The heroic cancer fighter, who is being cared for at the end of her life at her parents’ home in Woking, Surrey, today shared a moving photo of Dad Alistair gently combing her hair on Instagram. 5 Deborah James shared a photo of Alistair’s father brushing her hair as she told her supporters’ legions that she is now too weak to do it alone Credit: Instagram 5 Dame Debs receives end-of-life care for bowel cancer at her parents’ home in Surrey The Sun writer, 40, called him an “unknown hero” in a moving tribute to Father’s Day. “Happy Birthday!” she wrote. “Yes, my dad brushes my hair because I no longer have the strength to brush it.” In the picture she is sitting cross-legged in a chair with her eyes half closed. Alistair stands behind her with a pink brush raised. She is seen holding lightly some of her long dark hair in one hand. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Dame Deborah spoke about her love for her father. He said: “My dad is my invisible hero, more than ever. She is quietly behind the scenes, making sure I am well. “He has always been a very calm, loving presence in my life – he is very good at handling me and all my madness. “His patience has no limits.” He joked that if he had ever had a problem with Alistair, he would have known “s *** was bad”. “No matter how naughty I was, he knew how to handle me,” he said. “When I ruined the bathroom when I dyed my hair, he took it all in stride. “Even at the age of 40, he was the man I called if I broke up. “He was walking towards me with a can of petrol when I finished and they had to save me.

TRIBUTE DEB

“All my life, he just stands behind me and quietly holds me high.” When she was in the hospital for months at the beginning of the year, battling bowel cancer, only her mother, Heather, was allowed to visit her. But it was Alistair who chased her away every day to make sure his daughter was not alone. Dembs said: “It must have been horrible that he could not come to see me. I am also his daughter. “My heart breaks knowing they have to see it, I can not imagine how I should feel.” In addition to brushing your hair, Alistair also helps with cooking. “I find cooking really healing right now – not that I ever eat food,” Deborah said.

A FATHERLY LOVE

“I’m painfully slow in everything, but Dad just helps patiently. The other night cooking the fajitas took about an hour and a half, while it would take 30 minutes. “Instead of just trying to do it for me, he gave me the various ingredients and let me make my own. “It sounds like a small thing, but it means the world – and I like to do it with it.” Debs has also honored her husband Seb – and says she is heartbroken to know she will never see Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, as parents. “It’s very difficult to think, the idea that I will not see my son as a father,” he said. “The biggest thing for me right now, without knowing how long I have, is that the kids will be fine. All my life, Dad has been standing behind me and holding me quiet “Sheb is a wonderful father, he is incredible with both of them. “I have absolutely no worries about what will happen to the children. “She loves them and I know they will not want anything. “He loves them so much and I know that when I am no longer here, he will love them for me.” The fact that he lived to see Father’s Day comes as a surprise to Debs, who left the hospital more than a month ago to receive a hostel at home. After learning that she could have just a few weeks left, she started exaggerating, raising 6 6.7 million for her BowelBabe Fund. She released a new book, started a fashion series and raised another 1 1 million for her fundraiser selling Rebellious Hope T-shirts. And after the Sun campaigned to honor our columnist, Debs became Dame in a day – and put Prince William for tea to celebrate. 5 The courageous mother of two, photographed with Prince William on the day she became a woman, records her inadequate health with unwavering honestyCredit: Graham Prentice 5 Despite her exhaustion and pain, she has raised millions for her BowelBabe Fund 5 She said she is determined to do every day with her family counting Credit: Instagram