Deborah James’ Bowelbabe Foundation hits £6.5M as she receives hospice care

Dame Deborah James, 40, launched the fundraiser with an initial goal of £250,000, but has already surpassed it 26 times after inspiring the nation

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Dame Deborah James: Podcast Host Visits Chelsea Flower Show

Dame Deborah James has raised a staggering £6.5 million for her bowel cancer fundraiser, three weeks after announcing she would be in hospice care.

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

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

At the time of publication, the Bowelbabe Foundation had raised £6,586 million, with donations continuing to pour in.

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

Dame Deborah, host of the BBC’s You, Me And The Big C podcast, revealed last week that she has completed her second book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead, to be published on the 18th. August.

The book rose to number one on the Amazon listing through pre-orders.

Earlier this week, the blogger visited the Chelsea Flower Show with her husband to see a rose named after her.

The BBC said she saw the flower on display during a private tour on Tuesday night, where she was accompanied by her husband, Sebastien Bowen, with a visit led by BBC presenter Sophie Raworth and the Society of Making Organized by the Royal Garden.

It happened when the mother-of-two said she was “afraid to go to bed” because she didn’t know how much longer she had to live.

Talking to Sun newspaper, Dame Deborah said: “I don’t intend to die soon but it is unpredictable.

“I am afraid of going to sleep and that is one of the biggest reasons why I am so tired. I was afraid to go to sleep.”

“I think my family is very capable, they are all amazing – going above and beyond to take care of me and take care of me, what I have seen in them in the last two weeks is true love, love love deeply. It’s overwhelming. “

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