Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige11 Sep 2025

Annmarie O’Connor : Life with Parkinson’s

Topics covered: Early-onset Parkinson’s disease, symptoms, pain, denial, grief, acceptance, adapting.

In this episode, I speak with Irish Examiner fashion editor and author, Annmarie O’Connor, about her experience of living with Parkinson’s disease.

The youngest of five girls, Annmarie grew up on Long Island, New York, before moving to Ireland at the age of twelve. With strong family roots here — her mother’s side is from Inishbofin — many of her childhood summers were spent on the island.

She went on to build a successful career in fashion styling, working in the industry for almost two decades, and has already published two books: The Happy Closet and The Happy Medium.

But in December 2021, her world changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease — a progressive neurological condition that affects movement, mood, motivation, and much more.

Her memoir, 'Twitch – My Life with Parkinson’s', has just been released, and in this conversation Annmarie speaks openly about the past few years, what the condition has taught her, and the realities of life now.

Any mention of medication in this episode is Annmarie’s personal experience only and should not be taken as medical advice.

The Michael J. Fox article referenced in our chat can be found here:

'Pity is another form of abuse' - Michael J Fox on Parkinson's

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