Spreading awareness is Dame Deborah's ‘legacy', says her mother
Heather James said her daughter was a 'force of nature' and praised her efforts in spreading awareness of bowel cancer and its symptoms, particularly among young people.
'It does affect young people as we know,' Mrs James said.
Dame Deborah died of bowel cancer aged 40 in 2022.
April is #BowelCancerAwarenessMonth – here are the most common symptoms of bowel cancer 👇
It's important to know what's normal for your body. Talk to your GP if you notice anything unusual for you, or any changes that don't go away.
Share this to help us raise awareness 🔁
— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) April 1, 2025
Earlier this month, her daughter Eloise followed in her mother's footsteps by raising awareness of bowel cancer through a new campaign.
'If we can get teenagers talking about their poo, that's an amazing legacy Deborah has left,' Mrs James added.
On Wednesday, the King repeated some of Dame Deborah's final words at a reception at Buckingham Palace.
Charles hailed the late Dame Deborah as an inspiration, quoting her final message and encouraging everyone to follow her example: 'Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.'
Alistair and Heather James met the King at a reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Her father Alistair James told BBC Breakfast: 'It just brought back so many memories – we remember those words being written with her in her last few days at home.'
Mrs James added: 'It was wonderful to hear the King actually quoting Deborah's words, it was such an honour.
'He (said) wished he had met her, she was obviously a force of nature and I said: 'Yes she definitely was'.'
She added: 'It's the club we belong to that no one really wants to belong to – whether you are royalty or not, cancer affects many, many people, it's almost a leveller in one way.'
Mr James said that the pair thanked the King for sharing his own cancer journey.
Today we remember Dame Deborah James and the incredible legacy she left behind a year on from her death 💜 Our thoughts are with her friends and family. pic.twitter.com/jBmFjUUSjP
— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) June 28, 2023
Asked about Dame Deborah's legacy, Mr James said: 'We'll just keep going with the rest of the family and Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
'Every decision – of how we're raising money or how we are investing it and spending it – all those final decisions are always made by the family and we all get together as a group, with CRUK.
'And the children understand what's going on as well with it.
'Eloise took part in one of the bowel cancer campaigns this month for the first time and she was very enthusiastic about spreading the word.'
Dame Deborah's Bowelbabe fund has raised more than £16 million since it was launched.
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