Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige14 Sep 2025

The Real Take : Parkinson's Disease

Topics covered: Early-onset Parkinson’s disease, anger, grief, acceptance, adapting.

This is The Real Take — a glimpse of the honesty, wisdom and connection you’ll find in every episode of Ready to be Real.

In this snippet I speak to Irish Examiner fashion editor and author, Annmarie O’Connor, about life with early-onset 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.

Annmarie's memoir 'Twitch – My Life with Parkinson’s', is out now and you can hear the full conversation anytime!

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

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

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

If you enjoy Ready to be Real, please consider following, rating, and reviewing the podcast — it really makes a difference.

And thank you, as always, for your support.

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