Barbara Fisher and Phyllis Whitsell, co authors of Tipperary Mary, a remarkable true story.

A remarkable true story co-written by our Uxbridge Gazette columnist Barbara Fisher is causing a media sensation.

Tipperary Mary tells the life story of Barbara’s friend, district nurse Phyllis Whitsell, who tracked down the alcoholic mother who gave her up for adoption.

She spent the next nine years, until her mother’s death, nursing her without revealing her true identity.

Barbara encouraged Phyllis to get her story down on paper and helped her with the editing, with the result being the self-published book, Tipperary Mary.

After the story featured in the Gazette in July and was picked up by The Sunday Mercury in Birmingham, where Phyllis lives. They ran it on their front page under the strapline “the most remarkable love story you will ever read” – and it went on to feature on Mirror Online and in other national media.

The story was soon being reported by the world's media and making headlines in Australia, the USA, India, Italy, Spain, Croatia and the Far East.

Matthew Wright discussed the story on his Channel 5 programme The Wright Stuff. He said Phyllis’s story was “an extraordinary act of love” and “bitter sweet”, adding that it’s “got movie written all over it”.

ITV show has booked Phyllis to join Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on the This Morning sofa on Monday (September 28) and women’s magazines have been lining up to get the rights.

Last week, it emerged that a Hollywood director’s production company had been in touch with Phyllis, 59, to enquire about the film and TV rights to her story.

Phyllis said: “I am thrilled with the interest shown in my story. It’s amazing what has happened since I met Barbara 11 years ago when I nursed her mother, and we talked about me writing a book about Tipperary Mary.

“We could never have guessed it would take off like this.”

Barbara said: “Phyllis deserves this – she is a very special person and I always knew her story was extraordinary. The funny thing is that two publishers turned it down before we gave up and went for self publishing. She should certainly get her money back... and it all started here – at the Gazette.”