Vicky Phelan has sadly passed away.
According to RTÉ News, the Cervical cancer campaigner died in the early hours of this morning at Milford Hospice in Limerick.
She was 48, and is survived by her two children – Amelia, 16, and Darragh, 10.
Vicky received a false negative test after she went for a cervical smear test back in 2011.
Three years later, she was diagnosed with cancer, and in January 2017, she was informed that she had months to live.
In April 2018, Vicky was awarded €2.5m in damages in the High Court over the error, and her story led to the CervicalCheck scandal.
At the time, Vicky stood at the steps of the High Court and gave an impassioned speech about how the system had horrendously let her down, and cost her her life.
The cervical check scandal is now known as one of the worst women’s health scandals in Irish history.
After receiving her terminal diagnosis, Vicky used her platform to fight for justice, and highlighted the lack of cancer treatments available in Ireland.
The mother-of-two was forced to travel to the US on a number of occasions for treatment.
In 2019, Vicky penned a memoir called Overcoming, and a documentary following her life recently aired in Irish cinemas.
Vicky’s passing comes less than three weeks after the death of fellow cervical cancer campaigner Lynsey Bennett.
Vicky’s last Instagram post was a tribute to Lynsey, who was 34 at the time of her passing.
She wrote: “I am very late posting a tribute to @lynseybennettofficial here today because I am not well myself and spent most of the day out at the hospital having a procedure done.”
“That, unfortunately, is the reality of living with late stage cervical cancer as Lynsey would have known only too well these last few months of her very short life, at only 34 years of age.”
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Vicky continued: “I am thinking today of Lynsey’s two beautiful girls, Zoe and Hailee, who are so very young to have their mother taken away from them. I would also like to sympathise with Lynsey’s family and friends. I am so very sorry for your loss.”
“Lynsey had an amazing will to live which no doubt kept her alive for as long as she did beyond the 6 month prognosis that she was given. Her daughters were able to get some extra precious time to spend with their Mam and make some more memories that they will treasure.”
“May you Rest in Peace Lynsey 💔💔💔.”
