Kiri Allan describes cancer diagnosis that upended her political career
In a memoir excerpt, the former Labour minister details her cervical cancer diagnosis and the intensive treatment that forced her to step back from her ministerial roles.
Kiri Allan has shared details from her upcoming memoir about learning she had cervical cancer while serving as a minister in the Labour government. The diagnosis came after she experienced persistent symptoms including severe menstruation and back pain, which prompted colleague Dr Ayesha Verrall to urge her to seek medical testing. After receiving the diagnosis, Allan underwent six months of intensive radiation, chemotherapy, and internal radiation therapy, which meant stepping away from her ministerial portfolios in conservation, emergency management, and work on resource management reforms.
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Kiri Allan: The call that changed my life
In this excerpt from her memoir Go Hard or Go Home, Kiri Allan details the health crisis that shifted the course of her life forever. I came to the attention of most mainstream New Zealanders on 5 March 2021, a…