Byer’s four-part series chronicled 11-year-old Derek Madsen, who was battling a rare form of cancer, and the anguish and courage of his mother, Cyndie French. Executive Editor Rick Rodriguez noted that “cancer kills more than 500,000 Americans every year, yet the media rarely gives us the intimate view inside a home, to the doctor’s appointments, to the cemetery to share the experience so many of us have lived.”
Judges said, “Byer’s skilled composition combined with her ability of capturing exacting moments drove the narrative and helped tell this story with both sensitivity and impact. Many images … continue to haunt you long after first viewing them.”
