VICKY Phelan displayed such extraordinary strength during her life that her death on Monday with cancer still came as a shock.
The 48-year-old was a tireless campaigner for victims of the CervicalCheck scandal in the Republic as well as the rights of all patients to information and accountability in the health service.
Ms Phelan was first diagnosed in 2014 with cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide.
Three years earlier a smear test designed to aid early detection had not shown up any abnormalities.
An internal audit would find that result to be wrong and in 2018 the mother-of-two was awarded €2.5m after settling a High Court case against a US laboratory that processed her test.
Crucially, she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement and, in taking a public stand, helped lift the lid on more than 200 cases of women with cervical cancer who had not been told about reviews of their tests.
Her determination forced an investigation of the cervical screening programme led by Dr Gabriel Scally, which set out in detail failings in the system, as well as a state apology.
The result has been improved screening for women and changes in the culture of the health service around issues of disclosure and the rights of patients.
Ms Phelan achieved all this while fighting her own personal battle against a devastating diagnosis of incurable cancer.
Despite being given just months to live at one stage, the Limerick woman used her settlement for treatments to extend her life as long as possible to continue her campaigning and spend precious time with her family.
She was a brilliant communicator, appearing widely on television and in the media, but what made the greatest impact was her dignity, bravery and desire to make a difference for other women.
Tributes were led by President Michael D Higgins, who said that despite the "terrible personal toll she herself had to carry, so many women's lives have been protected, and will be protected in the future".
Taoiseach Micheál Martin also described her as a woman of "extraordinary courage and integrity".
Ms Phelan herself said that she did not want tributes or accolades, but simply action and accountability.
That would ultimately be the best way to cherish her memory.
