Joey Feek of country/bluegrass duo Joey + Rory fame is close to the end of her long battle with cancer. Husband Rory wrote about how Joey Feek hasn’t been awake for days, and that she doesn’t have much time left.
Rory Feek has kept fans, family members, and friends apprised of Joey Feek’s condition for months now, on his blog, This Life I Live. In a February 29 post, he shared that Joey has said her goodbyes to everyone.
Sadly, the end of #JoeyFeek's life is very near: https://t.co/gWaOQLl5GY Sending all our love to @JoeyAndRory… pic.twitter.com/PK5Zqyvn1x
— The Boot (@thebootdotcom) February 29, 2016
“Joey has done all she set out to do… even right to the very end, and by sheer will-power (and God’s grace), she was still here to to see our baby’s 2nd birthday. Over the last number of weeks her pain had gotten worse and her health had continued to decline rapidly. And not long after Indy’s birthday my wife decided that ‘enough is enough’. She was ready to stop fighting and she told me so. She said the flowers would soon be blooming back in Tennessee. It’s time to go home,” Rory penned through his tears.
“Joey gathered her family together around her and she said goodbye to each of them… to her mother and father and her three sisters. There were lots of tears as she explained to each one how much she loved them and that she was going to be going home soon. That her time here was done and she was going to go to sleep soon. And then she asked me to bring our baby in. And so… I set our little Indy on Joey’s lap and we all cried with my wife as she told her how much her mama loved her and, ‘…you be a big girl for your papa… and that mama will be watching over you.’ And then she pulled Indiana up and she kissed her,” he adds. “One last kiss.”
Joey Feek Shares Sweet Photos From Her Daughter's 2nd Birthday Celebration https://t.co/gmzYouvCkL pic.twitter.com/DXIxjXg8HP
— REDBOOK (@redbookmag) February 24, 2016
Rory went on to write that Joey Feek is truly near the end.
“My wife has been asleep for days now and her body is shutting down quickly. The hospice nurse came again this morning and said Joey will most-likely only be with us for a few more days… at the most,” he shares.
VIDEO: Joey Feek's daughter says "mama" for the first time! https://t.co/NGZROFQZN6 pic.twitter.com/UDtrUUv4gK
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) February 22, 2016
“A few more days…In the 40 short years that Joey has lived, my bride has accomplished many great things…she’s lived a very full life. But even more than that, she has loved those around her greatly and been loved greatly in return. I can honestly say that Joey’s isn’t just a life well-lived, it’s a life well-loved,” Rory writes.
“God only gives each of us a certain amount of time to be on this earth and every day when we wake up, we get to decide how we are going to spend those precious minutes and hours. There are no do-overs, no second-chances, no next-time-around’s to get it right. Joey knew this and she has made each and every day count. One of the last things Joey said before she drifted into the deep sleep she’s been in for a few days now is, ‘I have no regrets… I can honestly say, that I have done everything I wanted to do and lived the life I always wanted to live,’” Rory adds.
Joey Feek has reached a point most believed she’d reach weeks, if not months, ago. Instead she lived to see the release of the new Joey + Rory album, and she learned it hit number one on the Billboard Country charts. She lived to see a Joey+ Rory song announced as a nominee on the Grammy Awards. She spent one last romantic Valentine’s Day with her husband. And she lived to see their precious little girl, Indiana, turn two years old.
Joey Feek, as Rory wrote, is tired. She’s fought the good fight and she doesn’t want to fight any more. She believes strongly she will soon be in her savior’s arms in Heaven. That faith is what will help keep Rory strong in the dark days ahead.
Joey Feek of Joey+Rory says she's sad over her Grammys loss, but glad to have the memories. https://t.co/00g3wdjEva pic.twitter.com/2wcdqOJkbc
— WBIR Channel 10 (@wbir) February 20, 2016
Joey Feek has set such an incredible example for so many. She’s taught us that life is precious, and that it’s a gift. And she treasured every single moment of it for as long as she could.
Soon those who prayed for Joey Feek will pray for Rory in the wake of her passing. They’ll pray for strength in his toughest days, and for loved ones to surround him and Indiana.
Life won’t be easy for Rory when his beloved Joey is gone, but he’ll have no regrets.
Rory has stood by Joey Feek nearly every minute of every day since she went home to her childhood home to die. Now it seems that day is coming soon.