CPOY

CPOY 69 Domestic Picture Story Bronze: A Father at 60

In the hilly countryside of Fordsville, Ky., 60-year-old Faron Cox spends his days in the same double wide trailer where he spent his childhood. Following the loss of his father in 2006, Cox inherited the home in addition to the expanse of land he now looks after. At an age when most are retiring, Cox faces the daily challenges and struggles of raising his two youngest sons, Faron "Bear" Cox, 7 and Skylor "Tiber" Cox, 4. Reality hits often for Faron as he finds himself worrying about the demands of childcare and his diminishing health. He relies on his disability check and pain medication for his back to get through the fiscal and physical challenges of each day. A tense and complicated relationship with the children's mother leaves Faron as a single father. Now, he questions the time he has left to watch his children grow.

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Faron Jr. and Skylor play on the rope swings outside of their home as their father pushes them. "When I first had my first three kids, back in the 70’s I thought that was it. I wasn’t thinking about having another wife or more kids and then more kids. It never entered my mind. You don’t regret having your kids. That’s actually the only thing you’ve got to show for in life other than the memories of the ones that are gone," Faron said.
Brittany Greeson / Western Kentucky University
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