jan pavloski

After showcasing her talent as the lead in her high school's production of Grease, Tasha Schuh began to dream of a career in theater. No one knew that the stage itself would steal her dream—and almost her life—during a rehearsal for the next big show.

Just days before her opening night performance in The Wizard of Oz, sixteen-year-old Tasha took one step backward and fell sixteen feet through a trap door. On that day, November 11, 1997, she landed on the concrete floor of the historic Sheldon Theatre, breaking her neck, crushing her spinal cord, and fracturing her skull. She would never walk again.

For the next three days, Tasha prepared for a surgery that would at best leave her a C-5 quadriplegic. Post-op complications turned Tasha's struggle and ultimate triumph into an unbelievable journey. From loss and grief to self-discovery and achievement, her faith, resilience, and honesty have allowed her to leave the old Tasha behind while she confronts the new Tasha's life from a state-of-the-art wheelchair.

Discover Tasha's remarkable spirit in My Last Step Backward, a poignant memoir that seeks to inspire you to welcome adversity and face your own trap door of opportunity.