Dame Deborah James was moved to tears when she learnt a rose would be named after her, with money from each sale going to her Bowel Babe Fund. Speaking on Friday, the inspiring presenter confessed she hope the flower may feature in her daughter’s wedding bouquet one day
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Deborah James announces collaboration with In The Style
Dame Deborah James hopes the rose named after her will feature in her daughter’s wedding bouquet one day in the future.
The inspiring BBC presenter, 40, took to Instagram on Friday to reveal that The Harkness Rose Company will soon be selling a flower named the Dame Deborah James Rose – with £2.50 from each sale going towards her Bowel Babe fund.
Deborah told her followers online that the “lovely honour” had moved her to tears, as she continues to raise vital funds for cancer research.
The mum-of-two – who was recently honoured with a Damehood – launched the Just Giving fundraiser on earlier this month, alongside revealing to her fans she was receiving end-of-life care following a five-year battle against bowel cancer.
Deborah James posing with a stunning bouquet featuring her very own rose
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Image:
bowelbabe/Instagram)
Writing on her Instagram Stories, the campaigned said: “I have some more (!) really lovely Friday evening news to share. I’m aware at the moment it’s one thing after another.
“I promise you I am resting but I’m also just so passionate about ensure [sic] the @bowelbabefund gets the best start. And this is such a lovely honour… it made me cry.”
Deborah – who has so far raised over £6million with her fundraising efforts – then shared a series of snaps of herself posing alongside a bouquet filled with the white and pale pink flower.
Deborah shared a link to pre-order the flower with her fans on Friday
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Image:
bowelbabe/Instagram)
The star hopes the rose will feature in her daughter’s wedding bouquet one day
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Image:
Instagram)
“It makes me sad but it fills me with so much joy that this rose can now be bred for years and years to come,” the star told The Sun when discussing the floral honour.
“Maybe one day Eloise will choose to have it in her wedding bouquet.”
Expanding more on how the rose will raise funds for her charity, Deborah shared a snap to her main profile, with details on how to pre-order the touching tribute.
The BBC presenter alongside her husband, Sebastien Bowen
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Image:
Deborah James/Instagram)
“I actually cried when they asked me if they could name a rose after me. The new rose is available to pre-order now for delivery in Autumn 2022 (link in stories and below),” the podcast host wrote within her caption on Friday.
“Even better, £2.50 from the sale of each rose will be paid to the @Bowelbabefund. There is of course a limited supply of Rose plants for sale! I just can’t wait for my family to plant them everywhere this Autumn.”
She went on to add: “Roses are my favourite flowers and I hope this one will brighten the smiles for all! What also brings me so much joy is to know that the rose will also be incorporated into the company’s new Community Gardening Scheme which aims to get more vulnerable groups and people from underrepresented backgrounds involved in gardening.
The inspiring star recently launched a collection with fashion brand In The Style
“Harkness have pledged to give away 1,000 Dame Deborah James Roses to Community Gardens across the UK this autumn time.”
Deborah was initially diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer back in December 2016, at 35 years old.
After choosing to share her experiences online, the 40-year-old became known as the ‘Bowel Babe’, and went on to become one of three presenters on BBC Radio 5 Live’s You, Me and the Big C.
The star has inspired millions with her fundraising efforts
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INSTAGRAM)
On May 9, the brave star told her fans the “time has come to say goodbye” from a hospice she is currently residing in, after five years of battling the terminal illness.
“I’m under hospice at home care, & I’m spending my time surrounded by my family. Please buy me a wine to see me out and raise vital funds,” Deborah wrote within her heartbreaking social media update.
Within 24 hours of the campaigner posting online, her fundraiser hit £1million in donations – with the figure steadily rising and now on £6,438,141.
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