Top 10 bestseller . In 2004 Stephanie Nimmo was a career-focused, suburban mother of three, happily married to the love of her life, Andy. In December that year their fourth child was born and life as Steph knew it changed dramatically. From having to give up a successful career to care for her fragile, life-limited daughter, to learning how to cope with the challenges of her sons' autism diagnoses and the cruel blow of Andy's terminal cancer, Steph learned very early on that it's not the cards you are dealt in life but how you play them. Far from being a misery memoir, Was This In The Plan?, is a frank, open and no-holds-barred account of how a family was determined not just to survive but to thrive when the odds were against them. It will make you question your own attitude to life and how you choose to respond when unexpected events throw you off course. From a family of six to four in just over a year, losing her husband to cancer and then 14 months later, her 12-year-old daughter Daisy, following life-long illness, Stephanie writes with such powerful, raw honesty that it is impossible to not be moved and inspired by her story. Resilience is a hot topic right now and Steph is the epitome of inner strength. A regular in the press opening up the conversation about death and grief.

Every parent wants the same thing: for their child to enjoy a long and fulfilling life. But what happens when things don't go according to plan? What happens when parents have to become advocates for their child's healthcare needs? Who decides what is in a child's 'best interests'? Stephanie Nimmo faced these questions first-hand when her daughter, Daisy, was diagnosed with a life-limiting condition as a baby. Seen through the lens of Stephanie's own experiences, this sensitive book delves into the complex world of medical ethics and paediatric palliative care. From recognising tipping points to the importance of building relationships with palliative care teams well before crisis, this book explores how medical professionals can better support families throughout their child's care. Interviews with clinicians and snapshots from the lives of patients' families provide insight into the realities of life on both sides of the hospital bed. Compassionate explanations of the conflicting pressures in the hospital system foster understanding and help medical professionals and families work together.