Prince William praises £20m milestone for Dame Deborah James fund

Prince William has praised the "incredible milestone" of Dame Deborah James' Bowelbabe fund. The fund, which supports cancer research, has now raised over £20 million.

Dame Deborah started the Bowelbabe Fund in May 2022, shortly before she passed away from bowel cancer. The initial goal was to raise £250,000. It has reached this new milestone in less than four years.

Prince William shared his admiration on Instagram, calling it an "amazing legacy." He wrote, "Deborah is in our thoughts today, as are all those who loved her."

Dame Deborah's mother, Heather James, said her daughter would be "absolutely over the moon" to see the fund's success. She noted that Deborah was very passionate about supporting research to give cancer patients more time with their families.

Dame Deborah's father, Alistair James, told BBC Breakfast that even Deborah, with all her energy, might not have believed they would raise £20.5 million. She set up the fund in the final weeks of her life.

Supporting Cancer Research

Cancer Research UK benefits from the Bowelbabe Fund. A spokesperson for the charity said the money has supported 16 research projects. One of these is a "Bowelbabe vaccine" designed to boost immunity against bowel cancer.

Dame Deborah was a host of the "You, Me and the Big C" podcast. She received a damehood for her fundraising efforts, which quickly surpassed £1 million in the first 24 hours. Prince William personally awarded her the honor during afternoon tea at her home while she was receiving hospice care. She passed away in June 2022 at age 40.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, called the £20 million milestone a "true testament to Deborah's incredible legacy." She added that research has helped more than half of people diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK survive the disease, but more work is still needed.

Deep Dive & References: Bowelbabe Fund Cancer Research UK