Laois mother with stage four cancer writes inspiring book on taking back control
Portarlington mother Avril Tierney writes book on strength and courage
A Laois mother living with stage four cancer has recently penned her first book, which she hopes will give hope and positivity to fellow cancer patients and survivors across the country.
In 2019, Portarlington mother Avril Tierney’s life was turned upside down completely, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 41 years of age. The next few years saw aggressive courses of chemotherapy and complicated surgeries, while Avril balanced the hectic life of motherhood that comes with two children under seven.
Avril was eventually diagnosed with stage four triple negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive and invasive form of the disease. Her new book, ‘Cancer, Chaos and Courage’ aims to be a companion for anyone navigating a chronic illness, or carrying the weight of grief and loss after an unexpected turn.
“I’ve always had it in me that I wanted to write a book, but I didn’t have anything to say until cancer came to my door,” Ms Tierney told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
“Last year an opportunity came to me and I put my words to paper. It all started in 2019 when I found a lump on my right breast,” she explained.
“I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, a lot of people wouldn’t be familiar with it. It’s very tricky to treat. Back in 2019 I was told it would be just eight or nine months of chemo and then I’d be done.
After aggressive courses of radiation, chemo and a lumpectomy, Ms Tierney was given the horrific news that the cancer had grown to the top of her right lung.
“I was only getting over being told at 41 that I have cancer, I was so positive to just be told that none of it had worked,” she said.
From there, Avril went for further surgery where the top of her lung and nodules in her breast were removed. The surgery was then followed by more aggressive rounds of chemo.
“After more and more chemo I was scanned, they found that the cancer had unfortunately moved down further in my lung, and it had moved into stage four where it is treatable but not curable,” Avril recalled.
“It was absolutely devastating, the call was over the phone because it was during covid. I just fell to the floor and my husband and brother had to pick me up, I had a massive panic attack, I was terrified that I could be dead in six months, at 43 with two young kids,” she said.
In the weeks after her life changing news, Ms Tierney continued to live her normal life as best she could.
“I was given a week or two to digest and get my head around it, I don't remember much in the weeks after that. People who read the book will see that. I was floating through life collecting the kids from school, cooking dinner and waiting to get the call to say what the plan was. I didn't know what was happening,” she said.
“I was suffering with awful panic attacks, and I began to practice what I preach. I remember telling my husband that I can’t keep doing this every day, and taking a massive deep breath. It was the beginning of me seeing that I can take back control. It felt like all of this was going on around me and I had no control, doctors were telling me what I have to do,” she explained.
With her background in psychotherapy and counselling, Ms Tierney began to coach herself through the following weeks, along with the incredible support from her husband and her family.
“It took a long time to get to this point, but I’ve taught myself to be healing and to just be, to take back control when you feel you have none. We all have it in us, I want this book to teach people how to do it,” she explained.
“‘Cancer, Chaos and Courage’ meets you in the messy middle where fear, rage and exhaustion are real, but so is the possibility of hope.”
In the weeks following her life-changing phone call, Ms Tierney was told she had qualified to try a new immunotherapy drug that had hit the market.
“I was told that this drug, combined with chemo, would hopefully stabilise the growth of the cancer,” she said.
“I was exhausted from it all, being treatable but not curable. I started the drug in 2022, and one year later, I was told that the tumours had disappeared, that there was no evidence of the disease anymore,” she said.
Today, Avril is living well with stage 4 cancer and is currently NED (No Evidence of Disease). Rather than allowing her diagnosis to define her, she has used her experience to inspire and support others facing adversity, uncertainty, and change.
“Thankfully there has been no evidence of the disease for the past three years. I am still in treatment every few weeks to keep things steady, I will be for the rest of my life. But I’m so grateful and thankful that it worked, that I get to live my life. That’s the whole purpose of me writing this book, to show others that they can too,” she said.
“I have hair now, I have a thick head of hair I didn’t even have before!” she laughed.
“It has been seven years, and a really tough road. So much can go wrong, and so much did go wrong. I learned to navigate it and rebuild myself in the middle of the mess, so much so that I feel like it’s over, I still forget that I’m still going through it.”
Ms Tierney recently works on an awareness campaign with Breast Cancer Ireland, and in her own time she is frequently hired by companies and groups to give talks on navigating sudden changes in life.
Drawing on both her lived experience and professional background in psychotherapy, counselling, coaching, and mental wellbeing, Avril delivers keynote talks, workshops, and wellbeing programmes focused on resilience, rebuilding, mindset, thought awareness, and finding hope during life's most difficult moments.
‘Cancer, Chaos and Courage’ will be released on September 4, 2026, with preorders available now.