Vicky Phelan ‘inspired not only ourselves but an entire nation’, say family

The death has taken place of cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan.

She died early on Monday morning aged 48 in Milford Hospice, Co Limerick surrounded by her family.

Ms Phelan’s husband Jim paid tribute to his wife, saying that her death would leave a void in their lives that “at this point seems impossible to fill.”

“It is with an immense burden of grief that earlier today we bade our final farewell to our beloved Vicky,” he said in a statement released by him and the couple’s children Amelia and Darragh.

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“She was the heart and soul of our family unit and her passing will leave a void in all our lives, that at this point seems impossible to fill.”

He said that the family cherished “the memories of a loving wife, mother, daughter and sister whose ability to deal with the struggles of life has inspired not only ourselves but an entire nation. The outpouring of grief and good wishes from far and wide are truly appreciated.”

Mr Phelan said his wife’s funeral would be private but that there would be “an opportunity for people to pay their respects in due course”.

[ The Irish Times view: a life that left an indelible mark ]

The Kilkenny woman exposed the controversy around the national screening programme CervicalCheck, in which she and other women were not informed that cervical cancer smear test results showing them to be in the clear were actually inaccurate and the revised test results in an audit were kept from them for years.

She settled a High Court action for €2.5 million, without admission of liability, against Clinical Pathology Labs, a US laboratory that had been subcontracted by the CervicalCheck national screening programme to assess the smear test results.

After the settlement, Ms Phelan said: “The women of Ireland can no longer put their trust in the CervicalCheck programme – mistakes can and do happen but the conduct of CervicalCheck and the HSE in my case, and the case of at least 10 other women we know about, is unforgivable.”

She had undergone a smear test in 2011 showing no abnormalities but was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014. A subsequent CervicalCheck audit showed her original smear test result was wrong. She refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement in the settlement of her case.

Ms Phelan’s campaigning led to the establishment of an independent investigation, led by public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally who reported on the controversy in 2018.

The review identified at least 221 women diagnosed with cervical cancer who were not previously told about misreported smear tests and could have been alerted to the early stages of cancer.

In his 170-page report, Dr Scally said the screening programme was “doomed to fail at some point” and that “the problems uncovered are redolent of a whole-system failure.”

He praised Ms Phelan’s “extraordinary determination” not to be silenced.

In the wake of the controversy, Ms Phelan later founded the 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group which offers help to the victims of the CervicalCheck screening scandal.

The group said it had lost its “biggest big sister”. “We are shattered. She told us this day would come but she fought so hard and so well that we couldn’t let ourselves think it would happen,” it said.

“Our hearts go out to Jim, Amelia and Darragh and to Vicky’s Mam and Dad, her sisters and brothers and her extended family. Our pain is suffocating just now but it is nothing compared to their loss. Vicky raised her voice in 2018 because she wanted those in power, those with responsibility to learn from their mistakes. In her own words, two years ago, she said:

• I don’t want your apologies.
• I don’t want your tributes.
• I don’t want your aide de camp at my funeral.
• I don’t want your accolades or your broken promises.
• I want action.
• I want change.
• I want accountability.

“Let those words be her legacy,” it said. “Cervical screening saves lives. It failed Vicky in life. In her memory those with responsibility must ensure that it never fails others.”

Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene died from cervical cancer, said “it is with a broken heart that we say goodbye to my great friend Vicky Phlean who got her wings today”.

“Five years ago she was told she only had a few months to live, she defied all the odds and through her strength and courage became a national treasure honouring us all with her wisdom, love and great sense of humour,” he said.

He said she had also become a “very good friend” to his children, Oscar and Noah, and a “rock of support for us”.

President Michael D Higgins led the tributes to Ms Phelan, saying anyone who had the privilege of meeting the campaigner was struck not just by her “powerful inner strength and dignity” but also “with the sense of commitment to the public good and the rights of others with which she campaigned”.

“Vicky, in all of this, made an enormous contribution to Irish society. Thanks to her tireless efforts, despite the terrible personal toll she herself had to carry, so many women’s lives have been protected, and will be protected in the future,” President Higgins said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed sorrow after being informed of her passing during a live interview on RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show.

He described it as “very sad news” and praised a woman of extraordinary courage and integrity who had stood up for the women of Ireland and globally.

In a subsequent statement, the Taoiseach said that Ms Phelan had “ensured the embedding of the principle of full public disclosure in the area of public health”.

“Vicky stood up for the public interest, particularly in relation to the CervicalCheck scandal,” Mr Martin said. “She was an outstanding advocate for women across this country, and across the globe. Vicky always gave selflessly of her time to help others, even though she was going through severe illness herself.”

He said the people of Ireland had “a deep affection for Vicky, and will always hold her contribution to public life in the highest regard”.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Ireland had “lost a woman of limitless courage, compassion and strength”. He described Ms Phelan as “a shining example of the power of the human spirit”.

“Her fight to uncover the truth and the courage with which she faced her illness made her an inspiration to us all,” he said. “We mourn her as a nation, as a society, and as individuals.”

Stephen Donnelly, the Minister for Health, said Ms Phelan had left “a legacy of enormous and enduring impact which has touched the lives of many people, and in particular women and families affected by cervical cancer”.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said she was a “courageous campaigner for positive change”.

“Her energy and determination, despite her own illness and personal sacrifice has inspired so many others,” he said.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Phelan was a “champion of women” and a “campaigner who took on the State and won”.

Labour Party TD Alan Kelly, who was a close friend of Ms Phelan, said she had kept going with her campaign because of her incredible energy. He said she had an amazing capacity for hard work and had empowered Ireland through her encouragement for people to take control and ask questions about their treatment.

“She wanted to make sure that Ireland was a better place,” he said.

“We all have to salute the woman who was Vicky Phelan” Dr Gabriel Scally, who carried out an inquiry into the CervicalCheck screening programme, told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne that Ms Phelan was “a great woman”.

He said he had been privileged to work with her on the inquiry. “She was a huge help to me,” he said. Dr Scally said she had an enormous impact and highlighted a patient’s right to information. She left a tremendous legacy, he said. “She was such a tough woman,” he added.

Dr Scally said their first meeting took place the day after he was appointed to head the inquiry in a hospital room where she was receiving treatment. “She was absolutely clear about what she wanted. For women to have access to their information, for someone to admit that what had happened was wrong and for someone to say sorry,” he said. “She stood up for the women of Ireland. She knew her odds were not good but she fought it.”

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall told the same programme that Ms Phelan had done a huge amount for the women of Ireland and had had a huge impact on women’s health.

“We all owe her a debt of gratitude for her generosity,” Ms Shortall said.

Charlie Bird, who became a friend of Ms Phelan’s in recent months, said his heart was broken. “Over the past year she gave me great support to keep fighting my terminal illness,” he tweeted. “This whole country should be in mourning at the passing of this remarkable human being. My heart is broken. My hero is gone.”

Born Victoria Kelly in Mooncoin, Co Kilkenny on October 28th, 1974, she was the eldest of five children.

She attended school in Mooncoin before studying for an arts degree in European studies at the University of Limerick, beginning a long association with the university.

In her work for the university’s international education division, she grew UL’s exchange programme into one of the largest Erasmus programmes in the State.

Ms Phelan later moved to Waterford Institute of Technology where she was director of the college’s literacy development programme.

She is survived by her husband Jim and her children Amelia (16) and Darragh (10).

[ Obituary: A courageous advocate who gave a voice to Irish women suffering in silence ]

Ms Phelan began receiving treatment for her cancer in 2014 when she first learned of her diagnosis.

In September 2017, her gynaecologist told her during a routine check-up that an audit carried out by Cervical Check found her 2011 smear test was a false negative.

In November 2017, she was diagnosed with incurable Stage 4 cancer and given a life expectancy of between six and 12 months.

She was told in January 2018 that without palliative chemotherapy she would have just six months to live and, with chemotherapy, just one year to live.

Ms Phelan discovered discrepancies in her smear test results when she was left alone with her patient file and started scanning through it looking at her smear history.

She subsequently contacted a lawyer and brought her legal action.

She told the High Court during her case that she was extremely angry she was not told of a 2014 review that showed her earlier incorrect smear test for another three years.

“I was in shock when I was told. I am angry, extremely angry. If I was diagnosed I probably would have had to have a procedure and at worse a hysterectomy,” she said.

“If I was told sooner, I would not be in a position of a terminal cancer diagnosis.”

In October 2021, Ms Phelan announced that she had returned from the US where she had been receiving intensive medical treatment to Ireland following the discovery of new tumours.

Her medical team at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC recommended that she return home to receive palliative chemotherapy.

She had been receiving treatment at Milford Care Centre over the course of this year as her health deteriorated.