When Natalia passed away at 24, Dr. Egli Colón Stephens lost her only child, the center of her world—yet she refused to be silenced or diminished by grief.

In Beyond Grief, Egli continues her conversation with Natalia, sharing a faith tested by fire, the questions that still linger in her soul, and a brave—almost defiant—decision to keep living as an act of love and devotion to her daughter.

As a teenager, Natalia overcame cancer and went on to become a professional model and body-positivity advocate, living with rare strength and purpose. Years later, after a second diagnosis of a rare and aggressive cancer, she faced life with unwavering courage, leaving a lasting mark on all who knew her.

Since Natalia’s passing, Egli has transformed their story of resilience into a message of strength and hope. She was interviewed twice by Oprah Winfrey for Oprah Daily and has shared her story through Guideposts, SHARE Cancer Support, the Dominican Writer’s Conference, podcasts, and international speaking engagements. Her emotional response to seeing Natalia featured in a Delta Air Lines campaign after her passing was covered by Today, Newsweek, Yahoo, Blavity, and TheGrio, among others.

Beyond Grief, Egli’s memoir interwoven with excerpts from Natalia, is an invitation to move through grief without denying it, to transform absence into guidance, and love into legacy—with a deeply moving foreword by Elaine Féliz.