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Cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan, who unearthed the CervicalCheck screening scam in Ireland, passed away at the age of 48.
According to the Irish Times, Phelan was surrounded by her family when she died early on Monday, November 14, at Milford Hospice, Co Limerick.
As per a statement published by the outlet, Vicky’s husband, Jim, and their kids, Amelia and Darragh, paid tribute to the deceased, stating that she leaves behind a void 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. 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.”
The statement released by her family further read:
“[The family remembers] 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.”
Vicky Phelan exposed one of the biggest medical scams of today's time
In 2011, Vicky Phelan underwent a smear test for cervical cancer that showed no oddity in its results. However, in 2014, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and a re-run of her CervicalCheck tests found that the original report stated incorrect information. She was not informed about it until 2017.
After discovering that her cancer was terminal, Vicky Phelan sued the US lab Clinical Pathology Laboratories and won a settlement of €2.5million.
After winning the case, 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.”
After the news came to the limelight, an independent investigative group was established under the leadership of public health expert Dr. Gabriel Scally. At the time, she found that over 200 women were given reports with incorrect information, and inaccurate smear test reports were not given to them for years.
Vicky Phelan later established the 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group, which aims to help the victims of the above-mentioned scandal.
Several people paid tribute to Vicky and remembered her contribution to society. In a statement, Irish President Michael D Higgins recalled her “powerful inner strength and dignity” with which she campaigned for the public good and rights.
"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."
For her campaign, she was listed as one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2018. In February 2022, the Irish healthcare campaigner was awarded the Freedom of Limerick.
Vicky Phelan also authored a book titled Overcoming, detailing her struggles with the disease and her campaign against one of the biggest medical scandals. The memoir went on to win the An Post Book of the Year in 2019.
