{"id":149328,"date":"2022-11-14T03:23:47","date_gmt":"2022-11-13T21:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/christmas-without-my-brave-daughter-deborah-james-will-be-hard-seeing-her-last-wish-come-true-brought-tears-to-my-eyes\/"},"modified":"2022-11-14T03:24:16","modified_gmt":"2022-11-13T21:54:16","slug":"christmas-without-deborah-james-my-courageous-daughter-will-be-hard-i-was-moved-to-tears-by-her-final-wish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/christmas-without-deborah-james-my-courageous-daughter-will-be-hard-i-was-moved-to-tears-by-her-final-wish\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas without Deborah James, my courageous daughter, will be hard. I was moved to tears by her final wish."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Heather James has been saying goodbye to her daughter for nearly five months.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every day, she is reminded of her eldest daughter, Dame Deborah James.<\/p>\n

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Deborah James, 40 was a national treasure who captured the hearts and minds of the nation weeks before she succumbed to Stage 4 bowel carcinoma.<\/span>Credit: Stewart Williams<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Mum Heather with Deborah, Winston the dog and Winston in February<\/span>Credit to Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Eloise, daughter of Dame Debs, and Dame Debs get in the Christmas spirit in 2020<\/span>Credit to Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The nation was captivated by the 40-year-old in the weeks that followed her death from Stage 4 bowel carcinoma on June 28.<\/p>\n

Thanks to her efforts in raising awareness, in the past year 2.8million people were tested for the disease, data published last month shows \u2014 up almost a fifth from 2.32million in 2018\/19.<\/p>\n

And figures from the NHS last week showed record numbers of cancer cases are being caught early, with 56.7 per cent of cases \u2014 100,461 out of 177,180 in a sample \u2014 found at stage one or two in 2021-22.<\/p>\n

Heather, 65, says from her home in Woking, Surrey: \u201cLots of things just catch you unawares.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI was at the garden centre the other day with my husband Alistair and I spotted the Christmas baubles.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeborah loved Christmas so much, she loved buying the children new decorations, picking the tree, decorating it and playing Christmas songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, I remember we came to the same garden centre and she found a shoe decoration for her daughter Eloise.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe came home with some huge Nutcracker ornaments too. I know I am going to find it really hard to see those this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

After learning that her cancer treatment had stopped working in May, Dame Debs returned to her parents\u2019 home for her final months.<\/p>\n

Deborah refused to quit despite being told she would die in days.<\/p>\n

The ex-teacher, who was exhausted by the loss of her energy, continued to spread awareness about the deadly disease.<\/p>\n

Debs raised a staggering \u00a37.5million for her BowelBabe Fund, to pay towards cancer research in the hope others wouldn\u2019t have to succumb to her fate.<\/p>\n

She finished her second book, was honoured with a Damehood by Prince William \u2014 who popped over for tea \u2014 launched a charity fashion collection, had a rose named after her and inspired millions to check themselves for signs of cancer.<\/p>\n

She was so successful that the NHS has paid tribute to her since her passing. \u201cDame Deborah James effect\u201dThis has enabled more people than ever to be screened for life-saving cancer.<\/p>\n

Debs was only four days away from her death when she learned that one last project had been approved.<\/p>\n

Supermarket giant Tesco had agreed to feature the symptoms of bowel cancer, along with Debs\u2019 BowelBabe Fund logo, on packs of their toilet roll.<\/p>\n

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I was so proud to walk down the aisle to see one of Deborah\u2019s last dreams come true. I wanted to hug all the packets as I looked at them on the shelves. I\u2019ll never buy any other toilet rolls ever again.<\/p>\n

Heather James<\/span><\/cite><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Deborah explained to her mother that it was a simple, but very effective change. \u201cWe all wipe our bums.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of Deborah\u2019s magic was in the way she made it OK to talk about poo, bums and bowels, topics so often seen as taboo.<\/p>\n

Deborah spent five decades urging people to get involved in her Sun column, “Things Cancer Made Me Say”. \u201cCheck your poo\u201d.<\/p>\n

She knew all too well that when it comes to cancer \u2014 and bowel cancer in particular \u2014 early diagnosis really does save lives.<\/p>\n

Knowing the symptoms is one of the best ways to diagnose early. Deborah set out to educate everyone who would listen.<\/p>\n

Heather, Heather’s mother, stated that her daughter would be amazed by the impact she has made.<\/p>\n

She admitted to being moved by the Tesco toilet roll shelves last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very emotional,\u201dShe spoke to Central Recorder.<\/p>\n

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Last year she returned home with huge Nutcracker ornaments. It’s going to be really difficult for me to see these this year.<\/p>\n

Heather James<\/span><\/cite><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI was so proud to walk down the aisle to see one of Deborah\u2019s last dreams come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing the packets on the shelves, I just wanted to hug them. I\u2019ll never buy any other toilet rolls ever again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t ever want to rip the packaging open, it is just so lovely to see what she has achieved there in purple and white, with the BowelBabe Fund logo on the front.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heather is also convinced that the Tesco UK CEO Jason Tarry agrees with Heather about their Luxury Soft Toilet Paper, which has more than a million sold per week.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe know that by making the symptoms available we can truly deliver this important and potentially life-saving information directly into the homes of our customers. We were privileged to work with Deborah and to continue working with the Bowelbabe Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heather added: \u201cWhat a legacy. It\u2019s truly one of the greatest things she managed to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone buys toilet rolls and even if just one person notices a symptom and gets it checked out, it will be worth it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no doubt this will help save lives and that is something that will for ever make me proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Some days are more difficult than others, I find. I sometimes just want to hide, but I can think. \u2018What would Deborah do?\u2019<\/p>\n

Heather James<\/span><\/cite><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Heather and her family are bittersweet about this momentous occasion.<\/p>\n

While Dame Debs knew it was going to happen, she didn\u2019t live to see the packs roll off the production line.<\/p>\n

Heather says: \u201cFour days before she died she got the news that it was finally all fully agreed and it was actually going to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so pleased she lived long enough to know, it was such a relief for her but it breaks my heart that she never saw it.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe knew it was a done deal, and she was so happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really meant so much to her and was one of the last things she managed to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember her sitting in the garden and she just looked at me and said, \u2018It\u2019s done, we are going to see this on all toilet rolls\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget the smile on her face.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just Deborah\u2019s infectious smile that Heather holds on to.<\/p>\n

Along with Dame Debs\u2019 husband Sebastien, the couple\u2019s kids, Hugo, 15, and Eloise, 13, and the rest of the family, Heather is inspired by her daughter\u2019s love of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have our different ways of coping,\u201dShe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we all try to enjoy life, in the way that Deborah would have wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe children are both doing really well, they\u2019re busy with school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find some days are tougher than others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI often just want to hide away but I always think, \u2018What would Deborah do?\u2019<\/p>\n

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\u201cEven in her final weeks she lived life and she was an inspiration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of her greatest gifts, and it\u2019s one that she\u2019s left us all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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SYMPTOMS MUST BE AWARE<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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DAME Debs would be furious if we didn\u2019t remind you of the symptoms to watch out for. <\/p>\n

Talk to your GP if you see any of these signs.<\/p>\n