Two years into that post she was diagnosed with breast cancer and since then regularly blogs, tweets, creates podcasts, and in 2016 delivered a TED Talk.
Around the same time she retired from her surgical job following a recurrence of the disease and further treatment that resulted in an inability to properly use her left arm.
[7] O'Riordan completed her early surgical training in South Wales, where her first junior post was in paediatric surgery.
[7][8] Under the supervision of David Wynford-Thomas at Cardiff University, she studied the molecular genetics of thyroid cancer, completed her doctoral thesis and received her PhD in 2008.
[12][15] She began engaging in public speaking, and delivered a TED Talk in Germany, titled "The Jar of Joy", in 2016.
[17] In an interview for the BBC, she noted that, as she walked through the hospital in her outfit, children attending their cancer treatments looked at her and laughed.
She said: ...it was the scariest thing I've ever done, walking through Addenbrooke's from the car park, through the concourse past all these strangers – it was really daunting, but felt amazing knowing people were thinking, 'who is she, what's she doing and where is she going?
[17]O'Riordan retired later the same year, due to an inability to properly use her left arm as a result of cancer treatment.
[10] The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer, authored by O'Riordan and professor of primary care Trisha Greenhalgh, was published in 2018.