Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Kids & Family:Parenting
Heather James is best known to us all as the mum of Deborah James, the beautiful bowelbabe, who I interviewed for Spinning Plates 3 years ago. That was the year before her premature death at the age of 40, from bowel cancer.
Heather explained how she is grieving but working. Not only working in her day job as a gymnastics teacher, but also doing everything that Deborah would have continued with - including campaigning to highlight April as Bowel Cancer Awareness month.
Deborah spent the last weeks of her life at her mum and dad's house in the summer of 2022 surrounded by her family. Heather and her husband Alistair found themselves looking after Deborah and, to everyone's surprise, hosting Prince William when he came to their garden to make Deborah a Dame.
Heather talked about caring for Deborah when she came home to die, but said Deborah's zest for life - and campaigning - meant that far from going quiet, it was a busy time of fun, outings, a book, a rose and of course, a Damehood.
It struck me that Heather is everything you would hope to be, as a mum in such a dreadful circumstance.
She is planning to life life to the full, as Deborah wanted her to. And we spoke, just before her son's wedding where the entire family were planning to party and celebrate just as Deborah would have done if she were still here. And speaking as someone who witnessed her 40th birthday party in full swing, boy, did Deborah know how to party!
Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 51: Katie Piper
Episode 50: Stacey Cordery
Episode 49: Harriet Gibsone
Episode 48: Polly Morgan
Episode 47: Kate Robinson
Episode 46: Dannii Minogue
Episode 45: Pallavi Barnwal
Episode 44: Helen Thorn
Episode 43: Rachel Ama
Episode 42: Jo Tutchener Sharp
Episode 41: Binky Felstead
Episode 40: Dr Catherine Green OBE
Episode 39: Laura Brand
Episode 38: Natalie Imbruglia
Episode 37: Sylvia Mac
Episode 36: Deborah James
Episode 35: Sarah Willingham
Episode 34: Emma Barnett
Episode 33: Kath Gillespie Sells
Episode 32: Helle Thorning-Schmidt
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