Charlie Bird said ‘my heart is broken’ as he paid tribute to Cervical Check campaigner Vicky Phelan after she passed away on Monday morning.
Tributes have been flooding in for the mum-of-two this morning, after news broke that she has passed away at Milford Hospice in Limerick, after a long battle with cancer.
RTE presenter Bird, who became close with Phelan after opening up about his own diagnosis with motor neurone disease last year, was among the heartfelt tributes, saying: “My hero is gone.
Read more: 'A woman of extraordinary courage' - Taoiseach leads tributes to Vicky Phelan
In a tribute on Twitter, the former broadcaster wrote:
“My heart is broken just hearing about the passing of Vicky Phelan .
“Over the past year she gave me great support to keep fighting my terminal illness.
“This whole country should be in mourning at the passing of this remarkable human being.
“My heart is broken. My hero is gone.”
It comes after the veteran journalist gave a sad health update over the weekend, revealing that his limbs are failing as his disease progresses.
He said: “I have been honest about my illness... people seeing me out walking think I am doing well.
“But the harsh reality is my limbs are beginning to be affected now. But some incredible force is helping me to keep fighting on.
“And extending the hand of friendship is my goal.”
Phelan was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014, three years after she had undergone a smear test in 2011 showing no abnormalities.
An internal CervicalCheck audit found the original smear check result to be wrong.
In April 2018, she settled a High Court action for €2.5m with Clinical Pathology Labs US, without admission of liability.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin led the tributes to the Cervical Check campaigner after news of her death was announced today and praised the work she did for women in Ireland and "globally”.
“I think this is very, very sad news,” he told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne.
“I think she was a woman of extraordinary courage and integrity who stood up for the women of Ireland, but women globally.
“To her family, to her husband and her family, in particular, we extend our deepest sympathies.
“I think in the history of this country, I think her actions, particularly in terms of not signing a confidentiality agreement at that particular time and her statement outside the steps of the High Court, will live long in the memory as an example of someone who stood up against the system and the normal conventions of actions to say ‘no, I'm not signing that. I want this revealed in the public interest’.
“She stood up for the public interest.”
Her friend, former Labour leader and minister for health Alan Kelly, remembered her as "the most incredible human being I've ever met".
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Phelan was a campaigner who took on the State and won.
She wrote: "Ni Bheidh A Leitheid Ann Aris.
"Vicky Phelan, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Champion of Women, Campaigner who took on the State and won. Rest in Peace".
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