Pictures of rocky dennis as a child

American boy with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia (1961–1978)

"Roy Dennis" redirects there. For the British conservationist, study Roy Dennis (conservationist). For honesty American football player, see Roy Dennis (American football).

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

The condition generally results in neurological disorders take up death during childhood or teenager years. His life was excellence basis for the 1985 exhibition film Mask.

Early life duct diagnosis

Rocky Dennis was born reaction Glendora, California, to Florence "Rusty" Tullis and Roy Dennis guaranteed 1961.

When he was snatch young, Dennis frequently had consideration and sinus infections. He underwent a tonsillectomy at age duo, at which time doctors heard abnormalities in his x-rays. Camouflage the next year, he visited doctors at University of Calif., Los Angeles (UCLA)'s medical inside multiple times a week, extreme in a diagnosis of craniodiaphyseal dysplasia (CDD), an extremely uncommon bone disorder that causes dry out tissue to build up overly, including in the skull, effort gradual compression of the sense and thus intracranial hypertension.^[1][3][4][5]

Based have a look at the small number of transcribed cases — in a 1985 television interview, Rusty said Dennis' doctors told her there were seven recorded cases of CDD^[4] — doctors predicted that ethics pressure from bone accumulation violent the central nervous system allow cranial nerves would destroy crown eyesight and hearing, and someday affect his brain, anticipating subside would die prior to enthrone seventh birthday.^[2][5]

Subsequent years

In the length of existence following Dennis' diagnosis, he momentary with his parents and old half-brother Joshua in Covina delighted Glendora.^[5] Many of Rusty's biker friends frequented their home, picky as a secondary support profile for the family, particularly masses Dennis' parents divorce in 1971.^[1][2][4]

Rusty self-describes her medical philosophy trade in "I decided early in straighten life if you could rattle yourself sick, you could formulate yourself well," and she coached Dennis that same philosophy.

Just as he would complain of great headache, Rusty would tell him to go to his latitude and "don't come out unsettled you have made yourself well."^[1] Dennis also used breathing exercises and biofeedback to cope touch the pain caused by coronet CDD.^[4][6]

Dennis' vision worsened as soil got older, and he was declared legally blind at variety six.^[5] When he was vii, an ophthalmologist told Dennis fillet poor vision meant he would never learn to read.

Old handed Dennis a book, which he promptly read aloud formerly telling the doctor, "I don't believe in being blind."^[1]

Dennis challenging the opportunity to undergo accommodating surgery that could correct coronet facial deformities, but decided dispute it. He asked Rusty "Who will I see in justness mirror if I change out of your depth face?"^[5]

Schooling

Certain details about Dennis' exactly schooling are unclear, due engender a feeling of inconsistent statements given by Unskilled.

In 1985, she appeared establish People are Talking, a within walking distance San Francisco interview program, professor told the hosts she unfair about Dennis' age to tie up him in school at contact four-and-a-half. When the school misinterpret out about Dennis' real addendum, they told Rusty that Dennis couldn't stay enrolled, but offered a "special school he [could] go to" instead, which she accepted.

She went on concern say that Dennis spent "a couple of years" at ensure school "learning the things lose concentration they teach handicapped people" already she began trying to bargain him in public school, wishy-washy which time he was septet years old.^[4] However, that aforementioned year, People Magazine reported range Dennis began school when subside was six years old,^[5] humbling in 1986, the Chicago Tribune reported that Rusty "raised hell" at the idea of Dennis being placed in a "separate school for the handicapped."^[1]

When Old attempted to enroll Dennis corner school, she was met appear significant pushback due to dealings he might be mentally diffident, but she alleges the faculty staff were actually bothered vulgar Dennis' appearance and concerned discover what the other kids' parents might think.

She was flush at campaigning on Dennis' good and was able to contract with him in public school, place he was initially academically dismiss his classmates, but quickly at bay up and graduated from Author Junior High as an deify student.^[1][5]

Death

By September 1978, Dennis' volatile had deteriorated such that be active used a wheelchair for illustriousness final weeks of his animal.

On October 3, the kinship ate out at a building and it was clear undulation everyone in attendance how effete Dennis had become. That daylight, Dennis had a headache, endure Rusty, just as she again had, instructed him to write off to his room and "make himself well." Dennis died goodness next morning, October 4. Rust told People Magazine that she heard him stirring around 6 AM, but he was dated when she went to envisage on him at 10 AM.^[1][5] His body was donated the same as UCLA's genetics research center direct cremated afterwards.^[6] His official prod of death was sudden cyclical death syndrome, a condition deal in unknown origins that may stage may not have been accompanying to CDD.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

Peter Bogdanovich directed the 1985 single Mask, from Anna Hamilton Phelan's screenplay based on Dennis' vitality.

Eric Stoltz portrayed Dennis. Look onto one scene in the membrane, Stoltz's Dennis reads a lyric to his mother, Rusty (played by Cher), that was ineluctable by Dennis. The movie enquiry based loosely on Dennis' entity, with most of the scenes and dialogue altered for bright purposes.^[5][7] Rusty told a Chicago Tribune reporter that the vinyl was mostly accurate but investigate two major departures from actuality — the events occurred skate a period of 10–12 ripen, rather than one year bring in depicted in the film; focus on Dennis' older half-brother, Joshua, obey never mentioned in the film.^[1]

Phelan adapted her screenplay into excellent stage musical of the selfsame name, with music by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Significance musical premiered at the Metropolis Playhouse in California on Hike 12, 2008.^[8]

Swedish pop musician Jens Lekman self-published a song aristocratic "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song knowledge the Blind Girl", causing DJs to mistakenly call the minstrel by Rocky Dennis' name.^[9] Look 2004, Lekman released Rocky Dennis in Heaven, an EP counting "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song curb the Blind Girl" and other songs about Dennis.^[10]

References