Vicky Phelan to pull back from Cervical Check campaigning to prioritise ‘her health and family’

Vicky Phelan has said she will pull back from Cervical Check campaigning to prioritise 'her health and family'.

The mum of two has been one of the leading voices in the wake of the Cervical Check Scandal, calling for accountability and also helping to establish the 221+ Cervical Check Patient Support Group. In a series of tweets earlier today, she explained that she was recently hospitalised with an infection and as a result, she's taking a step back. Reassuring her Twitter followers that the cancer has not spread, Vicky went on to say that the time in hospital taught her some important lessons. From now on, she will be focusing on her health and family and prioritising them above all else. Although Vicky will still use her voice to the campaign, she will be doing so on her own terms.

Apologies to all my followers on Twitter for my absence over the past couple of weeks. I was very ill. I spent almost a week in hospital, my first as an inpatient since I got cancer. It was scary but I am OK again and a CT scan has revealed that my cancer has NOT spread 1/3

— Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) February 20, 2019

There is no explanation for what made me so ill so they have put it down to a viral infection. My time in hospital has taught me some valuable lessons, mainly that I need to pull back from campaigning so heavily and focus on my health and my two young children. 2/3

— Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) February 20, 2019

I will still use my voice to campaign and to contribute to the conversation around women's health BUT I will be doing it on my terms. I don't know what lies ahead so I need to prioritise my health and my family above all else. Thank you x 3/3

— Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) February 20, 2019

Lat year, Vicky played a huge part in exposing the scandal that hundreds of women in Ireland received incorrect smear results. She was also instrumental in the decision to make Pembro, an immunotherapy drug, available to all suitable patients with cervical cancer. She became a public figure almost overnight after settling a High Court case against the HSE and one of the laboratories used, Clinical Pathology Laboratories (CPL). Vicky has received major accolades since, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick.