Belfast GP reflects after losing dad and sister to cancer just eight weeks apart

Jackie McKew was 49 when she died on August 6th 2022, after a long and painful battle against brain cancer
-Credit: (Image: Family photo)


A Northern Ireland GP will be among those remembering their nearest and dearest at a very special annual event later this week.

Dr Jennifer McKew will be taking part in this year's Twilight Walk for Marie Curie for the first time in memory of her sister, Jackie, and parents, Elizabeth and Robert. Jacqueline Elizabeth McKew was 49 when she died at Marie Curie’s Belfast Hospice on August 6th 2022, after a long and painful battle against brain cancer, having spent the final weeks of her life there.

She had been living in New Jersey in the USA where she was director of a kindergarten school having left her home town of Armagh at the age of 20 to work with children as an au pair. Jackie. was the eldest in her family of four siblings and her youngest sister, Dr Jenni McKew, works as a GP in Belfast and as an Oncology specialist at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre.

READ MORE: NI woman opens up on mum's death as she prepares for Twilight Walk

READ MORE: NI nurse leading the way forward in palliative care nursing

She told Belfast Live about Jackie’s illness: “Jackie was an amazing, kind and caring woman, so full of life and so loved by everyone she met. She had always been so beautiful, funny, happy and healthy that when she began to show signs of illness, it was hard to recognise them as cancer. She lived a wonderful life in America where she worked hard and loved to travel. She had become a US citizen but loved coming home to visit her family in Ireland once or twice a year.

“Because she was 10 years older than me, I spent most of my summers with her in the states growing up, so there was a very strong bond between us. Our mother, Mary Elizabeth McKew, died aged 44 from lung cancer when I was aged six, so Jackie took on that role of being a mother figure to me.

“Jackie began to show subtle changes in her personality and deterioration in her memory. In the early stages of her illness it was thought she might be showing signs of dementia. She began to neglect herself and lost a lot of weight, dropping down to just 6.5 stone. She was agitated and struggling with insomnia and blurred vision but lacked insight into her condition, so we were all so worried about her.

“As it was in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, being a doctor in the family and acting as her next of kin, I had to get special permission from the American Embassy to fly to New York to bring Jackie home for medical care. It was always her wish to be back in Ireland if she were to become unwell. Unfortunately, shortly after she returned home, she was subsequently diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, in the form of 'glioblastoma' at the age of 48.

“The diagnosis completely shocked and devastated us all as it was a high grade tumour for which there were no curative options for treatment. Jackie moved in with my husband James and I and she was cared for at home for 15 months with the help and support of her sister Joanne, brother Jason and other family members and friends. She completed palliative radiotherapy under the care of my colleagues in the cancer centre.

“The treatment significantly helped to alleviate some of her symptoms and improve the quality of her life, making her more comfortable. At the same time, we were also looking after our father Robert. He had just been diagnosed with bowel cancer and had emergency bowel surgery, so it was a very stressful and traumatic time for us all. Our father died just eight weeks before Jackie. Marie Curie also provided excellent care for him at home in his final weeks. We were very indebted to them, as it was his wish to die at home, surrounded by his family,” Jenni added.

Jackie with her sisters Jenni and Joanne
Jackie with her sisters Jenni and Joanne -Credit:Family photo

She also reflected on the care Jackie received from Marie Curie: “I had worked at Marie Curie Hospice as a palliative care doctor about six years before Jackie became ill, so I knew how good the care was as a healthcare professional. But with Jackie, I learned how vital it was from the relative’s point of view. It was literally a lifeline for us and we cannot thank Marie Curie enough for being there for Jackie, and us, when we needed them most.

“We had amazing help and support with Jackie at home from carers, healthcare assistants, Marie Curie nurses and other healthcare professionals for approximately six months before securing a place in the hospice for end of life care. I had to give up work for a while as we were looking after both Jackie and our father, who both required full time nursing care and supervision during their terminal illnesses.

“We had Marie Curie staying with Jackie all night on occasions which gave us a chance to have some much needed rest. I can’t emphasise the relief that we got once we knew Marie Curie was there to help with Jackie, both at home and particularly in the hospice. Jackie was always so glamorous and well groomed.

“The staff at the hospice would do her hair and nails so that she would look and feel better and more like herself right into her final days. This brought so much comfort as we knew she was well cared for and it took some of the pressure off, so we could be her sisters again rather than carers.

“Even though I had worked briefly at the hospice, I still never expected the exceptional level of care that Marie Curie gave to Jackie and to us. They helped with every aspect of Jackies' care. They were there for Jackie and for us as a family. From the doctors and the nurses, to the domestics and kitchen staff, chaplain and complementary therapists, nothing was too much trouble.

"Marie Curie is such a remarkable institution and a beacon of support during those heart-wrenching days, caring for Jackie with profound dignity and respect. They treated her not just as a patient, but as a person, showing compassion every step of the way,” Jenni added.

Robert McKew with Joanne Lester and Jenni McKew
Robert McKew with Joanne Lester and Jenni McKew -Credit:Family photo

This Friday, September 27th, Jenni, together with her sister Joanne Lester and niece Chloe Lester Jenni, will be taking part in Marie Curie’s Twilight Walk for the first time, in her memory and that of their parents, Elizabeth and Robert McKew. They have already raised £500 for Marie Curie on their JustGiving fundraising page.

Jenni added: “I raised £2,500 for Marie Curie after Jackie and Dad died as I think they would have been proud of this in recognition for their care and to support other patients and families living with terminal illness. This will be the first time that my sister Joanne, my niece Chloe and I have taken part in the walk and we are really looking forward to it.

"I think there will be a real sense of community and togetherness from like minded people in similar situations, coming together to appreciate what Marie Curie has done for them during difficult times. We are so grateful to Marie Curie, and as a charity, they rely on events like the Twilight Walk for essential funding to give each and every person and their family the care they deserve in their final days.

“I’m sure there will be a few tears along the way, but also smiles, as we remember Jackie, Dad and Mum as they were, celebrating their lives, remembering the good times and cherishing the love. We can all help each other get through our shared grief together.”

The Twilight Walk will take place at Barnett Demesne this Friday evening, September 27th and there's still time to register here. To support Jenni and family visit their JustGiving page here

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.