2024 Feature Story

Failure to Thrive A decade ago, carrying the guilt and grief of her mother’s death, Tiffany Moore returned to Sedalia, Missouri – her birthplace –...

Failure to Thrive A decade ago, carrying the guilt and grief of her mother’s death, Tiffany Moore returned to Sedalia, Missouri – her birthplace – to set down roots and reconnect with family. Moore, now a 33-year-old single mother, recently gave birth to premature twins. She relies on her father, Noble Moore Sr., and her friends to get her through each day, especially as she cares for one of her twins who has medical complications that require 90-minute treks to Kansas City for treatment. Through good times and bad, her community’s unwavering support gives her the strength and hope she needs to build a better life for her children. “I would never say this is easy, but I manage. I have no choice [but] to do it,” Moore said. “I can’t force their dad to be around. I don’t have the ability to. They may not have the Buckingham Palace, but they have everything they need. And they are happy. The only way I would feel wrong is if they weren’t happy.“ Tiffany Moore, 33, holds her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, as her father Noble Moore Sr. chases Aydin Bowens, 11 months, on Sept. 25, 2023, at Tiffany’s home in Sedalia, Mo. After she gave birth to her twins, Tiffany had to spend weeks at time with doctors in Kansas City, Mo., as they cared for Raydin, who was diagnosed with “failure to thrive.” While she was away from Sedalia, her father stepped in to live with and care for Aydin.

From left, Tiffany Moore, 33, watches as her son Aydin Bowens, 11 months, plays with her father, Noble Moore Sr., as they wait to see...

From left, Tiffany Moore, 33, watches as her son Aydin Bowens, 11 months, plays with her father, Noble Moore Sr., as they wait to see a doctor for Aydin’s ear infection on Sept. 27, 2023, at Bothwell TLC Pediatrics in Sedalia, Mo. Moore gave birth to her twins prematurely, and their medical needs often require them to travel an hour and a half to Kansas City, Mo.

Tiffany Moore, 33, discuses what’s for dinner with her children on Sept. 27, 2023, at her home in Sedalia, Mo. “My mom always made us...

Tiffany Moore, 33, discuses what’s for dinner with her children on Sept. 27, 2023, at her home in Sedalia, Mo. “My mom always made us a four-course meal, so I always try to do the same for my kids,” Moore said.

Tiffany Moore, 33, who recently gave birth to twins, injects medicine for reflux into her 11-month-old son Raydin Bowens’ feeding tube on Sept. 27, 2023,...

Tiffany Moore, 33, who recently gave birth to twins, injects medicine for reflux into her 11-month-old son Raydin Bowens’ feeding tube on Sept. 27, 2023, at her home in Sedalia, Mo. “It makes me sad because I want them to be on the same stage, but he is always behind because of all of his issues,” Moore said. “I am a doctor twice a day. Here comes Doctor Mommy!”

Tiffany Moore, 33, naps on the couch, which she uses as her bed, as her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, sleeps next to her on...

Tiffany Moore, 33, naps on the couch, which she uses as her bed, as her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, sleeps next to her on Sept. 27, 2023, at her home in Sedalia, Mo. More is the mother of two 11-month-old twins. “It’s a constant ongoing battle,” Moore said. “I can’t even shower because as soon as they are both asleep I need to get my sleep.”

Moments after being woken up from a nap, Tiffany Moore, 33, watches an exterminator search for bed bugs in the couch where she sleeps at...

Moments after being woken up from a nap, Tiffany Moore, 33, watches an exterminator search for bed bugs in the couch where she sleeps at her public housing apartment in Sedalia, Mo. on Sept. 27, 2023. After Moore didn’t answer a knock at her door, a maintenance worker keyed into her apartment to let the exterminator inside. “The new management has been good at getting the drug dealers out of the building, but I have been saving for a long time to get a house,” Moore said. “I don’t want my kids to think this is normal.”

Tiffany Moore, 33, cries at her mother’s grave on Sept. 27, 2023, at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia, Mo. “I always bring her $1.15...

Tiffany Moore, 33, cries at her mother’s grave on Sept. 27, 2023, at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia, Mo. “I always bring her $1.15 because that’s how much her favorite fountain drink cost,” Moore said. “She held this family together, and everyone started disappearing when she left. She was the strongest of the bunch.”

Tiffany Moore, 33, collects herself after visiting her mother’s grave on Sept. 27, 2023, at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia, Mo. When the pressures...

Tiffany Moore, 33, collects herself after visiting her mother’s grave on Sept. 27, 2023, at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia, Mo. When the pressures of motherhood become too much and Moore needs time to herself, she will borrow a friend’s car to run errands or simply drive around town.

Tiffany Moore, 33, board an elevator with her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, in a stroller, hoping he will nap on Sept. 28, 2023, in...

Tiffany Moore, 33, board an elevator with her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, in a stroller, hoping he will nap on Sept. 28, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Moore had to wait almost a full year for doctors to perform a swallow study, as well as a battery of gastrointestinal exams, on her son. “I try and walk when I am here,” Moore said.” “There really isn’t much for me to do other than walk and eat.”

Tiffany Moore, 33, plays with her 11-month-old son Raydin Bowens on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, Mo. Moore and...

Tiffany Moore, 33, plays with her 11-month-old son Raydin Bowens on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, Mo. Moore and her son are in Kansas City for a swallow study and various other tests she has been waiting almost a year for. “I don’t like to hang around the Ronald McDonald house,” Moore said. “If I am around there too much, people start wanting to be in your business. They start asking all these questions, and I have told his story so many times it’s old.”

Tiffany Moore, 33, walks through a skywalk pushing her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, in a stroller, hoping he will nap on Sept. 28, 2023,...

Tiffany Moore, 33, walks through a skywalk pushing her son Raydin Bowens, 11 months, in a stroller, hoping he will nap on Sept. 28, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Moore had to wait almost a full year for doctors to perform a swallow study, as well as a battery of gastrointestinal exams, on her son. “I try and walk when I am here,” Moore said.” “There really isn’t much for me to do other than walk and eat.”

Tiffany Moore, 33, at right, naps with her 11-month-old son Raydin Bowens on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, Mo....

Tiffany Moore, 33, at right, naps with her 11-month-old son Raydin Bowens on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, Mo. Moore and her son are in Kansas City for a swallow study and various other tests she has been waiting almost a year for. “I don’t like to hang around the Ronald McDonald house,” Moore said. “If I am around there too much, people start wanting to be in your business. They start asking all these questions, and I have told his story so many times it’s old.”

Brooke High and Billy High spend time resting in bed while their twins, Kendall and Olivia, nap at home in Tampa, FL on June 25,...

Brooke High and Billy High spend time resting in bed while their twins, Kendall and Olivia, nap at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. When their story first came out, politicians and advocates on both sides used their story to support their own viewpoints. “It doesn’t make sense to me that we would be that shining example [for antiabortion advocates],” she said. Their lives are, as she put it, “so imperfect.” Brooke likes to read fantasy novels to escape the stresses of her life. Meanwhile, Billy watches skateboarding videos on his phone in his spare time. Brooke appreciates when they have a quiet moment rather than filling it with arguments or chores. Brooke and Billy married and Billy joined the military when she couldn’t get an abortion in Texas. The closest clinic that could have given her an abortion was a 13-hour drive away in New Mexico. Brooke High found out she was pregnant two days before the Texas Heartbeat Act went into effect, which banned abortions after about six weeks. Barely missing the deadline, she was unable to access an abortion before the ban took effect. At 18-years-old, Brooke found herself juggling the feeding and sleeping schedules of twin newborns. Their father, Billy High, enlisted in the military, rather than chase his skateboarding dreams, in order to provide for his unexpected new family. Appearing in a story about the abortion ban shortly before Roe v. Wade was overturned, they became symbols on both sides of the abortion debate in the United States.

Brooke High vacuums as Billy High watches skateboarding videos and their twins, Kendall and Olivia, play at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023....

Brooke High vacuums as Billy High watches skateboarding videos and their twins, Kendall and Olivia, play at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. Brooke often gets frustrated by doing chores while Billy hangs out or leaves a mess behind for her. They both gave up dreams to support the twins when she got unexpectedly pregnant and couldn’t access an abortion in Texas. For Brooke, it was giving up her plan to be a realtor. Now she feels stuck, because she doesn’t think she could provide for the twins if she left Billy.

While Billy High is at work, Brooke High comforts Kendall after Olivia bit her at home in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. As much...

While Billy High is at work, Brooke High comforts Kendall after Olivia bit her at home in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. As much as they struggle to get along sometimes, Brooke said the hours she is at home without Billy there to help her are the hardest. He works from 2 pm until after 11, so she has to take care of the girls’ bedtime routine alone.

When they disagreed about whose turn it was to change the diapers for their twins, Brooke and Billy High play Rock Paper Scissors to decide...

When they disagreed about whose turn it was to change the diapers for their twins, Brooke and Billy High play Rock Paper Scissors to decide at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. Games like Rock Paper Scissors help them avoid frequent arguments about who handles various chores and responsibilities.

Taking a break from playing video games, Brooke and Billy High toss Kendall as Olivia watches at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023....

Taking a break from playing video games, Brooke and Billy High toss Kendall as Olivia watches at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. Brooke says she is proud of the decisions they have made for their family. Billy is a mechanic for the Air Force, while Brooke cares for the girls full time. However, they both said that they miss the freedom they had before.

While Billy High is at work, Brooke High takes care of their twins at home in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. Every time they...

While Billy High is at work, Brooke High takes care of their twins at home in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. Every time they put the girls down for bed, one of them reads Kendall and Olivia a bedtime story. Brooke was proud when a doctor called her girls "really smart" at a one-year checkup.

Billy High does a backflip as he and Brooke High play with their twins, Kendall and Olivia, at a park in Tampa, FL on June...

Billy High does a backflip as he and Brooke High play with their twins, Kendall and Olivia, at a park in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. A throwback to his days showing off at the skatepark where they met, Billy often does tricks like this at the playground instead. Sometimes Brooke finds it charming, but other times she just wants him to pay attention to her and the girls.

Brooke High gives Billy High a kiss as they play in the pool with their twins, Kendall and Olivia, in Tampa, FL on June 26,...

Brooke High gives Billy High a kiss as they play in the pool with their twins, Kendall and Olivia, in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. When they first moved to Tampa, she missed her new husband dearly. However, as time went on, he felt more distant—too tired from work to talk or give her validation of his love. To help with the arguments and tension in their marriage, Brooke and Billy now see a marriage counselor, who recommends that they each take time for themselves. Brooke takes Kendall and Olivia to swim lessons every week and continues their education whenever she can at the pool in their apartment complex. It is nearly impossible for her to handle them without Billy's help though because the girls will shoot off in different directions.

Brooke and Billy High put their twins, Kendall and Olivia, down for a nap at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. If they...

Brooke and Billy High put their twins, Kendall and Olivia, down for a nap at home in Tampa, FL on June 25, 2023. If they didn’t have the girls, they both admit their teen romance probably would have fizzled out and they would have moved on. Now, they instead share the experience of parenthood. A study by pro-abortion-rights research group at the University of California at San Francisco, which included nearly 1,000 women, found that women who are denied abortions experience worse financial, health, and family outcomes than those who are able to end their pregnancies.

Brooke High listens on a call with a career coach, to help her reach her new dream of being a personal trainer, at home in...

Brooke High listens on a call with a career coach, to help her reach her new dream of being a personal trainer, at home in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. “It’s a little bit scary,” Brooke said of how quickly their relationship could fall apart. “Billy and I haven’t been together that long.” So, using military spouse benefits, she found hope in having a plan to gain some independence and help support her children regardless of how things play out with Billy.

Billy High laughs as Kendall and Olivia High, wearing matching Air Force onesies, play with his hat before he leaves for work from their home...

Billy High laughs as Kendall and Olivia High, wearing matching Air Force onesies, play with his hat before he leaves for work from their home in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. After Air Force basic training, “I felt more able to take care of them,” he said. “I felt like I could do anything if I wanted to.” His daughters made him feel good about the person he was becoming. While Brooke is their main caregiver, one of the things she loves most about Billy is that he is the "fun" one who can always make their girls laugh.

Brooke High pushes Kendall and Olivia in a stroller on a walk with a friend, who she met in a military spouse support group on...

Brooke High pushes Kendall and Olivia in a stroller on a walk with a friend, who she met in a military spouse support group on Facebook, in Tampa, FL on June 26, 2023. They spoke of the struggles of parenthood, military life, and being more than a thousand miles from home. Brooke shared how well the call with a career counselor went earlier that day. How comforting it was to have a ray of hope amidst the uncertainties of their future. A year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Billy said of the abortion laws that led to their situation, “If I see it on the news, I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s why I have two kids today. I think that for like a split second, then I move on.”

People listen as U.S Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the memorial service for California Senator Dianne Feinstein at City Hall in San Francisco on...

People listen as U.S Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the memorial service for California Senator Dianne Feinstein at City Hall in San Francisco on Thursday, October 5, 2023.

Standing on a bowhead whale, men cut a section of muktuk to be cooked and served immediately for the whaling crews and helpers who joined...

Standing on a bowhead whale, men cut a section of muktuk to be cooked and served immediately for the whaling crews and helpers who joined the effort to pull it onto the ice and harvest it near Point Hope on May 10, 2023. In spring 2023, whaling captain Jan Nashookpuk climbed a tower and rang a bell at the center of Point Hope, a village in Alaska’s Arctic northwest. Friends and family cheered the moment, a traditional way to announce his crew’s successful hunt of a bowhead whale. It was a first for the Jan as captain, and a moment his family won’t forget. Whaling, regulated by an international body now, has provided food for Point Hope for thousands of years. And the sharing began right away. Dozens of men gathered at the edge of the ice to help pull the whale up. Then the harvest went on all night. This story looks at a tradition central to the identity of residents in an Inupiat village in Alaska.

Whaling captain Jan Nashookpuk rings a church bell in Point Hope on May 10, 2023, a traditional way to signifiy a successful bowhead whale hunt...

Whaling captain Jan Nashookpuk rings a church bell in Point Hope on May 10, 2023, a traditional way to signifiy a successful bowhead whale hunt to the community.

Whaling captain Jan Nashookpuk adjusts his crew’s flag near the location where the bowhead whale his crew hunted would be pulled onto the ice near...

Whaling captain Jan Nashookpuk adjusts his crew’s flag near the location where the bowhead whale his crew hunted would be pulled onto the ice near Point Hope on May 10, 2023. It was Nashookpuk’s first whale as captain in 14 years.

Janice Schaeffer serves muktuk to people helping with the harvest of a bowhead whale hunted by the whaling crew of her father, Jan Nashookpuk, on...

Janice Schaeffer serves muktuk to people helping with the harvest of a bowhead whale hunted by the whaling crew of her father, Jan Nashookpuk, on May 10, 2023, near Point Hope.

A polar bear approaches the location on the sea ice where Jan Nashookpuk’s crew landed a bowhead whale on May 10, 2023. The bear turned...

A polar bear approaches the location on the sea ice where Jan Nashookpuk’s crew landed a bowhead whale on May 10, 2023. The bear turned and ran away from the crowd gathering there.

Heavy sections of skin and blubber are dragged away after being harvested from a bowhead whale near Point Hope on May 10, 2023. Several whaling...

Heavy sections of skin and blubber are dragged away after being harvested from a bowhead whale near Point Hope on May 10, 2023. Several whaling crews harvested shares in the whale hunted by Jan Nashookpuk’s crew.

Tori and Edna Nashookpuk ride on the tailgate as they delivers handfuls of meat and muktuk to households in Point Hope on May 11, 2023....

Tori and Edna Nashookpuk ride on the tailgate as they delivers handfuls of meat and muktuk to households in Point Hope on May 11, 2023. Tori is the daughter of the whaling captain’s wife, Tada Nashookpuk. Edna is Tada’s sister.