They missed it. She had an eight-pound tumor on her kidney and they missed it. Shelia Burnett of New Franklin, Mo. was diagnosed with stage IV Renal cell carcinoma in May of 2011. Recently her cancer reoccurred in her liver and is no longer curable. Burnett is preparing her family for her death. “There’s a lot of times I ask myself why am I having to go through this? I don’t know why I am going through this other than making my daughter a stronger person.” said Burnett. Burnett’s daughter Lauren Burnett, 17, has stepped up to help her mother with chores at home and at their family business Boggs Auto Salvage and Sale.

According to a study by Kathryn E. Weaver, assistant professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, rural cancer survivors reported more psychological distress, were more likely to be in fair or poor heath and unable to work because of a health condition than urban cancer survivors.

Burnett fears burdening her family with her emotion and she wishes there were more resources and support groups for people living in rural areas. “That’s part of a rural community we don’t have the resources a big city would have so you learn to use your family.”

by Ellen Thommesen

My grandparents always held hands. Even into their 70s, they reminded me of newlyweds, excited to show each other affection any chance they got.

Arch Leean, my grandfather, was studying abroad when he proposed to Mary through a letter. As soon as she read it she hopped on a boat to England to spend the rest of her life with him. They got married with their cab driver as the witness.

Married life was full of adventure. They lived in England, traveled Europe on a scooter, moved to New York City then to California where their two daughters were born. They finally settled as a family in Northfield, Minnesota where Arch was an art professor and Mary was a foreign student administrator at St. Olaf College. Settled in but always traveling, they frequently went on study abroad trips with students to places like Thailand and the Middle East. Camping trips, road trips, backpacking trips, you name it, the Leean family did it.

I couldn’t have asked for a better example of love than my grandparents. They were happily married for 56 years, completely devoted until death parted them.

Arch’s health began deteriorating in his late 70s, and he was diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. After a 3-year battle with the disease, he passed away in April, 2011. Mary served as his primary caregiver in order to keep him at home with her in the dream house they built for their retirement.

After a lifetime of companionship, love, and raising a family together, Mary is left alone. She has transformed from a wife into a widow.

The loss of her husband has not been easy, and the transition into widower has been a difficult one. She notices that people speak to her in softer tones and often treat her differently now that she is alone. Many offer advice for how she should cope with her loss. Even though she acknowledges they are telling her what would help them in the situation, she believes grief is very personal. Everyone experiences it differently.

Mary chooses to embrace sadness when it comes and relish in the good memories of her life with Arch. She loves telling stories about him to my younger brother and I every time we see her. She feels blessed to have had so much time with such a great man and will continue the healing process with the help of family and friends.

Long before diabetes hit the headlines, it hit home for me. Diabetes runs in my family. My uncle never really acknowledged his diabetes or tried to manage it. Diagnosed in his early 20′s, Richard Esparza later died, age 42, due to complications related to his type 2 diabetes. Years later, in 2006 my sister would also become a diabetic.

Diet and exercise are often the first recommendations made by doctors to their diabetic patients. Such a simple solution though is easier said than done. For many it requires a dramatic lifestyle change. Today, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions, with minority groups making up the largest portion of the newly diagnosed.

I have seen those I love s truggle to accept and manage this lifelong disease. My goal was to put a face to the statistics. This project documents the life of one young man, Demarko Fisher, who lives with Type 2 diabetes.

To see more of Vivian’s work, go to her Web site: www.vivianesparza.com

I came to produce this video after finding out about two very close friends of mine who had been affected by sexual violence within the last few years. The information turned my world upside down as I felt ignorantly naïve to the issue. After interviewing an amazing photo subject for a different project I learned that she too had been raped. After leaving the interview I passed the place where one friend had been staying, then passed by the other friend’s apartment. All three women were within a ¼ mile of each other. Immediately the skills my photojournalism degree has taught me were summoned. This project is the result.

Dakota Raynes, 27, is a senior at the University of Missouri, a teaching assistant for the Social Inequalities class, a McNair Scholar, a father of a seven year-old girl, a self-proclaimed hippie and a transgender. Raynes, born Lieselotte Lorene Harvel to Jehovah’s Witness parents, has been transitioning for over three years now, taking testosterone and using a compression vest to appear more masculine. Raynes has faced much opposition while transitioning, most notably when losing custody of his daughter, Lily, a year ago after the judge deemed him unworthy of parenthood, saying, “If this person doesn’t even know what sex they are, how can they raise a child?” This piece takes an inward look at the day-to-day life of a transgender, from everyday activities to judgment and oppression.

*CLICK ON THE PICTURE AT LEFT TO SEE AN AUDIO SLIDESHOW.

Miles Ellington, 21 year-old, is a tenant of a apartment next door to a shelter for homeless teenagers where he used to live.  Mile’s house is a place where many different stories are told. He lives by himself officially, but, in actuality, he has six or more roommates—Joe, Josh, Mary, B.B, and Aaron coming in and out. Most of them are homeless people. Miles offers one of his couches to people who need to stay. Miles gets along with them, except when Miles invites his lady friend.  The age range in Miles’ house spans from mostly teenagers to a few in their late forties. Miles pays $50 a month for a one-bedroom apartment with the assistance of the government. The “couch mates” do not pay rent at all, However, Joe gives Miles a ride when needed, while the others offer whatever they have available. Joe bought a 2009 Mustang after receiving money from the National Guard. Miles hopes that he could also join the army someday.  Although it seems that there are no rules, All the “couch mates” have their own responsibilities in the apartment.

Music, “Looking inside myself”, used on this project, was made by  Miles and his  “couch mates.”

To see more of Truth Leem’s work, go to: truthleem.com

Ethan Lauchstaedt, 4, wears a prosthesis as a result of his Proximal Femoral Deficiency (PFFD).  It is a condition that is very rare–it only affects 1 in 100,000 children born.  Ethan’s mom, Beth, found out that Ethan had it right after he was born.  PFFD develops very early on in the embryonic development, and causes on leg to grow much shorter and at a slower rate than the other.  In Ethan’s case, this is his right leg.  The condition requires Ethan to see three different doctors: one in Columbia, Mo. one in St. Louis, Mo. and one all the way in Baltimore, Md.  In his short lifetime, he has had six different prosthetics.

Click HERE to see a multimedia project about Ethan’s story.

*CLICK ON PICTURE ON LEFT TO LAUNCH MULTIMEDIA PROJECT

Story Summary:

Ana Maria sends half of her salary to El Salvador each month to provide for her family. After nearly three years in the U.S., Ana Maria doesn’t have savings, but now that she has paid off the debt for her travel to the U.S., she is  planning for the future–with multiple options.  After her husband died in a car accident ten years ago, Ana Maria took over his business in one of San Salvador’s two biggest markets, called San Jacinto.

Five years later, two supermarkets were built around the market. After trying to compete with their lower prices for two and a half years, Ana Maria couldn’t provide for her family any longer and decided to move to the United States for work.

Ana Maria’s travel to the U.S. not only cost herself monetarily, but it also affected her family. Her sister, Milagro, who raises her son Carlos, gave her own land as collateral for the loan that paid for Ana Maria to go to the U.S.

Ana Maria had to pay back a total of $12,000 to a coyote in El Salvador who loaned her the money. The average cost for someone to go to the U.S. illegally from El Salvador is $2,000 – $8,000*. Ana Maria paid more because when she realized she was in a scam, she had to convince multiple coyotes to take her the rest of the way.  A trip that can last as short as a few days took Ana Maria two months.

*UNDP El Salvador Human Development Report 2005

LAUNCH PROJECT

Rymer produced this mixed media presentation in the United States and El Salvador as part of her Master’s Project at the University of Missouri.

To see more of Rymer’s work, visit her Web site: amyrymer.com.

By Sally Morrow

Story Summary:

Sierra Williams and Micheal Duckworth live with their mother Samatha Stevenson and her fiancé DeWayne Foston Sr. along Route BB in St. James, Missouri. As siblings, Sierra and Micheal share daily life and look out for one another. Under one roof, brother and sister grow as individuals and grow closer together.

This story was produced in conjunction with the Missouri Photo Workshop

To see more of Sally Morrow’s work, go to her Web site: www.smorrowphotoj.com

*CLICK ON THE PICTURE AT LEFT TO SEE A SLIDESHOW.

Story Summary:

After dropping out of high school, seventeen-year-old Zach moved in with friends to a house on Ann Street in Columbia, Mo. Under one roof, the various occupants and temporary visitors were family to each other despite differences in belief or background. Zach and housemate Tin were two of the primary residents, and went out together most afternoons to collect spare change for food and beer. After dark, the house became a social hotspot and frequently hosted amateur music shows in the basement. In August, 2008, Zach, Tin, and several of their friends moved on to Denver, Co.

To see more of Parker Michels-Boyce’s work, go to his Web site: www.pmbphotography.com