Disabled girl in photo with TCU’s Boykin that went viral benefits from attention

Young Iowa State football fan Abby Faber is not only “famous” now because of The Photo Seen Round the World but also benefiting from it.

The photo, of course, is Star-Telegram photographer Paul Moseley’s image that went viral of the 7-year-old physically challenged girl meeting TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin during the coin toss before the Frogs’ road game Saturday against the Cyclones.

A crowdfunding effort to help with medical expenses for Abby, who lives in Ankeny, just north of Des Moines, followed. It had generated $15,255 in donations by Thursday afternoon.

Abby was born premature, weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces, her mother, Jenny Faber, told the Star-Telegram. Her early struggles included 105 days in the neonatal intensive care, according to Des Moines’ Blank Children’s Hospital, which chose her as a “Kid Captain” for Saturday’s game.

Just before she turned 3, Abby was diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. She normally uses a walker, but her parents thought it would be easier if she went out for the pregame coin toss in her wheelchair.

When she got to midfield, Boykin, a TCU captain, kneeled in front of her and asked, “What’s your name?”

Moseley’s photograph of the moment went viral, helped along after ESPN’s SportsCenter posted the shot to its Instagram page Monday night.

“Who knew the effect of three words?” Moseley said.

By Tuesday it had more than 151,000 likes. The NCAA website also ran a story on the photo, featuring Moseley’s Facebook post, which was shared more than 7,000 times.

“I really wish we could do more things like that here at TCU, because we inspire so many young people,” Boykin told the Star-Telegram. “And God just put something in my heart to reach out to her.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Disabled girl in photo with TCU’s Boykin that went viral benefits from attention."