Consultant in Health Protection, Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland
Judith was born on 10 May 1986 in Belfast, the only child of Adrian and Maureen Ewing. She was educated in Gilnahirk Primary and Strathearn School in Belfast, and from the first she showed a high degree of compassion for others and an aptitude for learning, often remarking that sitting and passing exams never concerned her. This led her to a choice of career in medicine. She applied for a place in Sidney Sussex College Cambridge as her friend was also doing so and to her great surprise she was accepted. She began her undergraduate career in 2004 and graduated in 2010 MB, BChir with an intercalated degree in Immunology and Microbial Disease. During her time in Cambridge, she volunteered with Jimmy’s Night Shelter and travelled to Albania as part of her Elective. Her clinical years were mostly spent in Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Her postgraduate career was entirely spent in Northern Ireland. From an early stage she was drawn to Public Health, which with Cardiology and Academic Medicine was one of her FY2 placements. In 2012 she joined the Public Health Agency’s training programme as a Specialist Registrar and rapidly passed the required academic hurdles, being offered a Consultant in Health Protection appointment in 2019. However, because of health issues she was unable to take this up until May 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She led the Guidance Cell at the PHA, advising stakeholders within and outside the health and social care services as well as the public on the constantly changing parameters. Anna Cullen, who worked closely with her at that time, said: “Judith was a wonderful mentor to junior colleagues. She was the first person to encourage me to apply to the Public Health Training Scheme. She was so generous with her time, and I know she had a significant impact on everyone who worked with her throughout COVID-19.” Judith later became Lead Consultant for Healthcare Related Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Resistance and brought to that role the enthusiasm and dedication that characterised all her work.
Judith met her husband David Barr in 2013 and they married in 2015. Their son Sam was born in 2019. Judith and David loved travelling and going to concerts. David says that Judith was happiest when she was travelling and seeing new places. One memorable occasion was a longer than planned visit to St Petersburg in 2010, extended because of the air traffic chaos caused by the Iceland volcano. During these years, she gave a considerable amount of her free time to teaching English to refugees and asylum seekers. Judith excelled at every activity she tried from playing the piano to photography and cross-stitch and finally painting, which she took up during the pandemic and was well on the way to becoming a talented artist.
Judith suffered serious episodes of anxiety and depression, the worst of which occurred when she was pregnant with Sam and her medication had to be curtailed. She also experienced bouts of severe akathisia, which she felt was a side effect of her medication. Although admitted to hospital several times, she returned to work as soon as she felt capable of doing so and impressed everyone she met by her expertise, dedication and compassion. Sadly, she may not have been aware of the high regard in which she was held and continually worried about the quality of her work, which to everyone else was impeccable. A final bout of illness took her away from the work she loved, but the unknown timescale for recovery was more than she could bear and Judith decided to end her life on 17 August 2023. David said: “We take some comfort from knowing that she no longer experiences those torturous thoughts and feelings while trying to picture life without her.”
The heartbreak experienced by her family was reflected in the feelings of friends and colleagues in the Public Health Agency and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. We remember a kind and gentle soul with an unmatched sense of humour and a driven and dedicated public health professional. She leaves behind her parents, her husband, and her son. Her loss will also be keenly felt by the public health community in Northern Ireland and beyond. We will remember how much she achieved in her short life and feel privileged to have known her.
* Judith was awarded a posthumous Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health (FFPH) in November 2023.
