Awarded to Renée C. Byer of The Sacramento Bee for her intimate portrayal of a single mother and her young son as he loses his battle with cancer.

“When someone says, ‘My child has cancer,’ it’s almost overwhelming for people, so they turn away rather than becoming more compassionate, and if this can bring some compassion, I think that’s very important,” she said, adding that she had stayed in touch with Ms. French.