New Inn community rallied to help local family in distress

The love, compassion and strength within a small rural Tipperary community had a powerful impact on the other side of the world.

Vulnerable and facing an enormous life challenge, Nicola Ryan from New Inn, was on holiday in Australia when disaster struck.
That was when the tight-knit community of New Inn summoned all of its resources and came together to help the Ryan family and Nicola at a time of great trauma.

Nicola Ryan had already beaten the cancer of the tongue she was diagnosed with in October 2021 before she embarked on a well-deserved holiday to Australia in May of this year.

Seven weeks into her trip to visit her sister Jennifer, who lives in Melbourne, her life fell apart again.
Nicola started to get headaches, was experiencing pain and her speech was slurring.

Nicola, assisted by her sister Jennifer who works as a nurse, sought medical care and she was told that she had a clot that had to be removed and that it would be unsafe for her to travel home.
The clot was treated on July 7 and following further tests medics told her they had discovered an 8cm tumour in her neck on the day of her 25th birthday on July 15.

The community of New Inn sprang into action when they heard about Nicola.
Every organisation in the village joined forces to assist the Ryan family.
The community rallied to the assistance of Brian and Patrica Ryan who desperately wanted to be with their daughter to support her through such an horrendous ordeal.

Enough funds were raised to enable Brian and Patricia, with brother Shane staying in New Inn to look after things at home, to be at the bedside of their daughter who had to endure another battle with cancer.
The generosity of the people of New Inn and beyond enabled the Ryan family to meet the significant costs of travel they faced at such short notice.

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The fundraising effort also allowed them to remain at Nicola’s bedside while she recovered from the operation on her neck, and a subsequent operation on her shoulder.

That incredible response within the New Inn community enabled Brian to stay in Australia for three months and ensured Patricia was able to stay with Nicola until it was safe for Nicola to travel home. Patricia was in Australia for four months until the medics gave Nicola the all clear to fly home.
Nicola and Patricia returned to New Inn on November 28.

“We were only supposed to be there for three weeks. We could not have stayed and supported Nicola for all of that time were it not for the people of New Inn,” said Patricia.
“They were absolutely brilliant. Once they realised what was happening, no stone was left unturned to get me and Brian out to Australia as quick as possible,” said Patricia.

“Our family, friends, neighbours and everybody in the community were just magnificent, what can you say. Just saying a thank you does not seem enough,” said Patricia.
She said the costs of the flights to get to Australia at such short notice were frightening.

“With so many people coming together to help us get there and to help us to stay as long as we needed we were able to support Nicola without being worried about the huge costs involved. We were able to focus on Nicola and support her and we were saved the stress of the costs involved because of the kindness of so many people,” said Patricia.

“We will be eternally grateful to them all,” said Patricia.
Brian said the family were just overwhelmed by the compassion shown by the local community.
“They came together so quickly. Every group and organisation in the area helped us out. It was amazing. The way people reacted to our difficulty was just amazing and we will be forever grateful to them all,” said Brian.
It was remarkable to think that Brian and Patricia could be beside Nicola throughout her battle against cancer in Australia but they were unable to be by her bedside as she battled cancer while in Ireland.

Nicola was a student at Galway University when she was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue in October 2021.
Nicola, who played tennis in New Inn and was very involved in the local camogie club, had to pull out of college at the start of her second year.

Leaving behind a life she was thoroughly enjoying in Galway, Nicola underwent an operation in St James’s Hospital in Dublin.
“Because of Covid we could not be at her bedside. We could not visit her. It was very lonely for her and a harrowing experience for us all,” said Patricia.

“Following the operation for the tongue cancer in Dublin I finished my radiation treatment in February of this year. I was told there was no need for a CAT scan, I was told go and enjoy myself,” said Nicola.
“After Covid and having the cancer I was really looking forward to the trip to Australia. I did manage to do a bit of travel there and enjoy myself a bit before I started to feel unwell again,” said Nicola.

She said she needed her parents with her in Australia and was very grateful to the people of New Inn for making that happen.
“They were all brilliant to help out. They were fantastic,” said Nicola.

Nicola has a long battle ahead on her road to recovery and will be looked after by medical teams in Tipperary and in Dublin.
Her mobility is restricted and she is unable to eat through her mouth but she is making great progress on her speech.
“I am scared of what is ahead but happy to be home with my family,” said Nicola.