"A Mother's Journey"

Byer won a 2007 Casey Medal in photojournalism for this story. The project follows Cyndie French, a mother of five whose 10-year-old son, Derek, was sick with cancer.

As a photojournalist, what made Cyndie and her family’s story stand out?

I saw this story on several levels: I witnessed a single mother in financial and emotional chaos at a time when she should have been able to focus on her son. I was inspired by a mother’s love and devotion despite all odds — Cyndie made every moment count for Derek although she had very little time and money. And the family’s struggle represented everything that is wrong with our fractured health care system: Children’s hospice care was scarce, the wait during doctor’s visits and hospital stays was unacceptable, and insurance and medical bills were astronomical.

Stories about terminally ill children can be overwhelming, rather than compelling. How did this project manage to avoid making readers feel emotionally sapped? 

I tried to focus on everyday life from the mother’s perspective. Derek was a pre-adolescent who was inquisitive and smart. He was prone to meltdowns because he abhorred hospitals, but he was very thoughtful and charming when he wasn’t feeling ill. The most difficult part was that he wanted his mommy to fix him and she couldn’t. He wasn’t the stereotypical child that the hospital would recommend you cover, but he was real and full of emotion. Many people wrote in and said, “Thanks for covering a real child.”                            

Did you (or your editors) go into it thinking it would be a long-term project? And what did Cyndie want to accomplish by opening her life to you and reporter Cynthia Hubert?

At first we did not know this would be a long-term project, but as time went on, it was obvious. We had no idea at first that Derek was not going to make it. We actually had set a deadline of one year to work on this story. Derek died almost exactly a year to the day I first met Cyndie.

Cyndie wanted people to understand what it was like to walk in her family’s shoes. She said that if people could get something out of the story — if just one person did — then she felt that she had not done this in vain.

Did you have to serve as a reporter when Cynthia Hubert was not present? How did you coordinate your efforts?

As a documentary photojournalist, I strive to achieve another level in a story — not to mirror the story, but to add depth so the reader sees a different aspect. Using composition, light and emotion, I try to evoke feelings through my images so readers better understand the issue.

I accompanied Cynthia on her reporting, not necessarily to make photos, but to better understand the subjects and learn how they were feeling, what events were going on in their lives and what might make compelling photos. I work better alone because I have more intimacy with the subjects. I find it very difficult to make photos with a reporter present unless it’s an emotional situation and the subjects are consumed with themselves and not the interview.

Cynthia and I worked great together… she used my photographs masterfully to recreate some scenes and I relied on her reporting for a lot of the facts that are in my captions. Cynthia really gets what a photographer’s needs are and I’m very grateful for that!

How did Derek feel about having you document his illness? Did you feel pressure to become part of Derek's support network?

Cyndie would say that it was the time I spent with the family that allowed me to gain their trust and photograph their most intimate moments. As a journalist, I had a tough juggling act as I tried to not become part of their network. It’s very important in stories like these that you step out of the picture not into it.

How did you cope with your own emotions during this project and with Derek's eventual death?

It was a very emotionally challenging assignment but I kept thinking Cyndie and Derek were experiencing tenfold what I was experiencing. This story was about Cyndie and Derek -- not about me. They were making lifeline decisions and I did not want to interrupt their pattern of life. That is crucial. You have to know when to step back and let them have space. I felt like it was a gift to be there and I respected their space.

Is there a photo from the series that is particularly significant for you -- either because it encapsulated a poignant moment or was especially hard-earned?

My favorite image is where they are all fighting about money – it was extremely difficult to make and it represents how the fabric of the family is torn from financial and emotional chaos. Billions of dollars are given toward cancer research but virtually nothing is given to help families through the emotional and financial challenges that prevent them from spending time with their dying child. Through the eyes of Cyndie French and Derek Madsen, we can see that this could be the most precious gift at the most vital moment.