Joey Feek dies after cancer battle: 'She's in heaven', husband Rory Feek says

Joey Feek gives her daughter Indy one last kiss before going on a deep sleep. (thislifeilive.com)

Joey Feek has died, according to an update on Facebook by her husband Rory on Friday.

Rory Feek updated his fans of his wife's passing away, writing a message: "My wife's greatest dream came true today. She's in heaven."

He continued : "The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry. Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her savior.

"At 2:30 this afternoon, as we were gathered around her, holding hands and praying.. my precious bride breathed her last. And a moment later took her first breath on the other side."

Earlier this week, Rory had already prepared fans for the news, saying Joey's condition had deteriorated and that after months of fighting her terminal condition, she was nearing the end.

Rory Feek wrote Monday on his blog, This Life I Live: "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."

After receiving her devastating terminal cancer diagnosis, many fans will remember how Joey had set a goal to live long enough to see her daughter's second birthday. She did that, and had spent many months spending precious final moments with her family.

However, after months of fighting bravely, her long battle with cancer is now over.

Last November, the family made the heartbreaking decision to end Joey's treatments for her stage 4 cancer, after her doctors told her there was nothing more they could do for her.

In just the last week, husband Rory gave an update to fans explaining that Joey was ready to go home, and that they had gathered her family so she could tell them she loved them. He said she would be going soon as "the flowers would soon be blooming back in Tennessee."

Earlier this year the couple were nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards 2016. Although they ultimately did not win, Rory said, "I've said before that just being nominated is enough. But after having more time to think about it... that's not actually true. Instead, I would say that just being able to wake up and look into the eyes of the people we care about and tell them that we love them is enough."

He said, "The truth is, God has blessed us with the gift of something even bigger than a Grammy award this year... perspective."

This year, the couple's final album together "Hymns That Are Important to Us", which Joey described was "God's record", went to the top of Billboard's country and contemporary Christian charts, and number four on the top 200 chart.

On Monday, Rory wrote on his blog: "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."

He added, "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."

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