在近日揭曉的第 91 屆普利茲獲獎名單中，《薩克拉門托蜜蜂報》攝影記者Renée C. Byer 以﹝A Mother’s Journey﹞一舉拿下了 2007 普利茲特寫攝影獎。

　　2005 到 2006 年間，蕾妮用了近一年的時間，記錄下單身母親辛蒂如何用自己的愛和耐心引導著兒子面對死亡。故事中的母親辛蒂，曾經是家庭暴力的受害者。作為一名單身母親，辛蒂在生活中表現出了常人所沒有的堅強，她靠自己的雙手養活了包括德雷克在內的五個孩子。

　　就在 2004 年底，更大的災難降臨到了這個不幸的女人身上，辛蒂的小兒子德雷克被查出患有成神經細胞瘤這種罕見的癌症。為了給兒子治療，辛蒂放棄了原本髮廊和燈具店的生意，全心全意陪伴在兒子身邊，直到生命的盡頭。

　　整組故事都採用了黑白照片的拍攝方法，我們在欣賞這組照片時，能深深地感覺到攝影師已經完全融入到了主人公的家庭，和他們親如一家。普利策評委的點評是：”這是一些如此親密真實的瞬間。”

　　獲獎後的蕾妮接受採訪時說：「我所做的是將這個故事冷靜地告訴讀者，另一方面，能夠見證這樣一個感人的故事，是能夠帶給其他家庭希望的。﹝A Mother’s Journey﹞其實是一次探索，我想展示病患家庭在面對經濟危機時所表現出來的困惑，還有健康護理工作的很多不足，更重要的是，讓人們去體會一個孩子死去時的巨大悲哀。」

　　得知蕾妮獲獎，故事中的母親辛蒂也打來了電話：「我就知道她能獲獎！德雷克在世的時候很喜歡蕾妮，他總是說蕾妮一定會獲獎，你看，他說對了！要知道，在德雷克最後的日子裏，蕾妮一直都和我們在一起。」

辛蒂光著腳，推著兒子德雷克在醫院的走廊比賽，為他打發漫長的等待。醫生則在化驗室確認德雷克是否適合幹細胞移植，這是治療成神經細胞瘤最好的方法。德雷克在 2004 年11 月被診斷出患上了成神經細胞瘤，這種罕見的癌症一般發生在兒童身上，治癒的可能性極低。

Racing barefooted after kicking off her flip-flops, Cyndie pushes her son Derek Madsen, 10, up and down hallways in the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on June 21, 2005, successfully distracting him during the dreaded wait before his bone marrow extraction. Doctors want to determine whether he is eligible for a blood stem cell transplant, his best hope for beating neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer, which was diagnosed in November 2004.

孩子，母親，一個是另一個的世界。2005 年7 月 25 日，辛蒂在得知兒子德雷克必須做手術切除腹部腫瘤時擁抱德雷克。

Cyndie French, embraces her son, Derek Madsen, 10, on July 25, 2005, after learning Derek needs surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his abdomen. The emotional impact is taking its toll on her. How can anyone maintain a nine-to-five job and do this? she begins to wonder.

一切都可以放棄，惟獨不能放棄兒子。母親希望這種方式能減輕他的痛苦。「我要竭盡全力使他高興，看到他微笑。」... 為此，辛蒂放棄了髮廊和燈具店的生意，來照顧生命垂危的兒子。

Derek Madsen, 10, gets a soothing massage from his mother, Cyndie French, at her Sacramento nail and tanning salon.. ”I観 going to do whatever it takes to make him happy, to see him smile.” Cyndie says. A single mom of five, Cyndie had to give up her salon at a financial loss to care for her dying son. (7/9/06)

Derek playfully taunts his mother as Cyndie tries to coax him down from a wall outside the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on July 27. They are there to admit Derek for cancer surgery the following day. Cyndia, who understands Derek emotional meltdown before procedures, spends hours getting him in the door of the hospital.

Shortly after his 11th birthday and Cyndie 40th, Derek is comforted by his brother Micah Moffe, 17, left, and mom Cyndie, right, as he gets a tattoo in preparation for radiation therapy on November 30, 2005. Micah often accompanies Derek to treatments even though his schoolwork suffers.

On February 6, 2006, one of Derek cancer doctors recommends Cyndie contact hospice workers. She doesn’t tell Derek about the conversation, but retreats behind a closed door at home to cry. ”I don’t think it’s important to tell him,” she says. ”Why? What for?” Sensing her sadness, Derek tries to cheer up his mom.