VICKY: Ireland is still failing women
Cancer scandal campaigner says women ‘still being failed’ by State
VICKY Phelan flies to America for cancer treatment today with a parting shot for the Government – which she says continues to fail the women of Ireland.
The brave campaigner, who lifted the lid on the Cervicalcheck scandal, has “no faith” in the current Coalition to improve women’s healthcare.
In an exclusive interview before her departure for a six-month trial at a Maryland hospital, she revealed how Health Minister Stephen Donnelly snubbed her.
Asked about the FF/FG/GP Coalition she told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “I think it’s worse than the last one.
“I don’t think Stephen Donnelly is a great minister. Simon Harris seemed to have more empathy, you could pick up the phone and talk to him.
“You certainly can’t do that with Stephen Donnelly. He hasn’t rang me... because I’ve no faith he will do anything.
“He rang me once, when they started the tribunal when they shouldn’t have, but that was only because they f***ed up.
DISGUST
“Other than that not once did he ring me. In all the time he was health spokesman for FF, not once did he reach out to anyone on the Cervical Check campaign.”
Vicky has publicly voiced her disgust at the fact the long-awaited tribunal into the smears scandal started on December 1 without any input from the 221+ campaign group.
She said: “This tribunal was aimed at the women and families affected. You’d think we would have a big say in how it operates, but that didn’t happen.
“I have no faith in this tribunal, none whatsoever. There have been some good changes on foot of the Scally report.
“But until there is a patient safety bill put in place they can talk through their a***s as much as they like.
“There is still that condescending attitude to women’s health – it’s very disappointing.”
Vicky said there was “never a moment” when she considered signing a gagging order during her court action over her incorrect smear results – because she was dying.
She added: “I think if I’d been less sick I might have... but the court case was a week before I started Pembro.
“I was on no treatment, because I didn’t want palliative, and I didn’t know I was going to get Pembro the following week.
“At that stage to be honest I thought I was going to die, so when you think you’re going to die you’ve nothing to lose. I could see what they were trying to do and I didn’t want to let them away with it.” It’s not the first time the Limerick mother- of- two feared she was at death’s door. A fatal car crash in France 28 years ago when she was 18 claimed three lives, including those of her boyfriend and friend, and left another friend paralysed. Vicky was a front- seat passenger and suffered catastrophic injuries in the head-on collision, breaking 70% of the bones in her body and needing 360 stitches.
She said: “My nose was literally torn off my face, they had to sew it back on. I was in a coma for 10 days.
“When I was writing my book I actually said to my mother you would never think that much crap could happen to one person.
“And that I’m still standing and still fighting. I think a lot of those people who try to take me down or dismiss me... I think, ‘Do they realise what I’ve been through?’ “I’ve thick skin, I don’t insult lightly.” Vicky, who admits she considered running for the Seanad at one point, says she is not nervous about her clinical trial in the US – but is devastated to leave her family.
She added: “I have 20 tumours, five tumours that encircle my aorta. A scan in September showed new tumours on my lung.
“Three of the existing tumours have grown so Pembro is not working any more. I’m going for six months on my
I said to my mother you would never think this much crap could happen someone VICKY PHELAN ON HER NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES
own. I will be a day patient so I’ll have to get a nurse.
“I’m not nervous about the treatment because I’ve been on treatment for so long... you just put your arm out and wait for it.
“But I know there will be side effects on this one. Some people get a very severe reaction and that is what I’m worried about.
“I don’t want to be away from my kids, but for me it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.
“My options are either go to America and try another immunotherapy drug or palliative care. I’m not ready for that. If it doesn’t work I have no regrets. My biggest fear is not coming back... coming back in a coffin.”
SUPPORT
Vicky lent her support to the Dying with Dignity Bill brought forward by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny because she believes it’s the compassionate thing to do.
Seeing family members dying a slow death in a hospital ward, in pain and with just a curtain around their bed for privacy, influenced her thinking. Vicky said:
“You can end up in a very bad way with cervical cancer, it can spread into organs and bones.
“There are a lot of complications towards the end, getting on top of the pain is a big thing. Instead of keeping me comfortable I would like to say now it’s Monday, I want to say goodbye to all my family and friends, and then on Friday or Saturday I want the injection before I’m put into a morphine coma.
“I’m a young woman, I’m fit, how long would it take for my body to go?
“These are things that keep me up at night. It’s not that I want to die. What I want is if I get to that point I want to die on my own terms. It’s the humane thing to do; it’s my body.”
How long would it take for my body to go? These things keep me up at night VICKY PHELAN ON HER FEARS BATTLING CANCER