Very sad news.
Author and podcaster Deborah James has announced the unfortunate news that she doesn't have long left to live following her diagnosis of bowel cancer.
Diagnosed back in 2016, the 40-year-old took to Instagram to inform her followers that she has been moved to "hospice at home care" and that "nobody knows how long [she's] got left]".
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdWDrzYo3XM/
Writing in a lengthy post, the presenter and campaigner began by saying: "The message I never wanted to write.
"We have tried everything, but my body simply isn’t playing ball. My active care has stopped and I 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."
James went on to detail how she is no longer able to walk and spends most days sleeping, remarking that the last six months have been less than kind but that she is surrounded by love as she looks to see out her final days.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb0S-_HotM1/
She goes on to say: "In over 5 years of writing about how
I thought it would be my final Christmas, how I wouldn’t see my 40th birthday nor see my kids go to secondary school - I never envisaged writing the one where I would actually say goodbye."
James, who hosts the BBC's
You, Me and the Big C podcast and started the
Bowel Babe Fund - a moniker she defiantly took on as she looked to inspire others to "tell cancer to f*** off" - was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer ten days before Christmas in 2016.
Even prior to her own fund being set up, she had been working tirelessly to raise money for bowel cancer for more than half a decade and has helped raise awareness for a number of other cancer diagnoses through her efforts down the years.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaWqWBOodcU/
For now, she drew the post to a close by urging people to donate to the cancer charities like
Cancer Research UK,
Bowel Cancer UK and the
Royal Marsden Trust, as well as to send her a few quid to "buy [her] a drink to see [her] out of this world".
Last but not least, she concluded by thanking everyone who has been part of her journey before adding, finally: "No regrets. Enjoy life x".
Our thoughts go out to Deborah, her friends and family.
