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God’s timing for Janet Little Cooper was perfect.

Cooper recently published a book, “What Every Grieving Mother Wishes You Knew: How to Support, Heal, & Remember Together,” a book that details the 25-month battle of her son, Bryant.

Cooper previously worked for The Atmore Advance and The Tri-City Ledger, and it was on Oct. 27, 2014, when her 17-year-old son showed up to her office in extreme pain.

“He had been complaining of pain in his lower back for almost a week,” Cooper said. “We thought he had pulled a muscle at Smith Tractor in Atmore, where he worked. But when the pain never stopped I scheduled him an appointment with his pediatrician in Jay (Fla.) mid morning that day.”

Cooper said they felt like it was kidney stones, and got Bryant to the emergency room.

“Within about two hours after having a CT scan, the ER doctor came out with news that turned our world upside down,” she said. “She told us there were no kidney stones, but instead they saw four tumors in his liver that appeared to be cancer. He was scheduled to see an oncologist at Nemours at Sacred Heart in Pensacola the next morning.”

Cooper said the tumors were confirmed, and Bryant was admitted for nine days at Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart.

“After extensive testing, it was discovered that Bryant was suffering from an aggressive incurable cancer called, neuroendocrine carcinoma,” she said. “His was already at stage four with tumors located from head to toe.”

Cooper said some time afterward, they were flown to M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas by Pilots for Christ.

“The oncologist there told us he had only seen three cases of this cancer in adolescence, and they all three died,” Cooper said. “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.’”

Cooper recalled what Bryant told her that same night.

“‘Mom that doctor can’t number my days. Only God can.’ Bryant started his first round of chemo in the hospital in Pensacola on my birthday, Nov. 18, 2014,” Cooper said. “In the end he was readmitted to that same room on Nov. 17, 2016, where he died the morning after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25, 2016.”

Cooper said the book was inspired by God.

“He has been working in my life since I was a child to prepare me and bring me to this point today,” Cooper said. “I’ve always loved writing, which was manifested as a child living in Louisiana and reading every word of our hometown newspaper, the Tri-City Ledger. I was always fascinated with the printed word and had a strong interest in news. As that interest grew and I was able to actively pursue the dream to write for a newspaper (Atmore Advance) when we moved back to Florida, my interest expanded to not only wanting to write for a newspaper but also for a magazine and the ultimate goal of writing a book. And now, I’m blessed to have done all three.”

Prior to writing about Bryant’s journey, Cooper wrote four other books. Her plan was to write Bryant’s story last.

“Then on Dec.23, 2024, God told me to write Bryant’s story,” she said. “I wasn’t so sure I was ready to do that, but He assured me it was time. October of 2024 marked 10 years since we first discovered Bryant’s cancer. So, I listened and just started writing. The words literally flowed faster than I could type them. When I realized God was giving me the words, I stopped and started an outline. By Christmas Day I had written 16 chapters. At the time, I thought I was done. But God wasn’t. Within five days, the book ended with 29 chapters. I knew God was right and His timing was right.”

Cooper said she learned a lot about grief throughout the journey.

“Grief isn’t just a state of being—it’s not a momentary condition or emotion,” she said. “It’s a lifetime of living with the absence, the ache and the love that never fades. It becomes part of who we are, not just how we feel.

“I believe grief is one of the most misunderstood emotions other than love, but I’ve learned that grief is love with no place to go,” she added. “Grief is the result of great love. The greater the love, the greater the grief will be.”

Cooper said for those dealing with grief, to lean into the waves.

“Grief is often described as waves—and for good reason,” she said. “As someone who has loved the Gulf (of America) waters my entire life, it’s honestly the most tangible way I can describe what grief feels like. The waves come without warning—crashing over you again and again, before you’ve had a chance to recover from the last.

“Lean into the waves,” she said. “Don’t try to resist them. Don’t fight against the tide. Let yourself feel the sorrow, the pain, the longing. The more we fight grief, the more it exhausts us. But when we allow ourselves to feel it fully, we eventually learn how to breathe again—even underwater.”

Cooper’s book is available on Amazon Kindle or paperback, and will be in bookstores, retail stores and libraries in the coming weeks, she said.