Kelsey Parker has shared a touching tribute to Dame Deborah James after she died on Tuesday (28 June) following a battle with bowel cancer.
The mum-of-two lost her husband, The Wanted star Tom Parker, to an inoperable brain tumour in March. She shared a picture of Deborah on her Instagram Story.
She wrote alongside the picture: "My Tom will be waiting with a glass of something special for you Deborah.
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"What an incredible lady… find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets and always, always have rebellious hope. RIP Dame Deborah James."
Kelsey previously described Deborah as a ‘pillar of strength’ for Tom after the You, Me and the Big C podcast host told her followers she was receiving hospice care and was no longer having active treatment.
“Sending love, light and strength to you, your family and babies. Deborah, you are an Earth Angel. You’ve raised so much awareness and money, you’re a hero,” Kelsey wrote at the time.
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“Your courage is inspiring. You were a pillar of strength for my Tommy Boy, always there with advice.
“I know you were both members of a club that you didn’t want to be in. I wish we all could’ve met under different circumstances.’
The 40-year-old campaigner, author and podcaster died surrounded by her loved ones on Tuesday.
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Deborah's family revealed the news in an Instagram post which paid tribute to ‘the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy’.
After the announcement of her death, tributes from the public and major figures poured in through social media, including a heartfelt Tweet posted by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Deborah was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 and kept her fans updated through her Instagram account.
Her final book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead fast-tracked with a publication date now set for 18 August 2022.
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All of Deborah's royalties will go into the Bowel Babe fund and publisher Penguin has agreed to make an additional contribution per each copy sold, meaning altogether the donation per book will be £3.
Donations to the Bowelbabe fund have now reached the monumental figure of £7.04million. The fund will be used for cancer trials and for campaigns to raise awareness of bowel cancer.
You can donate to the Bowelbabe fund here.
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If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week
Topics: News
Gregory Robinson