It only takes a second to change your life

At age twenty-one, Ryan Atkins had everything going for him: a full-ride scholarship in a prestigious business program, a well-paying internship, an opportunity to pitch a business plan to venture capitalists in New York City. He was living his dreams and preparing for a future of success.

But the day before leaving for New York, Ryan was in a life-altering car accident that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs. Paralyzed from the shoulders down, he found himself struggling to grasp just how fundamentally his life had changed.

In this unflinchingly honest account, Ryan takes you along his journey of coming to terms with his physical limitations, redefining success, falling in love, believing for a healing that seemed all but inevitable, and ultimately learning to trust the purpose in suffering.

If you have ever watched your dreams crumble before your eyes, endured prolonged pain and disappointment in your life, or wondered if there is more to life than what you are living…

Ryan’s story may be just what you need to discover what matters most-in this life and the next.

At the heart of Ryan’s unique and captivating story is a universal truth that binds us all: you can pick up the pieces of your own tragedies and choose a life of faith, purpose, and hope.

More than a story of triumph over tragedy, One Step Closer invites you into Ryan’s story as he shares lessons and practical steps he learned that will help you to:

• Focus on lasting hope in the wake of profound disappointment

• Shatter assumptions about what a good life consists of

• Elicit excitement for what God has planned for you in eternity

• Stay inspired to keep believing for miracles no matter the odds

• And, ultimately, recognize that hope is possible no matter what circumstances you face