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A Mother’s Journey: Finding Hope, Recovery And Purpose Through Unimaginable Loss

There’s nothing like a mother’s love for a child.

And nothing like a mother’s grief when a child is taken away.

On this Mother’s Day, a local author is sharing the courageous story of her son’s battle with cancer and her own path toward healing, offering a beacon of hope for anyone navigating grief.

Janet Little Cooper recently published her book, What Every Grieving Mother Wishes You Knew: How to Support, Heal, & Remember Together.

Life has a way of etching some dates into our hearts forever. For Janet , a former editor at The Atmore Advance and managing editor of the Tri-City Ledger, October 27, 2014, is one such day. It began like any other, until her 17-year-old son, Bryant, walked into her office, his body wracked with an unfamiliar and alarming pain. What started as a mother’s concern for what she thought was a pulled muscle or perhaps kidney stones, soon spiraled into a reality that would alter their worlds forever.

“He showed up two hours early [for his doctor's appointment] telling me he couldn’t wait,” Janet recounted, the memory still vivid. “So I called his pediatrician on her cell and we both agreed it sounded like kidney stones so she told me to get him to the ER. In hindsight, I’m thankful it played out that way because he would have gone to the appointment on his own, but because of how much pain he was in, I drove him to the ER.”

Within a few short hours, the words every parent dreads shattered their hope. “The ER doctor came out with news that turned our world upside down,” Janet shared, her voice thick with emotion. “She told us there were no kidney stones, but instead they saw four tumors in his liver that appeared to be cancer.”

After nine days in the hospital and extensive testing, the  diagnosis was Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, a rare, aggressive, and incurable cancer.

“His was already at Stage 4 with tumors located from head to toe,” Janet said.

“On the 11th day, we were flown to MD Anderson in Houston by Pilots for Christ out of Monroeville. The oncologist there told us he had only seen three cases of this cancer in adolescence and they all three died. Bryant would be the fourth. The doctor said, ‘we can start him on chemo to give him maybe two more years to kick the can down the road’.”

“The days that followed were a blur of fear, new medical terms, and a desperate search for hope. From Dr. Marian Stewart, Bryant’s pediatrician, to Nemours at Sacred Heart in Pensacola, and then a flight by the compassionate Pilots for Christ to the renowned MD Anderson in Houston, the family chased every possibility. Yet, the prognosis from a leading oncologist there was heart-wrenching: he had only encountered three such cases in adolescents, and all had been fatal. Bryant, he said, would be the fourth. “We can start him on chemo to give him maybe two more years to kick the can down the road,” the doctor offered.

But Bryant, wise beyond his years and anchored by a profound faith, responded with a strength that would become his hallmark. That night, he told his mother, “Mom, that doctor can’t number my days. Only God can.”

And so began Bryant’s valiant 25-month battle. He started his first round of chemotherapy in Pensacola on his mother’s birthday, November 18, 2014, a bittersweet irony that forever links a day of celebration with the onset of their fight. Through it all, Bryant’s spirit, his unwavering faith, and his radiant smile became a source of astonishing strength for everyone around him. “He literally smiled his way through it!” Janet said, a mix of pride and sorrow in her voice.

Even as the cancer progressed, Bryant exuded a remarkable peace. “He began telling me in the first year of diagnosis that he was going to die,” Janet revealed. “He was confident and assured me each time he said it that he was at peace because he knew he was going to heaven.” His mom felt it was as if Bryant had “set down with God and planned out every detail.”

“About eight months before he died, Bryant made the decision to stop all treatments,” Janet said. “At that time, his Pensacola doctor, among others, met with Bryant in his hospital room, where he carefully laid out every detail of how he wanted to die, down to signing a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form. So when the time came on November 17, all I had to do was call the nurses stationand his plan was set into motion.”

The inspiration for Janet to share their sacred story? “Bryant and God,” she stated without hesitation. The desire to honor her son’s courageous spirit and unwavering faith, and a deep-seated love for writing that had been a part of her since childhood, converged. “I’ve always loved writing and miss my days at the Ledger,” Janet said. “Actually, my dad, Rev. Thomas Little, Jr., always wanted us to write a book together, so when God led me to begin writing this book Dec. 23, 2024, it was only fitting that I use some of my dad’s handwritten sermons in the book.” What began as a whisper of an idea blossomed quickly; within four short days, she had penned 16 chapters, a number that soon grew to 29 chapters and 160 pages of raw, heartfelt truth.

What does she hope readers will take from this intimate chronicle of love, loss, and faith? “That there is hope even after such a great loss,” Janet affirmed. “Bryant was a Christian and he knew where he was going for eternity. He wanted everyone to know the same assurance and comfort he had.” As a testament to his faith, small wooden crosses were passed out at his funeral, a symbol of what the cross meant to him and the peace he wished for others. “He has been gone for eight years, and it has been an experience unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. I’m slowly healing and learning how to live with Bryant’s absence in my life by taking my son’s advice by trusting God to carry me through.”

Janet emphasizes that her book, though deeply personal, speaks to a universal experience. “It’s not just for mothers who have lost children, even though the title suggests that. This book is for anyone who has ever experienced loss – a spouse, sibling, cousin, or friend. Grief is universal, but each has a different story.” It also serves as a gentle guide for those who want to support grieving loved ones but are unsure how, offering chapters on “Practical Ways to Help Someone Grieving” and, crucially, “What Not to Say to Someone Grieving.”

Her powerful narrative has resonated widely, earning endorsements from New York Times Best Selling Author Andy Andrews and Rev. Ted Traylor from Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.

Janet’s creative spirit continues to flourish. She has immediate plans to publish four children’s books she penned over two decades ago, a charming series titled “The Adventures of Super Austin and His Sidekick, Baby Boy,” inspired by the real-life escapades of her sons when they were small. The first delightful tale involves a six-year-old Austin feeding his one-year-old brother Bryant leftover giraffe food from a zoo trip, leading to a panicked but ultimately amusing call to poison control and a zoo veterinarian who playfully warned Bryant might start swinging from ceiling fans! She even has plans for a book chronicling her own “mishaps and broken bones and close calls!”

In addition, she has already published three faith-based coloring/storybooks for children and intends to release more monthly. All of her published works are available on Amazon.

“My hope is that through every book, I can share healing, faith, and joy,” Janet expressed.

This Mother’s Day, as we celebrate the incredible bond between mothers and their children, Janet Little Cooper’s story shines with a particular poignancy. It is a narrative of a love that knows no end, a faith that sustains through the deepest valleys, and a mother’s unwavering journey to find purpose and share her son’s enduring light with a world in need of hope.

NorthEscambia.com photo (top) and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.