Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/470008
GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 4 67 there usually is when things seem at their darkest. And Dukes is at the cen- ter. Henry has cerebral palsy, a neu- rological disorder that affects motor skills. He nearly died at birth — very likely should have — but was spared, only to be left with CP. It limits him to a motorized wheelchair and functional use of only his right hand. And his brain is damaged, a result of lack of oxygen during those first critical moments of life. "The amount of brain damage that he has, he should not be able to do what he does," mom Ta- mara Dukes said. "It's amazing he talks; it's amaz- ing he sees. The brain is just an incredible thing, so whatever section of Henry's brain does sports and statistics is just fine." Indeed, it is. As part of his respon- sibilities with the Boilermakers — he is in his first season with the program, after being hired over the summer — Henry keeps statistics during prac- tices on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. He tabulates steals, rebounds and turnovers on a homemade spread- sheet, then enters them into his com- puter at home and emails the data to Coach Sharon Versyp. But that's probably of nominal im- pact. Henry's influence is far greater. His smile, a wide, toothy grin, is infectious, and catches the eye of those waiting around Mackey Arena's basement on a Monday in mid-February. Like many other days, he rolled into the staging area outside Purdue's locker room, greeting everyone in sight while in- quiring whether the day's practice was in Mackey or Cardinal Court. Assistant Kelly Komara stopped briefly to say hi and to lean in for a hug. It was two days after Purdue's sixth consecutive loss. "It's definitely a release, because when you walk into the gym your trou- bles go away," said senior captain Liza Clemons, who knows pain, having lost her fiancé to an unsolved murder a year-and-a-half ago. "When you look at Henry, he's here, he's happy, he's still smiling no matter what life throws at him. It gives us a perspective that you can't get down, have to keep your head up, keep moving forward." Doing so has been a challenge for this Purdue team, as it labors down the stretch of the season with losses and injuries mount- ing. During a mid-Febru- ary practice, Versyp tried to build team morale, taking a break from drills while tasking the Boilermakers to write down five things that are important in their lives. Henry took part, and on his paper, he wrote "bas- ketball" and "family time." "And then he put a couple things that real- ly stopped you in your tracks," said Terry Kix, Purdue's direc- tor of operations and Dukes' immedi- ate supervisor, "like 'being accepted, feeling a part of things.' Those are examples of things that we take for granted every day and we do have so much to be thankful for. "This season has been emotionally draining, and Henry, and his example he sets, gives us the strength to keep fighting. One thing I would say about this group is that they're still fighting, and Henry's spirit has a lot to do with that." Henry showed that characteristic from an early age, with his physical, occupational and speech therapists — numerous over the years — tell- ing the Dukes of their son's incredible determination. Much of that probably "He loves being around, loves life, loves basketball. He always gives great perspective and always stays so positive. He's really a special young man." Coach Sharon Versyp Dukes is set up at home, where he lives with parents Tom and Tamara, able to use his computer to watch game film of other Big Ten teams. Kyle Charters