'Our daughter's courage and joy continues to inspire us a year on from her death, we hope her book will help others to appreciate life'

Bec, as she was fondly known, was no stranger to adversity. But despite a lifetime of facing the effects of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, which she was first diagnosed with at the age of five, she was a young woman who lived with extraordinary courage, humour and unwavering determination.

Before she died, aged 26, last November, Bec wrote a book about her journey and her outlook on life; her resolve to find happiness despite two relapses, two bone marrow transplants and, later, devastating lung complications. Now, Crack On! – A Life of Courage and Joy, is being published exactly one year since she passed away. Her parents, Simon and Michelle, who live near Easingwold, hope to see copies reach many hands.

"The title sums up Becca perfectly,” says Simon. “She never wanted to be defined by her illness. Instead, she wanted to encourage others to appreciate life, face their challenges and make the most of every moment...We're incredibly proud of what Becca has written, and knowing that her story will continue to reach and hopefully help others is exactly what she would have wanted.”

Bec, who was born in Addingham, Bradford, first mooted the idea of writing about her experiences when she was ten. Her first decade of life had seen her diagnosed with, and treated for, leukaemia at the age of five, a period that also saw her survive a life-threatening lung infection. ‘Normality’ ensued for a few years afterwards, before Bec began to feel unwell again in 2009 and she and her family were told, at the age of 10, that her leukaemia had returned. This time, as well as chemotherapy treatment, she needed a bone marrow transplant. Her brother Matthew, now 28 but then just 12, was a match and there was no hesitation; Bec was on the road to recovery again.

When, in 2011, she was diagnosed for a third time after noticing a lump on her face, Bec, with her characteristic humour even in the darkest moments, turned to her mum and said: “I know what I’ll call my book – third time lucky.” Treatment that time was chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a second bone marrow transplant, from a donor through the Anthony Nolan charity. It took longer for Bec to recover, but she did, refusing to defer any of her schooling and going on to complete her GCSEs, A-levels and a biomedical science degree at York St John University.

“She would never ever use what she'd been through as an excuse,” says mum Michelle. “She was absolutely amazing. She was super strong, super brave, super determined...To me she was almost like this shining star. I can only think that that's why she's been taken from us because she's needed for bigger things elsewhere…I just feel like she had this superpower.”

There were many occasions when people would say to Bec that she should document her journey, because of the way she went about everything - with a smile on her face. But it was only when she knew her time was really limited that Bec put pen to paper and began to write. That point came in 2023, when Bec was living in her own home in Macclesfield and working for biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, alongside older sister Charlotte, now 30. She’d been struggling for the last few years with breathlessness, low energy and a decline in her lung function – but her deterioration was suddenly becoming stark.

Bec moved back in with her parents – later designing a garden annexe for herself – and was placed on oxygen for 24 hours a day. Despite her struggles, given her complex medical history, it became apparent that she wouldn’t be a suitable candidate for a double lung transplant, and she and her family were instead facing the reality that her days were numbered. “To get that after the best part of nearly 20 years, to suddenly realise they can't do anything now, that was obviously difficult for us all,” says Simon.

Bec had somewhat of a bucket list that she began to work through – including writing the book. “She wanted to put a brighter twist on things. She didn't want to document it as just doom and gloom,” explains Michelle. “She wanted to make it with her sarcastic sense of humour. And just inspire people and give them hope.”

The annexe, now home to Bec’s ashes, is bright and colourful, in a nod to her vibrancy – and her parents take comfort and inspiration from “signs” she’s still with them. The double rainbow that appeared in the sky on the day she died is one that brought a smile to their faces. She passed peacefully, next to her mum, days after reading aloud some of the book to her parents and siblings, as well as the eulogy she’d pre-recorded for her funeral.

“For years and years, I was petrified of losing her, like any parent would be,” Michelle says. “For us it was slightly more real because we were told on numerous occasions that she might not make it. I think Bec almost prepared me…she would often say to me, ‘You best keep going, mum. You've got to keep going. I haven't fought this long and this hard for you to give up’…I've got this inner fight in me now just to get on with things.”

The focus on the book, and on celebrating Bec’s life, is a source of comfort as her family mark the first anniversary of her death. “We're left with this legacy,” Michelle reflects. “You can read her actual words. And it’s absolutely giving us a driving force because she would be saying to us ‘get it out, there tell everybody you know, I'm not here to do that so that's your role now’ and it’s given us a focus.”

"We’re immensely proud,” adds Simon. “We take so much pride everyday in talking about Becca.”

- Now, Crack On! – A Life of Courage and Joy, by Rebecca Alton, is being published by Scratching Shed Publishing on November 25. Her family are holding a book launch at Whiteley's Home Farm Café in Alne on November 27. A percentage of the sales will be donated to the Anthony Nolan, Blood Cancer UK, Candlelighters and Be More Fab charities.