On May 11, 2006, Cyndie French had to say goodbye to her 11-year-old son, Derek Madsen.
French put aside her business and spent all her time with her son whose life was slowly taken by cancer.
(Picture from Twitter)
When Derek was 10 years old, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer call neuroblastoma.
Photographer Renee C. Byer who worked for the Sacramento Bee newspaper journaled the family’s heart-wrenching story through a year-long photo journey titled “A Mother’s Journey.”
Byer was allowed to capture every aspect of her son treatment and the emotions of their family.
French is said to have always had a smile on her face, ensuring on the outside she was positive for her son. But on the inside, she was dying herself.
French tried her best to keep the smile on her face while she was terribly depressed on the inside.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to make him happy, to see him smile,” said the determined mother. Never mind the fact that money was low, medical bills were high, and she was barely able to keep a roof over their heads.
It would be only months later that Derek’s life dwindled away slowly, day by day.
French would hold her son while he medicated on their couch.
“I was exhausted beyond belief but I had to do this. He would call my name and always expected me to be there,” said French.
Byer captured a moment of French racing Derek down the hall of UC Davis Medical Center. They were barefoot and trying to find joy in a dark place.
Cyndie French ve oğlu Derek: Bir annenin öyküsü https://t.co/G1Swc0OKQ9 pic.twitter.com/15GbuD4D8E
— indigo dergisi (@indigodergisi) June 12, 2016
This picture proves the mother had a strong will to keep her son distracted during even the worst of times.