Open Writing

...Someone once explained to me that memoir is a story from a life and autobiography the story of a life. It's taken four years of draft after draft to write this memoir of James' illness and the profound impact it had on our lives. But this is more than that. I long to show the relevance of faith, the difference it can make in crisis, in the everyday and in times of great joy...

Kimm Walker brings her wonderful and inspirational story to a happy conclusion.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 75" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

...James is home. But there's something wrong. He's like a toy with dead batteries. Due to set off on a long holiday, I'm frantic....

Kimm Walker continues her utterly absorbing account of a family faced with a tidal wave of troubles.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 73" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 09:02 AM | Permalink

...I am drawn then to the far end of the long corridor, past the staff room. Recollections of a hundred tiny kindnesses, a gentle kiss, a cuddle, a dignity respected, lift my spirits.

Determined, Rose plods past me on her never ending circuit of the passageway. Her hand grips the safety rail that runs its length. I shout a greeting and smile...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving and compassionate account of a family which has suffered more than its share of cares and troubles.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 72" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

...I'm not sure what else I could do. An avid reader, I would love to be an author. But writing has always seemed like something only special, rare
and gifted people could hope to do, something wholly unattainable for me. I don't know any authors. I enjoy writing but don't feel particularly creative. I've had a letter read out on Terry Wogan's radio programme and an article published in the Gideon's magazine, not much to base a new career on....

Kimm Walker decides to leave teaching - but can she really become a writer?

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 71" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 01:06 AM | Permalink

...I'm told my letter of resignation has to be handed in by tomorrow, if I want to go at the end of the school year in two months time. I sit down and start typing...

Kimm Walker decides to leave teaching.

To purchase a copy of A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 70" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

...'You can't leave me here,' she pleads. 'I've had six children. Is there no one to care for me?' Her cry shreds my heart and blisters my ears, as we hurry to the car. I know I shall hear it for the rest of my life when I think of Mum...

Kimm Walker tells of the effects of that most cruel illness Alzheimer's.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 69" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

...In January, James confesses that he's having difficulty keeping track of the many hospital appointments he still has to attend. He asks me if I'll put them on my calendar then remind him of any that are pending when I phone for our regular Friday chat. This seems to work quite well until March, when there's some confusion over one of the dates. Suddenly, the penny drops.

'Oh, I remember now, that's the date of my heart operation.'

'What heart operation?' I manage to splutter into the phone...

Kimm Walker continues her absorbing and uplifting account of a family beset by more than its share of troubles.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 68" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

...My stomach feels cold and twists painfully when we arrive at their bungalow. Mum and Kenneth sit close together on the edge of their settee. They look vulnerable and old. I don't want to hear what they have to say...

Kimm Walker tells of a day of ill omen.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 67" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 10:02 AM | Permalink

...After a day spent trying to plan, teach and manage 33 children and up to five adults in a relatively small classroom, in addition to my management responsibilities, I'm weary...

And now Kimm Walker has to help a young woman teacher who has been badly bullied in another school by a head teacher.

Kimm continues her not-to-missed story, A Life Less Lost.

To purchase a copy of the book click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17
And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 66" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

Kimm Walker takes part in the the Flora Light Challenge in Hyde Park, London, a 5000 metre run for women, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Research.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost, Kimm's profoundly moving account of a teenage son's battle to overcome cancer, click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 65" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'Shall we pray?'

'Over the phone?' It's such an unexpected response. A giddy giggle bubbles through me.

'Why not?'

Smiling, I close my eyes and let Jill's words soothe me. It feels as if a balloon full of liquid peace has burst on top of my head...

Kimm Walker tells of the unexpected pressures and "trials'' which some teachers face.

To purchase a copy Kimm's book A Life Less Lost click on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+life+less+lost&x=12&y=17
And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 64" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I slowly began to realise that the child didn't know what we meant when we asked him not to swear. Eventually, bright red and cringing with embarrassment, I took him out into the corridor and told him exactly which words he mustn't say. When we finally had a swear-free day, and I happily announced that fact to his mum at the school gates; her reply was, "Bloody hell!"...

Kimm Walker tells of children who are burdened with problems.

To purchase a copy Kimm's profoundly moving book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 63" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I don't notice that Oliver has flopped backwards, like a rag doll. When my gaze sweeps down to take him in, I realise he has a tiny carpet burn, the size of a 5p, on his back and a smaller one on his wrist.

I'm devastated. I've devoted my working life to helping children and am appalled to have inadvertently hurt this boy. Immediately, I ask Sue to supervise and rush Oliver to first aid and record the details in the accident book. And I pray...

Kimm Walker foresees trouble after a classroom incident.

Kimm continues her autobiography which includes a moving account of a teenage son's battle against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost
And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 62" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...Only my son's manic fidgeting and the way he pushes the pizza around his plate lets me know how he's feeling. I reach up to hug him goodbye and his skinny frame is all elbows and angles in my arms. It's a quiet ride home....

Kimm Walker's elder son David goes off to university.

Kimm continues her deeply moving account of a family life profoundly affected by the most serious of all illnesses.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 61" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

'You haven't heard.' She pauses to look at me. 'Amy died. Stan's little girl.'

Kimm Walker returns from holiday to hear devastating news.

To purchase a copy Kimm's book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 60" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...We can almost feel David Attenborough beside us as we travel up to the 'tablelands' on the Skyrail cable car. Mesmerised by the wonder and variety of the creatures and plants we see, from the brilliant blue butterflies as big as my hand to the python we have to carefully step past on our way to breakfast, we decide God must have had a lot of fun creating Australia...

In a break from their busy lives Kimm Walker and her husband Howard visit relatives in Australia.

Continue reading "Chapter 59" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 11:02 AM | Permalink

....At the front of the chapel we spread out the gorgeous quilt Delith made for her mother and place photographs, news clippings of her singing career and other mementos of her life. I feel numb, as we sit in the front row waiting for the service to start. The preacher's words are soothing but when Howard and his brothers each give a tribute tears just wash down my face. I open my mouth to sing the beautiful hymns but the words won't come and when Howard's voice falters, I cry some more.,,,

Kimm Walker tells of a profoundly moving memorial service.

To purchase a copy of Kimm's life-changing book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 58" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'Come on, Kimm, it's time to go.' Howard's voice is tender but firm. Howard, James and David are looking at me, as if I might suddenly fall apart. There isn't really enough space for the four of us in the long narrow room but I want to unpack all the boxes, make things tidy and straight. I am gently reminded that this will be James' home for the next nine months and he wants to organise it in his own way...

Kimm Walker's son James, who has battled against cancer, goes off to University.

To read earlier episodes of Kimm's deeply moving family story please click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/a_life_less_lost/

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 57" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

....One of the first times I'm on the other side of the interviewing process, we appoint a talented young woman who also happens to be a Christian. Jill becomes my classroom assistant. I've worked alongside other Christians before but not like her. She's open about her faith and happy to discuss our respective journeys. For the first time ever, I discover the power of having someone to pray with at work. She's an artist and knows God in a very visual way, which helps me to see him in new ways, too.

One image she shares with me is of asking God for his advice but with her fingers in her ears and making a funny noise to drown out the answer she knows is right but doesn't want to hear. I can relate to that picture and we laugh at our foolishness and wonder at God's tolerance...

There's an abundance of worry in her life Kimm Walker's life but she is supported by her Christian faith.

To read earlier chapters of Kimm's uplifting story please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/a_life_less_lost/

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 56" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I remember the way she hugged me as a sister when we first met and the incredible night I watched her perform in the opera, Yeoman of the Guard, with Tommy Steel on the grass beneath the Tower of London. Along with other family members, I've seen her sing many times. Her pure soprano notes can raise goose bumps up my arms. Her stage presence is natural and mesmerising...

Kimm Walker receives terrible news concerning her sister-in-law.

To read earlier episodes of Kimm's vivid and unforgetable book please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/a_life_less_lost/

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 55" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

James, who has battled succesfully against cancer, faces up to disappointments when he applies for university places.

Kimm Walker continues her deeply moving family story.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 54" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...After nearly a year of discussing what James wants to do to celebrate his special eighteenth birthday, it ends up being quite low-key. It's the first birthday in three years that he isn't in hospital and we all seem to have developed a 'keeping our heads down' mentality. We have a small family party then he trips off out on the town with his friends...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of how she and her family coped with a teenage son's battle with the most dreaded of all diseases.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 53" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'James, there's a letter for you.' I hold the envelope out to my son who's scrounging in the fridge. 'Tea will be ready soon. Don't eat too much.' I go back to the food preparation.

'What is this?' James frowns over the contents of the letter in his hand. He reads it through again then drops it on the kitchen counter and heads for his bedroom...

Kimm Walker continues her unmissable and uplifting account of her teenage son's battle against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 52" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'Your faith has been a real inspiration to us, Kimm.'

My breath snags and tears blur my eyes. I can't believe that God can use even me, as poor a Christian as I often feel I am, to reach out to other people, especially people who are so much further along the path towards knowing Him...

Kimm Walker is told the news she has been longing to hear concerning her teenage son who is battling with cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 51" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...Simon was 'preaching' and his promising words were read to us by an assistant. Simon has quite severe cerebral palsy. He painstakingly prepares his services using a specially adapted computer, because he can't speak, but he was there, facing us at the front of the church. Strapped in his wheelchair, his white-gloved fingers danced and his face was alive with pleasure. His sermon was peppered with humour and he sometimes struggled not to laugh before the punch lines he knew were coming.

Simon will never know what most of us take for granted. Experiences like the sheer pleasure there is in skipping. But my tears were not for Simon. They were for all the children and adults who will never know the joy and freedom Simon has found in his faith...

Kimm Walker continues her uplifting account of her teenage son's battle against the most dreaded of all diseases.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 50" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...It reminds me of another fear-facing event that happened one morning a few years earlier. Before the children came in, a very sizeable mother, swollen with anger, blazed into my classroom screaming words and spittle in my face.

'My daughter is not to bring a library book home ever again! My toddler might wreck the book and I won't be able to pay for it.'...

Kimm Walker, besides caring for a teenage son who is battling against cancer, faces up to the high-pressure task of teaching young children.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 49" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'Then they squeezed me into a tight metal tube and told me to keep absolutely still. I wasn't even allowed to swallow at one point.' Howard is warming to his story, now the experience is behind him. 'The machine thundered, like a team of jackhammers, next to my ears. You've never heard anything like it. At one point a little tear dribbled out of the corner of my eye and I started to think it was a drop of blood.'...

Kimm Walker, worried about a teenage son who is battling with cancer, now has major concerns about her husband's health.

Kimm continues her pofoundly moving account of a family united by love.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 48" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...Two incidents, right at the beginning, pose a challenge. Wearing his artificial leg, it isn't obvious that James is an amputee. With some discomfort he tells me about one teacher's jokey off-hand comments about one-legged people. I want to storm into the college and smack this so-called professional but realise James will have to learn to deal with this kind of ignorance in his own way. Then in his first debate lesson, the class are asked to compare Princess Diana's death to that of a local woman - his Auntie Louise...

Teenager James puts on his cheekiest grin and gets on with life.

Kimm Walker continues her uplifting account of how her son battled against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 47" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'You'll find another job. I'm back at work now. If James needs us, you can look after him.' The words are rushing out. 'We've always managed to live happily, whether we've had any money or not.'...

Kimm Walker's husband Howard takes an important decision.

Kimm continues her deeply moving account of how her family coped with a teenage son's battle with cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 46" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 11:02 AM | Permalink

...He's earned an incredible 6 As, 3 A*s and a B in physics. James goes off to celebrate with his friends and I collapse from nervous exhaustion after sharing the news with everyone I know.

There is no rest, though. The next day James and I sit slumped side by side in the waiting room of Paediatric Oncology. We've already been for the x-rays; we just need the results - results that are infinitely more important than those we got yesterday...

Kimm Walker continues her inspirational account of her son James's battle to overcome cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 45" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

Kimm Walker returns home from a holiday in the USA to hear devastating news.

To purchase a copy Kimm's profoundly moving and uplifiting book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 44" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...As night drops, we rise and dip over small foothills. At the crest of one such rise, we see the 'over the top' opulence of Las Vegas spread before us. It's certainly best seen at night and has the most amazing, infectious electricity in the atmosphere. The hotels are each a full block in size, with shops, theatres, thousands of rooms, theme parks, live circuses, zoos and, of course, casinos. The power used for the lights alone would probably be enough to run a small country.

We're able to watch a performance of magicians, Penn and Teller, ride in a stretch limousine and visit a 'Wet and Wild' water park. It's still so hot, even in the shade, that I feel like I'm being blown dry by a giant hair dryer. James and Rory also claim to have been driven down the strip one evening, in a pink convertible, by two lovely girls...

Kimm Walker and her family have a well-deserved holiday in the USA.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost, Kimm's moving and unforgettable account of her teenage son's battle with cancer, click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 44" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:28 PM | Permalink

...James has another opportunity to train with the Para Olympic team. He's very disappointed, when he discovers that he missed the chance to be in Steven Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan. Apparently, the team had been asked to appear as wounded soldiers...

There are disappointments a-plenty for teenager James as he battles to overcome cancer,

To purchase a copy of Kimm Walker's inspirational book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 43" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'You look awful. What's wrong?' I try to keep calm but firm. Howard hates the idea of being unwell.

'My chest hurts. It's hard to breathe.'

That's it. My mental calculator is computing probabilities and they all add up to terror...

The stresses of caring for a teenage son who is battling against cancer have a profound effect on every member of his family, as Kimm Walker reveals.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 42" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I am sitting beside my son, peering between my scrunched-up lashes, fingers gripping the dash board and trying to breathe without screaming. Teaching ones' own precious child how to drive is one of life's more terrifying experiences. I am suddenly overwhelmed with a new appreciation and gratitude for my own father, who had so patiently helped me to practise my new skills decades earlier...

James, despite having lost a leg, learns to drive.

Kimm Walker continues her never-to-be-forgotten story of a battle to overcome the most dreaded disease.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 41" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...Foluso had been an exceptional person, with a quiet wisdom and peace beyond his years. You had a sense that God was walking alongside him eveiy step of the way. He was always more concerned about the needs of others than his own and endured the pain and humiliations of cancer without complaint...

Kimm Walker and her son James attend the funeral of a 15-year-old boy.

Kimm continues her moving and uplifting account of James's battle against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 40" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I'm beginning to have a real 'crossroads' feeling. In my head, I know I have to give James more space and try to find more focus in my own life. James' illness put an end to the idea of continuing with the Master's Degree. At school, I feel restless, again in need of a change. I'd always fantasised about being an author so start a correspondence course...

Kimm Walker involves us in a profound and uplifting way in her family's efforts to support a teenage son's prolonged battle to overcome cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 39" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...A heart-piercing scream wakes us in the still dark of deep night. We find James in a crumpled heap, shivering uncontrollably and panting very rapidly. We cover him and, stamping down our own panic, try to keep him calm. The ambulance seems to take ages but actually arrives quickly...

Having lost a leg in his fight against cancer, James suffers another pain-filled setback.

Kimm Walker continues her compulsively readable and inspirationakl account of one family's long battle against the most dreaded of all diseases.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 38" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...Two days later, at 5:50 am, we're woken with a sickening start by a phone call from the police. They tell us our car has been abandoned, in the middle of a busy street in the centre of Leeds, without any wheels. We're asked to move it immediately, as it's causing an obstruction and they think the thieves might return to burn it out.

Our sleep-fuzzed minds aren't sure how to do that from forty minutes' drive away at that hour but, thankfully, the AA manage to move it to a garage for us and Howard's insurance company delivers a hire car to our home by the afternoon. James has another clear cancer check that same day and compared to that, a stolen car seems inconsequential....

Despite having their car stolen, life becomes more normal for Kimm Walker and her family.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 37" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...During the holiday, I take James for his monthly cancer check-up. For two weeks prior to this, I can feel pressure building up in my chest. I wake earlier and earlier each day, between 3 and 5 am, unable to get back to sleep or lie still or concentrate. My breathing is short and shallow. I get through my days a moment at a time...

The battle against cancer fought by Kimm Walker's teenage son inevitably engendered the deepest worries for the whole family.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 36" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

Kimm Walker and her husband Howard enjoy a weekend away after many months of caring for their seriously ill son.

To purchase a copy of Kimm's profoundly moving and uplifting book please click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost
And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 35" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...The commitment that James has obviously shown towards his work this year should serve as an inspiration to all of us. Straight As for effort across the range reflects his determination to do well, his mature attitude and spirited personality have made him such a popular student with both staff and pupils alike. I am sure that his dedication will earn him the GCSE grades he seeks and the admiration of us all...

Despite grim and painful days and weeks as he battles against cancer, James gets an excellent school report.

Here is another chapter from Kimm Walker's inspirational book.

To purchase a copy of A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 34" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...The foyer is clean but there's a faint smell of damp and possibly cats. We're shown into a dimly-lit sitting-room and I perch on the edge of a vinyl settee. The man shuffles in and is more than 70 years old, slightly stooped with lush silver hair...

Kimm Walker takes her husband Howard and son James, who is battling to overcome cancer, to visit a faith healer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost
And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 33" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:22 PM | Permalink

...Early on, we promised James we would take him, and some of his friends, on a special holiday anywhere he wanted to go, when he was well enough. This was by way of giving him a dream, something to look forward to and focus on. The consultant knows about this and suggests we consider going on the trip sooner rather than later, implying there might not be a later. But James is adamant that he is now clear of the cancer. He is determined that we will go on the holiday in the summer, when he and his friends have finished their big exams and high school...

Kimm Walker continues her inspirational story of her teenage son James's battle to overcome the most dreaded of all diseases.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 32" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...We're on another ward in a different building in the hospital grounds for this surgery. The anaesthetist asks James what he's going to dream about during the operation.

'Beautiful women,' he replies with a grin...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of the heartache and courage involved in her teenage son's battle to overcome cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 31" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'You should consider carefully how you wish to spend what time you might have left with James.'

The doctor's words feel like a death sentence. My tongue has become a Velcro-covered radiator, air can barely get past into my gasping lungs...

Kimm Walker hears terrible words from a doctor treating her son who is battling with cancer.

To purchase a copy of Kimm's profoundly moving and uplifting book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 30" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I feel raw pain sear through the tender new skin of my being. Selfishly and irrationally, I am angry with James for keeping this from me and also for sharing it with me on this special day. Mostly, I feel a tremendous, crushing weight of dread...

On Christmas Eve there's another reason for Kimm Walker and her teenage son James to be deeply worried.

Kimm continues her moving and inspirational account of James's battle with cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 29" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...David is tall and easy to see, standing to one side behind the keyboard. There is someone speaking but I am lost in contemplation of my son. A little smile lifts the heavy corner of my mouth and tears prickle at the edge of my eyes. Since their first performances dressed as sheep in their playgroup Nativity plays, I have smiled and wept to see my boys on stage.

The music begins and fills the whole space right up to the soaring ceiling. The familiar sounds of Christmas stroke my senses and thaw my icy core. I try to hold back the tears for David's sake. It's an hour of light and warmth and love, a brief respite...

Kimm Walker's worries multiply when her son James, battling against cancer, has to return to hospital.
There is brief respite when she attends a Christmas concert in which her other son David is taking part.

Continue reading "Chapter 28" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...'Are you all right, James?'

'It hurts and I'm not sure how to do it.' He looks down. They've made him feel useless.

'Well don't worry. I am less than impressed with the care you're receiving and we're leaving.' Anger has made my voice loud and it carries with a teacher's authority...

Kimm Walker gave vent to her feelings when she and her son James went to the physiotherapy department of a local hospital.

Kimm continues her deeply-moving account of her son's battle with cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 27" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...He decides he's well enough to go back to school. I can hardly breathe, as I drop him off for his first day with one leg and watch him make his way inside, thin, bald and alone (he insisted on that)...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving and uplifting account of her teenage son's fight to regain a normal life after battling against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 26" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

..Three days after our return from Birmingham, James is back in hospital for his next round of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this seems to increase the phantom pains. James can't see an end to it, feels he's lost everything and wishes he were dead...

Kimm Walker tells of days of worry and despair as her teenage son James battles against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 25" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

James returns home after having had a leg removed in a Birmingham hospital to find himself in the midst of the fun and laughter of a mini-party to celebrate his 16th birthday.

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of a battle with the most dreaded of all diseases, cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 24" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...But it was obvious from the beginning that Lady (a Great Dane) regarded this new baby as her own pup and would protect James from any harm.

This was made abundantly clear when the health visitor came to check the baby for click hip. I had run upstairs for a clean nappy whilst she rotated James' legs, making him cry. When I returned, the dog had pinned this amazingly composed woman to the wall with a paw on each shoulder. Lady wasn't growling, barking or hurting her at all, just preventing her from touching the baby...

Kimm Walker recalls the infant days of her son James who is fighting for his life in a battle with cancer.

To purchase a copy Kimm's book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 23" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...It's a long journey. I feel like I'm driving to an execution. We stop off at Meadowhall on the way and watch the film, Dragonheart, for a shot of escapism. I hope it will give us something else to think and talk about...

The day comes when James, a week before his sixteenth birthday, travels to a hospital in Birmingham to have a leg removed.

Kimm Walker continues her unforgettable and ultimately comforting account of her son's battle against cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 22" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 11:02 AM | Permalink

...The devastating news, that we have tried to block from our minds but is clear to see, is that neither the radiotherapy nor chemotherapy is stopping the growth of the tumour. In order to save his life, James will have to have an above-the-knee amputation, as soon as possible...

Kimm Walker’s account of her teenage son’s battle with cancer contains the ultimate in anguish, but embedded in her narrative is an assurance that there are ways of coping with the direst situations.

Continue reading "Chapter 21" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:12 PM | Permalink

...On Friday, we collect the boys from school, stop off for the radiotherapy treatment and then drive on to a village called Stone in Staffordshire. We have collected vouchers to stay at a Country Club Hotel with satellite TV in the rooms, a pool and mini-gym. David and I splash about in the pool and play on the exercise machines. Howard enjoys not having to rush anywhere or answer phones.

James is pale and listless. It's clear that he feels dreadful but still manages a swim and watches a few films on TV...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of her 15-year-old son James's battle with cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 20" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:28 PM | Permalink

...The first day of radiotherapy arrives, at last. I collect James from school and we hurry to get to our appointment on time. Just as I pull onto the busy motorway, the steering wheel jerks in my hand and I'm forced to wrestle the car onto the hard shoulder. The rear tyre nearest the traffic has a puncture...

Somehow Kimm Walker continues to cope with the extreme trauma of caring for a 15-year-old son suffering from life-threatening cancer.

Continue reading "Chapter 19" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I don't want to hear the words that confirm what I can see with my own eyes. But they slice through me anyway. Dr Edwards has made us an appointment to begin radiotherapy alongside the chemotherapy. There is a sense of desperation in this suggestion, a subtle implication in the way he looks at me that we should begin to prepare ourselves for the worst...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving and uplifting account of how her family coped with the serious illness of a 15-year-old son.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 18" »

Written by Kimm Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I'm holding back from God, afraid to trust in His will in case it means I will lose James, as I lost my mother. The air is thin, like walking on the sharp, slippery edge of a mountain's spine, nothing but deep, screaming emptiness on either side...

Kimm Walker records moments of deep despair as her 15-year-old son James underwent treatment for cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 17" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...We have devised ways to pass the time and keep his spirits up. I wheel him down, via the lift, to browse in the shop and treat him to magazines and snacks. He drags his drip trolley along like a dog. Or I run him an extravagant bubble bath and stand guard outside the bathroom door to protect his privacy...

Kimm Walker continues her vivid and inspirational account of her teenage son's fight against the most dreaded of all diseases.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 16" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...The door bangs shut and a quiet stuffed with worries settles over me. Summer's over and for the first time, since David was four, I'm not going back to school myself. Autopilot switches on and I move through my days cleaning, preparing, making resources for school. I try to stay near in case James should phone. My life is holding its breath, waiting, oddly disconnected...

A new school year begins. Life goes on. Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving must-read account of her son James's fight for life.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 15" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...Gradually, the exercise and the familiarity of the closeness loosen the stranglehold enough for me to grip hold of every scrap of courage I possess. I whisper the question that is torturing me. ‘We’re not going to lose him, are we?’

There is silence and I hold my breath. I can imagine the clenched muscles of Howard’s face.

‘We might,’ is his choked reply...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of her 15-year-old-son's battle with cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 14" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...When I was little, my brothers and I used to play a game where we had to stand at the end of the bed, close our eyes and fall backwards, without bending our knees. We knew in our minds that the bed was there and that it would be safe but our bodies had no sensory confirmation and had to trust in the mind’s message. Like a fairground ride, it was fun to be able to feel fear in safety.

I could learn about God from the Bible, church or the stories of others but I needed to have faith before I could feel His presence, before He became real for me. When I prayed ‘Your will be done’, it was as if I’d closed my eyes to all that I ‘knew’ about the world and fell back into the arms of God...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving and inspirational account of a family coping with an illness which threatens the life of a 15-year-old boy.

In this chapter Kimm also tells of the immense distress experienced as a teenager of losing her mother.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 13" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...The petrol needed to drive James to hospitals as far as Birmingham and to visit him whilst he’s there, does not come cheap, to say nothing of car parking charges. The worries a family faces when a member is seriously ill are many and complex. Sadly, financial difficulties often add layers to the distress.

Discreetly and separately, I am approached by members of two different families in our church. They offer whatever financial assistance we may need. Churches are full of flawed human beings who make mistakes and get things wrong but my heart almost bursts with wonder at God’s love in action through the body of this church...

Kimm Walker and her husband Howard face unexpected problems as they cope with caring for their seriously ill 15-year-old son James.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 12" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...We spend part of every evening on the phone, as friends let us know we’re in their thoughts and prayers. I welcome the opportunity to talk but know some families who tape an update on their child’s progress straight onto their answering machines, when they can’t face re-living the day...

Kimm Walker continues her inspirational and deeply moving account of her teenage son James's battle to overcome cancer.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 11" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...James looks like we’ve snatched him from a concentration camp. He’s lost a stone (6+ kg) in weight from his previously slim frame. His skin is grey with hollow cheeks and black sunken eyes. The doctor, who staggers sleepily in to see us, looks too young. She tells us that James is badly dehydrated and very low on potassium. James is hooked up to a drip and by morning is much improved. It takes the greater part of the week to clear the backlog and get his system back into something like working order.’’’

Kimm Walker’s 15-year-old-son James, who is suffering from cancer, receives his first dose of chemotherapy.

To purchase a copy A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 10" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:12 PM | Permalink

...I take James swimming because it’s an exercise he can do without pain. I encourage him to try visual imaging. This is when you visualise your immune system to be made up of strong and powerful creatures, which attack the horrible cancer cells. We go to funny films, share jokes and watch things that make us laugh on TV because laughter releases endorphins to boost the immune system. We claw back some control over the situation...

K B Walker continues her account of the battle to restore her 15-year-old son James to full health after he had been diagnosed as suffering from a rare form of cancer.

To purchase a copy of Kimm's inspirational and profoundly moving book A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 9" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

Kimm Walker, already deeply worried about her 15-year-old son who is being treated for cancer, now is given cause for concern about her own health.

To purchase a copy of Kimm's moving and inspiring book please click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 8" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...By this time James is long overdue for his painkillers and is in some distress. It’s difficult to describe what it feels like to witness your child in agony and be unable to do anything about it. Imagine every muscle pulsing with angry bees and their buzzing filling your mind. I ask a passing nurse if James can be given something for his pain.

‘I’ll see what I can do,’ she says. She smiles then proceeds to walk across the room where she stops and talks to a friend about her holidays. She doesn’t bother to lower her voice. Their laughter fills the space between us. She doesn’t return. The buzzing gets louder. My hands ball into fists...

Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of her 15-year-old son's treatment after cancer was diagnosed.

To purchase a copy of Kimm's book A Life Less Lost please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 7" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...James is taken into theatre. At last things are happening. I can’t sit still. My eyes travel over the words on a page but are unable to make sense of the black and white shapes. I recognise myself in the faces of other mothers. The new ones, like me, are easy to pick out. We’ve yet to adjust to the laboriously slow heartbeat of hospital time. We’re up and down from our seats and in and out of the toilets...

Kimm Walker accompanies her 15-year-old son James to hospital.

Kimm's life-changinging book is interlaced with memories from her childhood in Michigan, USA, some of which were a challenge to her Christian faith.

To purchase a copy of A Life Less Lost click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit Kimm's Web site http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com/

Continue reading "Chapter 6" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:22 PM | Permalink

...More walking. The yellow line runs out. Apart from a cupboard, we appear to have come to a dead end. James is white with fatigue. I try a giggle at the ridiculousness of it all, to lift our spirits. It sounds mad. I wonder if I’m losing my mind.

Someone pops out of the cupboard. There is another long, narrow passage. We come to a small room with very busy people rushing about...

Kimm Walker tells of a first visit to hospital with her seriously ill 15-year-old son James - an experience which left them feeling completely mangled and despondent.

Kimm's wonderful and inspirational book can be purchased here http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Life+Less+Lost

And do visit her Web site for exciting news about the success of A Life Less Lost
http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com

Continue reading "Chapter 5" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:28 PM | Permalink

...Tears wet my face and blur my vision most of the way to the hospital.

‘Why are you crying, Mum? I’m going to get well.’

It’s a cross between a statement of challenge and a question....

Kimm Walker drives her 15-year-old son James, who has cancer, to a hospital in Leeds.

Kimm's emotional and uplifiting book, which is rightly proving to be hugely popular, can be purchased by contacting http://kbwalkerwrites@yahoo.co.uk

Do visit Kimm's blog
http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com

Continue reading "Chapter 4" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:22 PM | Permalink

...Howard tells us that the doctor was open, brutally honest and encouraged them to believe we will all be part of the team that will work to help James get well. They think the cancer is Ewing’s Sarcoma or pPNET and that James has a better than average chance of survival but he will need follow up checks for the rest of his life. ‘Cures’ are not spoken of in relation to cancer, Dr Edwards has told them, firmly...

K B Walker and her family struggle to come to terms with the frighterning news concerning their 15-year-old son.

To read earlier chapters of Kimm's inspirational book, which is hugely popular, please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/a_life_less_lost/

Do visit Kimm’s Web pages http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com

To order a copy of the book contact kbwalkerwrites@yahoo.co.uk

On Saturday September 19 there will be a Northern Christian Writers' Event at Rosewood Baptist Church, Burnley. Adrian & Bridget Plass will run a writers' workshop in the morning and give a general talk in the evening. Local writers, including Kimm, will offer a series of afternoon talks about their work. There will be a book stall.

Continue reading "Chapter 3" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:02 PM | Permalink

...I’m at work. The fragments of my old life remind me there are things to do. Like wreckage in a storm, I want to grip on to them. Somehow, I’m back in my classroom trying to read a story to thirty 6 and 7 year olds. Immediately, they sense a change.

‘Have you been crying?’

‘Why?’

‘James will be OK, though, won’t he?’

Their questions go right to the heart of the matter. I manage to get through the half hour to home time. The children don’t know any platitudes so offer instead small, sad smiles. Many touch my hand or hug my waist on their way out...

Kimm Walker tries to hold her life together having just heard that a consultant wishes to talk to her and her husband Howard about the condition of their teenager son James.

Kimm balances her account of the worst possible family crisis with memories her early life in the United States.

Do visit Kimm’s Web pages http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com

To order a copy of the book contact kbwalkerwrites@yahoo.co.uk

Continue reading "Chapter 2" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:28 PM | Permalink

...Another child comes to tell me that I’m wanted on the phone, in the office – this is unusual. Apprehension buzzes beneath my skin. I hold my companion’s small hand a little tighter and hurry along the shiny corridor. All appears normal in the cupboard-sized room. The secretary moves about her business amongst tidy clutter.

‘The consultant wants to see us in two hours, without James.’

Howard’s voice tries to hold me, to shield me but it’s too late. Panic squeezes my lungs, recalls the blood from my limbs and screams in my ears. My eyelids are ripped open and I’m forced to see all the warning signs I’d buried. I know instantly what I cannot bear to believe. My son has cancer...

K B Walker's journey into worry and anguish begins.

Do visit Kimm’s Web pages http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com

To order a copy of the book visit kbwalkerwrites@yahoo.co.uk

Continue reading "Chapter 1" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:12 PM | Permalink

A mother can face no greater anguish than the suffering and possible loss of her child. American-born K B Walker tells of a journey through fear and hope in her unforgettable book A Life Less Lost, interlacing scenes from her childhood in the USA with a vivid account of her family life in Yorkshire, and the life-threatening illness of her son James.

This deeply moving and inspiring story will be serialised in weekly episodes in Open Writing.

This is a book you will never forget.

Do visit Kimm’s Web pages http://kbwalker-lifelesslost.blogspot.com
To order a copy of the book visit kbwalkerwrites@yahoo.co.uk

Continue reading "A Life Less Lost - Prologue" »

Written by K B Walker - Published at 12:12 PM | Permalink