Tukee Talk Darryl Webb

AFN photographer bids fond farewell to ‘Tukee

Kids like Desert Vista junior Joe Underwood 16, inspire me. Despite being confined to a wheelchair he's an athlete who hasn't let his disabitity stop him from doing anything he sets his mind too. Here he falls awkwardly (but was up in about 2-3 seconds) playing basketball with Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton at the Virginia G. Piper Sports & Fitness Facility for People with Disabilities. July 18, 2012. Darryl Webb/AFN

AFN photographer bids fond farewell to ‘Tukee

While on assignment this little guy Joel Andrews 3 1/2 crawled into my lap with book and wanted me to read it to him. So I read to him. This was one of the most touching moments of my career. As a photographer I try to be stealth like, but sometimes it doesn't work that way and in this case I'm glad I didn't blend in. Joel was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that results in fibrous tumors to grow on different nerves throughout the body, including on the brain and spinal cord. He had his first surgery when he was just 4 months old. The story was about Ryan House; a home for Arizona families caring for children with life-threatening conditions. Feb 14, 2012. Darryl Webb/AFN