Cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan enjoys Late Late Toy Show with her family

The 47-year-old appeared on the Late Late show last week to discuss her decision to end chemotherapy in order to enjoy Christmas with her family.

“And we are @latelaterte Toy Show ready,” she said, sharing a snap of herself and her two children, Amelia and Darragh, wearing Late Late Toy Show pyjamas.”

“Thank you to the wonderful team at the Late Late Show, especially Ian, Yvonne and Maureen, who had two pairs of the much coveted Late Late Toy Show pyjamas AND two LLTS snoodies for me to take home after my appearance on the LLS last Friday night.”

“I had to hide them on Darragh until this morning or he would have had them on him during the week,” she said.

The Phelan family enjoyed the annual Christmas show from the Aisling Hotel in Dublin.

“We are here, the 4 of us, in our PJs, munchies divvied out waiting for the Toy Show to start.”

Vicky went on to wish host Ryan Tubridy and the Toy Show team the best for the live programme.

“Wishing @instatubridy and all the team who work on the Toy Show the very best of luck with tonight's show and to all the kids who are performing or reviewing toys and books, have a fabulous time and enjoy the experience.”

Speaking on the programme last week, Vicky shared her reasons for finishing her chemotherapy treatment in America and returning home to palliative care.

"I was sick, in pain, tired and going from one side effect to another and this is something people don't talk about," she said of her first round of chemotherapy.

"The horrors of the treatment are often worse than the actual disease.”

"I'd rather be well and have a shorter time frame. I'd like my children to have memories of doing stuff with me and if I die sooner, so be it."

She spoke candidly about the fact that just a month ago, she didn’t think she’d live to see this Christmas.

"That's how real this is for me," she said.

Vicky’s oncologist recommended another few sessions of chemotherapy.

“I just said no, I'm not doing this to my kids, I’m not doing this to myself. I've been fighting this terminal part of the disease since 2018. I've always known this cancer is incurable. I've been very realistic about it."

She is currently taking Pembro, an antibody used in immunotherapy, and said she isn’t sure if it will help her see Christmas, but she remains hopeful.

“At the moment I feel well, I had Pembro last Monday, and look at me, I feel fine since. So to me, that's what I want, this quality of life.”

Vicky told Ryan that she would rather her children have great memories with her.

“If I go sooner, so be it.”

She also opened up about planning her funeral: "I'm a control freak, no one will be planning anything without my say so."

The mother of two has asked Steve and Joe Wall from The Stunning, and The Blizzards to perform at her humanist funeral ceremony.