Deborah James ' grieving father has opened up on his final moments with the late TV star as he marks his first Father's Day without her.
Bowel Babe Deborah sadly passed away last June at the age of 40 after a five-and-a-half-year battle with cancer.
There by her side, the whole way through was Deborah's devoted father, Alister, who she called her 'unsung hero'.
As Alister goes through the motions of his first Father's Day without Deborah, he has looked back on his final moments with his beloved daughter, before she tragically passed away in her home after an incredible battle with cancer - where she raised £11.3million to fund vital cancer research.
Looking back on his final moments with Deborah before she passed away, Alister, 67, revealed that he and Deborah's mum, Heather, 65, were by her side all the way through.
“I was in the kitchen doing the washing up after lunch. Heather suddenly called for me, telling me it was happening and I needed to come now. Saying goodbye was very hard, but it was peaceful," he told The Sun.
“Right towards the end, I told her, ‘You can let go now, you have done enough. You can sleep’. I’d never said anything like that before. I knew when the time was right. She needed to know it was OK.”
Although Alister is dealing with his own immense grief, he can't help but feel for Deborah's family who she has left behind including her husband Sebastian, 43, and their children Hugo, 15, and Eloise, 13.
"My biggest sadness is for Deborah and the fact she will miss out on so many Father’s Days with Seb, Hugo and Eloise. Deborah will miss out on growing old with her husband, seeing her kids grow up and having their own children, and she will never get to realise her dream of becoming a head teacher.
“I am so sad that she is missing out. Her life was cut short just when she was living it to the full — she had so much to offer.”
The BowelBabe campaigner passed away last year after raising millions of pounds for Cancer Research UK.
Mum of two Deborah bravely battled bowel cancer for five years before eventually losing her battle with the disease.
Her final wish was to die at her parent’s home in Surrey, which she did surrounded by friends and family including her two children.
For more information or support about bowel cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.
