I’ve written notes for my kids to open when I’m gone, says Deborah James as she greets ‘incredible’ husband
DEBORAH James has shared how she plans to leave letters for her children for milestone moments.
The mother-of-two revealed she wants to be a part of her children’s wedding anniversaries and birthdays by leaving notes for them to open.
3
She wants to offer first date advice and share a moment with them before they get married.
She told the Times: “It’s hard to figure out what to do: you don’t want to rip the band-aid off every birthday and ruin it for her.
“But at the same time, I want them to have milestone letters and fun messages.
“I used to hate the idea of a keepsake box, but I just ordered a blue one and a pink one.”
- Deborah has urged people to donate to her fundraiser – at bowelbabe.org – which has already raised more than £2million
The Sun columnist, known as Bowel Babe, has been living with colon cancer since 2016.
The former assistant principal has opened up about how terrifying it was to tell her children she was going to stop active treatment.
She shared the news with her army of supporters online this week, saying she left hospital to spend her final days with her parents.
Praising her husband, Deborah said: “We had a number of emotional conversations that escalated very quickly from supportive care to end of life care.
“My husband Sebastien was amazing, he dropped everything and is with me 24/7.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen my husband so emotional; but now he has suddenly realized the enormity of it.
She is now being cared for in a hospice and will spend her last days with her family.
In her latest episode of her BBC podcast, You, Me and the Big C: Putting the can in cancer, she spoke about stopping active treatment.
In the episode, poignantly titled Deborah James’ Last Dance, she spoke candidly with producer Mike Holt.
Colon Cancer Symptoms to Talk to Your GP About:
The five warning signs of colon cancer are:
- Bleeding from the posterior passage or blood in your stool
- A change in your normal toilet habits – for example, walking more often
- Pain or a lump in your abdomen
- Extreme tiredness
- lose weight
Tumors in the gut typically bleed, which can lead to a shortage of red blood cells, known as anemia. It can cause fatigue and sometimes shortness of breath.
In some cases, colon cancer can block the bowel, this is called a bowel obstruction.
Other signs of colon cancer are:
- Gripping pains in abdomen
- bloating
- Constipation and inability to breathe
- Be sick
- The feeling that you have to exert yourself – like number two – but after you’ve been to the toilet
The pair shared a powerful conversation about their final days and the podcast’s impact on cancer patients.
This week, Deborah revealed her BowelBabe fund and urged her supportive fans to help it thrive.
Donations can be made at bowelbabe.org and more than £2million was raised in less than 24 hours.
She asked supporters to buy her a drink to “see me out of this world” by donating the cost to the fund.
The Sun columnist said it would raise money for more life-saving cancer research “to give more Deborahs more time.”
The money will be donated between Cancer Research UK, Bowel Cancer UK and the Royal Marsden.
3
3
https://www.thesun.ie/health/8780390/deborah-james-letters-to-children/ I’ve written notes for my kids to open when I’m gone, says Deborah James as she greets ‘incredible’ husband