Existing comment:
2007 Feature: A Mother's Journey:
Cyndie French was a single mother of five whose 10-year-old son, Derek, had cancer. It was diagnosed about six months before she met Sacramento Bee photographer Renee Byer at a Race for the Cure event in May 2005. Cyndie invited Byer to photograph her daily struggle of caring for Derek. She wanted to share their story to let others know what it's like to live with cancer and to raise awareness that there are families who need financial support.
Over the next year, Byer, along with reporter Cynthia Hubert, spent countless hours with Derek and Cyndie, chronicling painful doctor visits and surgeries, and Derek's rebellion against his mother and new treatments. There are images of intimate moments as Cyndie lovingly tries to comfort and entertain Derek, while wondering how she would meet the mountain of unpaid bills and how her other children were being affected. Byer said, "There were times when her story felt like a gut punch in my stomach."
In the end, Cyndie lost the battle. Derek was buried on May 19, 2006. He was 11. |