Denny Parsons was diagnosed with ALS in 2007. I didn't know him before ALS, but became friends with him as I documented his progression. 

An avid rider, Denny turned to the biker community for this Poker Run when a fundraiser was needed. Hundreds of motorcyclists showed up for the event that benefitted the ALS Association.

Denny's last ride with some of his closest friends was in August 2007. His hands had become too weak to ride safely anymore, and he needed to bracing to help.

Never one to miss an opportunity for comedic relief, Denny demonstrates choking a rubber chicken, lightening the tension around his last ride.

Denny and I often had long, wandering talks, reflecting on the disease, life, and the comedy of it all.

While Boy Scouts and area businesses donated time and money to repave his driveway and build him a ramp, he was surrounded by friends. As his battle with ALS went on, he cycled through quiet reflection, gregarious laughter, and coming to terms with life's beauty and pain.

The disease progression was most obvious in his hands. By late 2007, he had a difficult time with the simplest chores.

Spring of 2008 was probably the darkest point of his progression; he was on the edge of becoming wholly dependent on others for full time assistance.

On one of the last occasions before he went into full time hospice care, Denny reminded us of his free spirit, popping wheelies on his scooter. This was the last time I took photos before he went into full time hospice care in a facility. To the very end, he kept that rebel spark - that thing that made people laugh and love him.

I stopped photographing Denny when he entered the hospice care. He hated the place, and at the time I couldn't bring myself to photograph him there. He was in the facility for just over a year before succumbing to ALS. 

Personally, his time in hospice was probably the most important I had with him as a friend. As my wife was battling MS, he worked to connect with us and share his hard fought outlook on dealing with a neurological disease. His attitude and appetite for life, even in those darkest hours, brought us higher than he could have ever known.

Throughout it all, he kept his sense of humor, his love for life and the people around him, and remaining steadfastly proud of his daughters.