Sligo town native awarded scholarship for medical studies
A Sligo native is one of two students who was recently presented with the Tarpey Scholarship by NUI Galway and University Hospital Galway.
Chloe Conlon, a fourth year medical student from Sligo town, was presented with the School of Medicine scholarship, with Fiona Geraghty, fourth year nursing student from Williamstown, Co. Galway, receiving the School of Nursing and Midwifery scholarship.
The scholarships are part of the Hazel and Tanya Memorial Fund which was established by the Tarpey family in memory of their daughters who tragically passed away.
Hazel and Tanya Tarpey were sisters who left a long lasting impression on many members of staff who encountered them in the Diabetes Centre and across every ward and discipline in the hos- pital before they both passed away of a rare genetic autoimmune disease that affects the endocrine glands called APECED (autoimmune polyen do cr in op a thy-candid ia si s-ec to dermal dystrophy). Their parents, Tim and Mary and siblings, Ruth and Dermot wanted to honour the memory of Hazel and Tanya by fundraising to establish these two annual scholarships in their names.
The memorial fund grants two annual research student scholarships in NUI Galway, one each in the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
NUI Galway’s Professor Sean Dinneen who cared for both sisters said: “The Tarpey sisters left a deep and lasting impression on all who encountered them, especially because of their extraordinary courage.”