A mother's journey

When you look into the face of someone with cancer, you may have no idea what is going on beyond chemo and radiation. It's human nature to turn away. But it is real life, and it is going on in homes all over this country, where more than 1 million people are diagnosed every year. Cyndie French and her son Derek opened their lives for a year to share their story.

A mother's journey, part 1

A mother's journey, part 2

A mother's journey, part 3

A mother's journey, part 4

Rick Rodriguez: A 'raw and real' story of childhood cancer trauma

Follow up: A mother's journey

Bee photos win Pulitzer

Photographer's journey was emotional, painful

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How this story was reported

Reporter Cynthia Hubert and photographer Renée C. Byer met Cyndie French in May 2005, about six months after her son Derek Madsen was diagnosed with cancer. French invited the journalists to observe all aspects of the boy's care and to document its impact on him and his family. For the next year, Hubert and Byer spent countless hours with Derek and his friends and relatives at home, on family outings and during doctor visits, blood transfusions, surgeries and other treatments. All of the scenes in this story were witnessed by Hubert and Byer.