MPW.65 / 2013 Courageous Love by Sarah Throop
Photographer
Sarah Throop Austin, Texas

Team Mac

Story Summary

Judy Bower is currently preparing for the worst day of her life.

Two years ago, her 36-year-old son Daniel was diagnosed with recurrent salivary gland cancer that has now metastasized to his lungs and brain. The Bower Family is no stranger to cancer; Judy is a survivor of invasive breast cancer, and her second son, Phillip, is a survivor of liver cancer.  Unfortunately, Daniel’s condition is terminal; Judy is simply “waiting for a phone call.”  

In October 2012, Judy and her daughter-in-law, Amanda Bower, opened The Barn coffee shop on Main Street in Trenton, Mo. It is a place where the entire staff calls her “Mom.” As Judy waits for that call, The Barn has become a source of community and support that helps her carry on with her daily life in the face of overwhelming grief.