £6.5million for her bowel cancer fundraiser, three weeks after announcing she was receiving end-of-life care.

The podcast host, 40, known as Bowel Babe online, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 and is now at her parents' home in Woking to spend her final days surrounded by her family.

Dame Deborah launched the fundraiser with an initial target of £250,000, but has surpassed her goal 26 times over after inspiring the nation.

At the time of publication, Bowelbabe Fund has raised £6.586million, with donations continuing to pour in.

Despite her declining health, Deborah has been an inspiration to many as she has launched her In The Style collection, been made a Dame and will be releasing a book.

Dame Deborah James has raised a staggering £6.5million for her bowel cancer fundraiser (@bowelbabe)
The podcast host, 40, is receiving end-of-life care after a battle with bowel cancer (@bowelbabe)

Dame Deborah, the presenter of the BBC podcast You, Me And The Big C, revealed last week that she had completed her second book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead, which will be published on August 18.

The book has already risen to number one on the Amazon list through pre-orders.

Earlier this week, the blogger visited the Chelsea Flower Show with her husband to see a rose which bears her name.

Deborah announced she will release a book last week (bowelbabe/Instagram)

She saw the bloom on display during a private tour on Tuesday evening, the BBC said, where she was accompanied by her husband Sebastien Bowen, with the visit organised by BBC presenter Sophie Raworth and the Royal Horticultural Society.

It comes as the mother-of-two said she is “scared to go to sleep” because she does not know how long she has left to live.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, Dame Deborah said: “I’m not planning on dying anytime soon but it’s just so unpredictable.

Earlier this week, the blogger visited the Chelsea Flower Show with her husband Sebastien (PA)

“I’m scared to fall asleep and that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m so tired. I am scared to go to sleep.”

“I think my family are knackered, they have all been incredible – going above and beyond to look after me and nurse me, what I have seen from them in the last two weeks is true love, deep love. It’s overwhelming."

Dame Deborah and her husband Sebastian Bowen have two children, Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12.

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