Marianne has spent most of her life in and out of hospital, battling cancer. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday she is faced with the difficult decision of whether to have treatment which would cripple her, but is the last, remote chance to save her life. Her mother Rachel and doctor Elaine would both do anything to save her, but even they cannot agree on the best course of action. Then Marianne meets a fellow patient – Philip – who is also dying of cancer. Meeting him clarifies her will to choose a life well lived, and she makes her decision.