BOOK: Local freelance photographer Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan has been working with Diane Collins on her charity book 'Behind the Mask'.

HAPPIER TIMES: Gardaí Paudie Twohig and Diane Collins preforming at Tops of the Town at the INEC Killarney in 2015. Photo: Marie Carroll-O’Sullivan

By Michelle Crean

The community is rallying to help one local couple who told of their heart-breaking story on the national airwaves of how life has dramatically changed in the last few weeks after a shock diagnosis.

Diane Collins (37) and her husband Paudie Twohig (44), both Gardai in Killarney, were left devastated when they learned he was diagnosed with a stage 4 melanoma.

Diane, who has a 22-month-old daughter called Tara Grace and is expecting their second child, has been helping well-known freelance photographer Marie Carroll-O’Sullivan with her new charity book 'Behind the Mask' which tells the story of the people in the community during COVID-19.

Diane went on air last week on RTÉ's Ryan Tubridy radio show to raise awareness about the book and to tell their story.

She described Paudie as "a fit active man" who ran regularly and is a "social butterfly", who doesn't drink or smoke.

"This is completely out of the blue for us," she said. "Our lives have been turned up side down on an unknown road in the last four weeks. It's been heart-breaking, we've been shell shocked. Cancer has never really touched our lives before."

However, she said that there is hope but that "the biggest obstacle is for the immunotherapy to work" and that he is "only one of 16 in Ireland who is having or has had this treatment".

She praised Marie's project which will see donations given to the Irish Cancer Society and Pieta House (Nathan's Walk), and as a thank you to the COVID-19 staff at UHK - a treatment at the Killarney Plaza Hotel Spa.

"If anything good was to come out of this it's to give back and to highlight this fantastic project," Diane said.

"We've gone from being one of the supporters of the charity to potentially becoming one of the beneficiaries," she added.

[caption id="attachment_37453" align="alignleft" width="220"] BOOK: Local freelance photographer Marie Carroll-O'Sullivan has been working with Diane Collins on her charity book 'Behind the Mask'.[/caption]

"Diane and Paudie are exceptional community Gardaí in Killarney," Marie told the Killarney Advertiser.

"Diane spoke so well with Ryan, so articulate, warm and composed. Even off duty with so much going on, she is still serving the community of Killarney and I am very grateful to her and Paudie for raising awareness for 'Behind the Mask' through their story."