Richard Turner

Turner was born in San Diego in 1954, which he dubbed "the year of the full deck" (referring to a standard 52-card deck of playing cards, plus the two jokers). At the age of seven, he became infatuated with the television show Maverick.

His eyesight began failing at the age of nine following his recovery from a bout with scarlet fever. The macula of each of Turner's eyes was completely destroyed, preventing forward vision. By the age of thirteen...