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01st Dec 2021

Vicky Phelan says she wants to pass away in holiday home “for the kids’ sake”

Katy Brennan

“I’m a young woman. I’ve a strong heart. I don’t want to linger.”

Vicky Phelan has said she would like to pass away at her holiday home instead of her family home for her children’s sake, so they can avoid some painful memories.

Speaking to The Times, the cervical cancer campaigner said that she would prefer to die at the holiday home in Doonbeg, Co. Clare – near the beautiful Doughmore beach.

“I think I’d rather die there [holiday home] than here for the kids’ sake. Dying here would be very hard for them, the memory of it.”

She also opened up about the fact that she wishes to be cremated following her death.

The 47-year-old said she plans to have a private funeral for family and friends and a memorial service with some of her favourite songs played by The Stunning and The Blizzards.

One of her biggest worries at this time is being taken in to hospital and having to miss out on quality time with her family.

“If I end up in hospital, nobody can come in, and I’m on my own again and I’ve already spent most of the f**king year on my own.

“I’m a young woman. I’ve a strong heart. I was quite fit before I got cancer. I don’t want to linger – for the kids – but, no matter how much you sedate someone, you still have to wait for the heart to go.”

Vicky has two children, 16-year-old Amelia  and 10-year-old Darragh.

In October, she spoke out about how she had decided to stop receiving chemotherapy treatment to focus on spending time with her family. She is now receiving palliative care.

The campaigner has since called on politicians to grant terminally ill people the right to die via medical assistance on their own terms.

“Nobody’s allowed to give you a magic injection to make you go any faster and I don’t want to be lingering for my kids,” she said.

“Just because you believe something for your own reasons, whether they’re religious or other, you shouldn’t be imposing your beliefs on somebody else.”