On December 6, 2014, Maria Coady's only son, Thomas, died unexpectedly after a tragic motorcycle accident left him with irreversible brain injuries. The passenger on his bike also died of similar injuries. He was 22 years old and a promising pre-medicine Biology major at the university where Maria worked as a professor. Thomas was her closest ally, voice of reason, and teacher of life. Most days, Maria found it impossible to believe that Thomas was gone. Her life became divided into two parts: before Thomas died and after Thomas died.

As she struggled through shock, anguish, heartbreak, and deep despair, Maria tried to make sense of her world. She wondered how other parents dealt with their grief and how life could go on without her son in it.

This is Maria's unique story. It is about what she experienced "the first year" after the loss of her son, and the ways that she tried to cope, and the strategies she used to survive.

This is a story that offers affirmation and hope to parents who have faced a similar loss, and insight to those who seek to understand the loss of a child.