Vicky Phelan saved lives by sharing most intimate details of post-treatment side effects
Vicky Phelan pictured to mark her guest edit of Feelgood in 2019. Her words in that issue inspired the Irish Cancer Society to look further into treatment for side-effects for women. Picture: Cathal Noonan
Two years ago, Vicky Phelan spoke candidly about the devastating impact of cervical cancer treatment on a woman’s sex life. It was while guest editing a special edition of the Irish Examiner’s Feelgood.
At the Irish Cancer Society, the organisation’s chief executive, Averil Power, read Vicky’s words: “I haven’t had sex in three years — that’s the reality. We tried once or twice….it’s like having a red hot poker inside you because...when you have internal radiation treatment, any of the tissue that’s left becomes what they call friable. So, literally, you can bleed at touch.”
Ms Power says she was deeply touched. “It was the first time I read anyone speaking so starkly about this impact — not being able to have sex with their partner, about the stigma it leaves them with. As a woman, it really touched me that women were going through this and not getting support.”
Vicky’s frank remarks inspired the Irish Cancer Society to start having conversations with other women who’d been through cervical cancer treatment and with medical oncologist at CUH Professor Róisín Connolly and UCD Professor of gynae-oncology Donal Brennan.
“We wanted to learn about the physical side-effects of treatment and to develop new programmes,” says Ms Power.
The upshot was a groundbreaking initiative by Irish Cancer Society: the Women’s Health Initiative and the setting up of two pilot clinics — the Women’s Cancer Survivorship Clinic at CUH and the Life After Cancer Clinic at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.
“The clinics are for women who’ve had treatment for breast and gynaecological cancers, to help them manage and overcome side-effects of treatment. The Irish Cancer Society has provided €400,000 for the initiative and the impetus for this came from Vicky speaking so honestly in that Irish Examiner edition,” says Ms Power.
Speaking about Vicky’s legacy, Ms Power says her sharing of her personal story shone a spotlight on cervical cancer and its awful impact on women and families.
Ms Power has no doubt that in sharing her personal experience Vicky saved other women’s lives. “So many women tell me they’ve gone for screening or to their GP with symptoms, or they’ve had their children vaccinated against HPV because of Vicky.”
For Ms Power, who met the campaigning mother of two, Vicky really connected with people. “Irish people really brought her into their hearts. They listened to her. It was her courage in fighting her case through the courts. She could have taken her award and said nothing about it, but she wanted to stand up for women. She wanted to change CervicalCheck for the better.
“And she was so disarmingly honest and frank about the rollercoaster ups and downs of her treatment. It was also her extraordinary humour in the face of awful tragedy, and this wasn’t the only tragedy she had faced. Yet, she went through all of it with courage, good humour, and the determination to make a difference.”
Adding that she was “a great friend” to the Irish Cancer Society in supporting its awareness-raising work, Ms Power says in every interview Vicky did — despite her own trials with the screening programme — she encouraged women to avail of cervical screening.
Around 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in Ireland.
“Cervical screening plays a crucial role in preventing cervical cancer. It can detect pre-cancerous cell changes long before they go on to become cancer, giving women the chance of having much less invasive treatment or of not getting cancer in the first place,” explains Ms Power.
Over three million screenings have been conducted since CervicalCheck started, with abnormalities found in 115,000 women, abnormal cells that could have developed into cancer were they not detected.
“None of us look forward to the smear test but that minute of discomfort could literally save your life,” she says.
The tragedy is of course that this did not happen for Vicky.
Ms Power says the key learning from the CervicalCheck crisis was around communication — communicating with women about the programme and about their results. “I think that has improved a lot because of what Vicky did. It has also improved because a different test is being used now — HPV testing, which is a much more effective test and will pick up more pre-cancerous changes than previously.”
Adding that it is “amazing” we now have a vaccine (the HPV vaccine) against a whole range of cancers including cervical cancer, Ms Power urges all parents to ensure their children get it. She points to the experience in Australia, which in 2013 became the first country to implement a HPV vaccine programme for all boys aged 12/13. They’d had it in place for girls since 2007. “They’re finding pre-cancerous cervical changes are non-existent in that vaccinated cohort.”
Applauding Vicky’s “decency and determination to drive for change”, Ms Power says: “She took countless calls from women facing cervical cancer. That she had a listening ear and space for them when she was so sick and with a terminal diagnosis — that is extraordinary. I think she was remarkable. We all owe her a huge debt.”
Vicky Phelan. Picture: Cathal Noonan
20/07/2018 Vicky Phelan who received a Gamechanger Ambassador Award during the Womans Way & Beko Mum of the Year Awards at The Gibson Hotel, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins
Vicky Phelan at the Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2018, Roseann Heavey, president of Network Ireland presented The Trish Murphy Memorial Award to Vicky Phelan for her outstanding contribution to women in Ireland The Trish Murphy Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution was created in memory of a woman that excelled in her field. Trish Murphy was a past Network Dublin President and national President. This award is presented to someone who is not involved with Network Ireland but who has made a significant contribution to their field. Picture: Andrew Downes, Xposure
26/06/18 Vicky Phelan pictured with her son Darragh. Vicky was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate given to her in recognition of her exceptional commitment to improving womenÕs healthcare in Ireland. University of Limerick (UL) conferred an honorary doctorate on university alumna and former employee, Vicky Phelan. UL president Dr Des Fitzgerald praised Vicky for her selfless commitment to public service, describing her as an inspiration to students, staff and the wider university community. Picture: Sean Curtin/True Media.
Vicky Phelan at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 at The Convention Centre, Dublin, Ireland - 20.11.19. Picture: VIPIRELAND.com
Irish Examiner, Feelgood feature. Limerick City. Vicky Phelan Picture: Cathal Noonan
A digital artwork of Vicky Phelan is projected onto the GPO in Dublin to mark the release of a feature documentary about her life next week. 'Vicky' tells the story of how the Limerick woman revealed issues with Ireland's cervical screening programme CervicalCheck. It airs in cinemas on October 7. Picture date: Thursday September 29, 2022.
02/11/2018. Labour's 70th National Conference. Picture (LtoR) Stephen Teap and Vicky Phelan after receiving the Jo Cox Award by Labour Women in the Ballsbridge Hotel at the Labour day conference on day 2. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
Vicky Phelan and Ryan Tubridy backstage at the Late Late Show
22/10/2019 CervicalCheck State Apology. Vicky Phelan on her way into the Dáil (Leinster House) to hear the Taoiseach apologise to the victims of the CervicalCheck controversy/Scandal. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Vicky Phelan at Cervical Check Patient Support Group, held at Farmleigh, Dublin. October 2018. Picture: Paul Sherwood
Vicky Phelan. Picture: Naomi Gaffey.
‘Overcoming’ by Vicky Phelan and Naomi Linehan, a book written about truth and bravery through Vicky’s remarkable personal story. Picture: MAXWELLPHOTOGRAPHY.IE
1/8/2018 Cervical Cancer Scandals. Cervical cancer victim Vicky Phelan speaking to the media in Government Buildings today after her meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, over the recent court cases where Ruth Morrissey had to endure several days in court despite previous assurance that this would not happen. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
Celebrating 25 years of health and wellbeing
