Tommy's Field

by Nikki Mark

In April 2018, Nikki and Doug Mark’s perfectly healthy twelve-year-old-son, Tommy, went to sleep one night and never woke up. They’re still not exactly sure why. Devastated, Nikki embarked on an unconventional journey to create a legacy for Tommy and to heal her heart. She created a plan to transform neglected land in a Los Angeles public park into a state-of-the-art athletic field, honoring Tommy’s love of soccer and sharing his spirit of play with others. After family, friends, and LA’s soccer community banded together to raise over a million dollars for the project, park neighbors resistant to change threatened to derail it. Throughout Nikki’s journey, a remarkable string of incidents convinced her that her recently departed son was guiding her through the process. Ultimately, Tommy’s enduring spirit and the beautiful game he loved taught her how to navigate the challenges she faced along the way.

Audio CD

Published January 23, 2024

About the author

One morning in 2018, Nikki Mark’s healthy 12-year-old son Tommy did not wake up. Nikki felt like dying alongside him but didn’t want to leave her youngest son and husband behind. Without a religious or spiritual background, she relied on her 20+ years of experience developing Los Angeles-based startups to embark upon the greatest challenge of her life: healing her heart. Using unconventional healing methods, while building a legacy for her son, she learned that we all have the ability to heal ourselves when we’ve lost our way. Nikki’s “inspirational debut memoir” (as lauded by Publisher’s Weekly) is entitled Tommy’s Field: Love, Loss and the Goal of a Lifetime. Prior to losing Tommy, Nikki released a children's book series - The MightyMom Series- which includes Mommy Brings Home the Bacon; Mommy's Got a Bun in the Oven; and MightyMom. All author’s profits from all book sales are being donated to the TM23 Foundation to build more athletic fields where they are most needed, and to brighten our world with the #powerofplay. Access Nikki’s free weekly articles, popular alternative healing toolkit, and other valuable resources at Nikkimark.com.