Stephen Nance grew up near San Francisco, prior to becoming a prominent physician at Seattle's world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Having been the only child of an emotionally wounded Vietnam veteran , he had found other ways to fill the voids in his life created by his father's neglect . Academics, sports and career goals gave him self-worth and he excelled at them all. On the other hand, love and romance were left to fend for themselves, as emotional vulnerability was a concept that felt foreign and best kept at a distance. A world away in Southeast Asia , Sophia dreamed of going to college in the United States. Her desires were to become a nurse and return to her homeland to care for her disabled father and her fellow villagers. Her prayers were being fulfilled, when a horrific incident drastically changed her entire plans. When cancer unmercifully introduced itself into both Stephen's and Sophia's families, the power of a special gift bonded them, and the true meaning of The Purpose of Destiny made everything become very clear.