The parents of Dame Deborah James have sent their love to
Kate Middleton, praising the mum-of-three's bravery and urging her to "hold on to rebellious hope". Heather, 66, and Alistair James, 68, believe that Kate's emotional statement will inspire many more people to get checked for
cancer - and save lives. The couple, who lost daughter in 2022, say Deborah would be so proud of the Princess of Wales for speaking so publicly about her treatment. They believe that her bravery will help millions of cancer patients and their families face this horrible disease. Their daughter Deborah died aged 40 in June 2022, after being diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer five and a half years before. "We know if Deborah were here to send Kate a message, she would tell the Princess of Wales to hold on to rebellious hope," Heather and Alistair have said following Kate's cancer admission on Friday night. They said that Deborah was a firm believer in the power of hope, and given how many times she beat the odds to survive, rebellious hope became her mantra. "We have no doubt her positive mindset helped her keep going, and gave us five years of precious memories together," Deborah's parents added. Kate, 42, shared with everyone on Friday that tests after her surgery on January 16 showed cancer had been presenter. In her statement to the world confirming her diagnosis, recorded in Windsor on Wednesday, Kate spoke of "an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family" . Deborah was only 35 when doctors told her the big lump in her bowel was cancer. Before she passed away, the mum-of-two inspired millions with her brave "Rebellious Hope" mantra. She talked honestly about what she was facing and asked people to give money to her Bowelbabe Fund, raising amazing £7million in just seven weeks. Deborah James and
Prince William in May 2022 ( Image: Graham Prentice) Prince William went to see Deborah at her mum and dad's house in Woking, Surrey, in May 2022, to present Deborah with her damehood. "It was like having a friend over for tea," Deborah's mum Heather recalled to The Sun. "He was so kind and considerate, he was so relaxed and enjoyed the fact Deborah was 'triple parked' - she had a glass of champagne, wine and sherry lined up." Kate sent a message of support as part of her statement on Friday, sending love to others living with cancer: "At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone." Speaking in their recent interview, Heather and Alistair expressed their desire to send a special message to Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. "We know what it feels like to be told your child has cancer," they said. "It's heartbreaking to see your child face something so hard." *The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat ,
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