Podcast host Deborah James said she was “honoured and shocked” to be considered for a ladyship.
The 40-year-old, known online as Bowel Babe, was honored for her “tireless campaign” to raise awareness of colon cancer.
By May 13, James had raised more than £5million for Cancer Research UK via an online fundraiser run by Just Giving.
After setting her original goal of £250,000, she has now increased her goal by more than 20 times.
In a post on Instagram, James said the past few days had been a “whirlwind of surreal dreams” and that she “can’t fathom the kindness and generosity.”
She said: “I don’t even know where to start with the overwhelming tears standing in my way.
“I’m blown away and blown away that five years of talking about poop can lead to motherhood!
“I’m honored and shocked that I was even considered.
“I can only say thank you for the wonderful people in the world and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unconditional support not only now but throughout the years.”
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James reached the £5million milestone on Friday after donations from more than 240,000 supporters, including high-profile figures such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
According to their Just Giving page, the aim is to “raise money to fund clinical trials and research into personalized medicine for cancer patients and to support campaigns to raise awareness of colorectal cancer.”
James said she was “completely speechless” after reaching the phenomenal crowd.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: “Thanks to an incredibly generous donation earlier today and to every single person who has donated to the @bowelbabefund, we have just reached the incredible sum of £5million.
“We are completely at a loss for words. It’s all beyond anything we could have ever imagined. The last 5 days have been surreal.
“Thank you for putting a huge smile on my face and for helping us launch a legacy that we hope will have a lifelong impact on cutting-edge cancer care.”
In the social media post, she added, “As I’m getting more and more sleepy and finding life a little harder, I’ve had more time to think I’ve never stopped seeing the impact of our podcasting and speaking, and campaigning has lasted more than five years.
“Small chats can really save lives, small conversations can make waves far beyond locality, and seeds can grow where we never see their fruit.
“And there is something exciting and beautiful about this life cycle. With this money, hopefully more people will have more time with their loved ones.
“Who knows what crops we might grow, but when we are done hoping, we pray that some will become game changers for our children and many more to come.
“Keep loving kindly, always with rebellious hope.”
James began co-presenting the podcast You, Me And The Big C with Lauren Mahon and Rachael Bland in 2018, and they have been praised for their open discussions about cancer.
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Rachael Bland died of breast cancer in September 2018 at the age of 40 (Claire Wood/PA)
Bland died in September of that year at the age of 40, two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Bland’s widower Steve, who joined the podcast as a presenter after her death, said at BBC Breakfast that James is “doing the extraordinary”.
He added: “Everyone’s focused on the last five days but actually Deb has been doing this for five years since she was diagnosed with terminal cancer five years ago and ever since then she’s just been trying to help people.
“She’s been banging the drum over and over – about colon cancer symptoms, working hard to get medication approved that she knew would help her but would help a lot of other people too.
“While the last five days have been fantastic – the £4million is incredible – there are people across the country who are walking around enjoying their children’s birthday parties because she basically saved their lives.”
The former assistant principal was diagnosed with colon cancer in late 2016 and has been openly documenting her treatment for her more than half a million Instagram followers.
Source: independent