Rocky dennis biography and photos

American boy with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia (1961–1978)

"Roy Dennis" redirects current. For the British conservationist, notice Roy Dennis (conservationist). For say publicly American football player, see Roy Dennis (American football).

Roy Lee "Rocky" Dennis (December 4, 1961 – October 4, 1978) was include American teenager who had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare pathology bone disorder.

The condition as is usual results in neurological disorders ride death during childhood or pubescence years.

His sure was the basis for rectitude 1985 drama film Mask.

Early life and diagnosis

Rocky Dennis was born in Glendora, California, essay Florence "Rusty" Tullis and Roy Dennis in 1961. When lighten up was very young, Dennis again and again had ear and sinus infections. He underwent a tonsillectomy continue to do age two, at which spell doctors detected abnormalities in rule x-rays.

Over the next epoch, he visited doctors at Establishment of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)'s medical center multiple times swell week, culminating in a pronouncement of craniodiaphyseal dysplasia (CDD), scheme extremely rare bone disorder mosey causes bone tissue to create up excessively, including in say publicly skull, causing gradual compression hint at the brain and thus intracranial hypertension.^[1][3][4][5]

Based on the small edition of recorded cases — inspect a 1985 television interview, Corroded said Dennis' doctors told troop there were seven recorded cases of CDD^[4] — doctors credible that the pressure from remove accumulation on the central excitable system and cranial nerves would destroy his eyesight and take notice of, and eventually affect his understanding, anticipating he would die onetime to his seventh birthday.^[2][5]

Subsequent years

In the years following Dennis' clarification, he lived with his parents and older half-brother Joshua razorsharp Covina and Glendora.^[5] Many complete Rusty's biker friends frequented their home, acting as a subsidiary support system for the coat, particularly following Dennis' parents dissolution in 1971.^[1][2][4]

Rusty self-describes her therapeutic philosophy as "I decided anciently in my life if order around could make yourself sick, restore confidence could make yourself well," don she taught Dennis that equivalent philosophy.

When he would cry of a headache, Rusty would tell him to go make his room and "don't come forward out until you have easy yourself well."^[1] Dennis also stimulated breathing exercises and biofeedback touch cope with the pain caused by his CDD.^[4][6]

Dennis' vision go downhill as he got older, charge he was declared legally purblind at age six.^[5] When closure was seven, an ophthalmologist expressed Dennis his poor vision intentional he would never learn add up read.

Rusty handed Dennis precise book, which he promptly die aloud before telling the scholar, "I don't believe in use blind."^[1]

Dennis had the opportunity round off undergo plastic surgery that could correct his facial deformities, nevertheless decided against it. He spontaneously Rusty "Who will I doubt in the mirror if Unrestrainable change my face?"^[5]

Schooling

Certain details be aware Dennis' early schooling are indistinct, due to inconsistent statements obtain by Rusty.

In 1985, she appeared on People are Talking, a local San Francisco audience program, and told the number she lied about Dennis' arise to enroll him in kindergarten at age four-and-a-half. When depiction school found out about Dennis' real age, they told Rustbrown that Dennis couldn't stay registered, but offered a "special secondary he [could] go to" rather than, which she accepted.

She went on to say that Dennis spent "a couple of years" at that school "learning ethics things that they teach disabled people" before she began frustrating to enroll him in general school, by which time fair enough was seven years old.^[4] Yet, that same year, People Magazine reported that Dennis began kindergarten when he was six epoch old,^[5] and in 1986, illustriousness Chicago Tribune reported that Russet "raised hell" at the truth of Dennis being placed person of little consequence a "separate school for interpretation handicapped."^[1]

When Rusty attempted to clash with Dennis in school, she was met with significant pushback disproportionate to concerns he might have reservations about mentally retarded, but she alleges the school staff were in point of fact bothered by Dennis' appearance pointer concerned with what the provoke kids' parents might think.

She was successful at campaigning selection Dennis' behalf and was dependable to enroll him in commence school, where he was in the early stages academically behind his classmates, on the other hand quickly caught up and even from Sandburg Junior High gorilla an honor student.^[1][5]

Death

By September 1978, Dennis' health had deteriorated specified that he used a wheelchair for the final weeks present his life.

On October 3, the family ate out take up a restaurant and it was clear to everyone in existing how weak Dennis had conform to. That evening, Dennis had top-notch headache, and Rusty, just likewise she always had, instructed him to go to his latitude and "make himself well." Dennis died the next morning, Oct 4. Rusty told People Magazine that she heard him reactive around 6 AM, but significant was dead when she went to check on him handy 10 AM.^[1][5] His body was donated to UCLA's genetics trial center and cremated afterwards.^[6] Consummate official cause of death was sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, unornamented condition of unknown origins cruise may or may not own acquire been related to CDD.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

Peter Bogdanovich directed significance 1985 film Mask, from Anna Hamilton Phelan's screenplay based itemisation Dennis' life.

Eric Stoltz describe Dennis. In one scene mass the film, Stoltz's Dennis explains a poem to his colloquial, Rusty (played by Cher), dump was written by Dennis. Illustriousness movie is based loosely event Dennis' life, with most handle the scenes and dialogue changed for dramatic purposes.^[5][7] Rusty spoken a Chicago Tribune reporter desert the film was mostly precise but with two major departures from reality — the affairs occurred over a period hark back to 10–12 years, rather than sole year as depicted in dignity film; and Dennis' older stepbrother, Joshua, is never mentioned suspend the film.^[1]

Phelan adapted her play-acting into a stage musical observe the same name, with penalisation by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

The musical premiered invective the Pasadena Playhouse in Calif. on March 12, 2008.^[8]

Swedish go off visit musician Jens Lekman self-published dexterous song titled "Rocky Dennis' Goodbye Song to the Blind Girl", causing DJs to mistakenly yell the musician by Rocky Dennis' name.^[9] In 2004, Lekman unrestricted Rocky Dennis in Heaven, contain EP containing "Rocky Dennis' Goodbye Song to the Blind Girl" and two other songs trouble Dennis.^[10]

References