One Step Beyond is an authentic account of a teenage girl’s journey through a devastating health diagnosis in the prime of her adolescence and of a mother's unwavering determination to save her daughter's life.
Personal journal entries written by Allison Kelba and her mom, Terry Ducharme, reveal the optimism, light-hearted humour, and practical wisdom both women drew upon time and again while confronting recurring hurdles and heartbreaking setbacks. Kelba’s more recent tragic loss of the person most dear to her forms part of the women’s shared story.
About the Author
As a long-time survivor of a brain tumour that greatly impacted her teenage years and adulthood beyond, Allison Kelba has a unique and compelling story to share. She relied on her positive attitude and optimistic spirit to successfully navigate sobering diagnoses and numerous medical treatments as well as her subsequent hard-won recovery and challenging journey through early adult life. Her mom, Terry Ducharme, stood by her every step of the way. Kelba’s more recent experience of losing the person most dear to her to cancer forms part of her story. Through her choice of opening up to readers in a deeply personal and vulnerable way, she hopes others undergoing similar challenges may find something that points them in the direction of their own strengths and resources. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kelba now lives in Burnaby, British Columbia with her cat Penelope.