Prince William Commends Bowelbabe Fund's £20m Achievement
The Prince of Wales has lauded the Bowelbabe Fund for achieving an “incredible milestone” after reaching £20 million in donations. The fund, set up by Dame Deborah James in May 2022 shortly before her death from bowel cancer, surpassed its initial target of £250,000 in under four years.
Prince William conveyed his admiration via Instagram, remarking on the “amazing legacy” of Dame Deborah, who hailed from Woking, Surrey. He stated: “Deborah is in our thoughts today, as are all those who loved her.”
Dame Deborah's mother, Heather James, expressed immense pride, noting: “Deborah would be absolutely over the moon if she were here today to see this.” Her father, Alistair James, speaking to BBC Breakfast, highlighted the improbable scale of the achievement given its inception in the final weeks of his daughter’s life.
The funds are managed by Cancer Research UK and have already supported 16 research initiatives, including the development of a “Bowelbabe vaccine” aimed at enhancing immunity against bowel cancer. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, affirmed that while progress has been made, with over half of bowel cancer patients in the UK surviving the disease, “there is still much more to do.”
Dame Deborah, a prominent host of the 'You, Me And The Big C' podcast, was posthumously honoured with a damehood for her prolific fundraising efforts. The honour was personally conferred by Prince William during an afternoon tea at her home hospice. She passed away in June 2022 at the age of 40.
