At best, Medics gave Rocky Dennis at most, 17 years to live a life they believed would be filled with many disabilities. The kid proved them wrong; he lived for another almost 10 years, and his life was great, in the least. If you have watched the 1985 movie, The Mask, it was this kid who inspired it.
Born Roy L. Dennis, Rocky Dennis was deformed on the face as a result of an extremely rare bone dysplasia. While it was this condition that began his tale, his story is one of the love of a mother, triumph, joy, and a life lived in full.
Early Life of Rocky Dennis and Diagnosis
Rocky was born a healthy and normal child on December 4, 1961, in California, USA to his parents, Florence Tullis and Roy Dennis. He was raised alongside a half-brother, Joshua Mason, who was birthed from his mother’s previous marriage.
By age two, something seemed wrong with the kid, even though not physically. He always had ear and sinus infections, forcing him to see the doctor.
More examinations were carried out, leading to the detection of some abnormalities in his X-ray results. More examinations followed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s medical center, and the revelation was shattering. Rocky had a rare bone disorder known as craniodiaphyseal dysplasia (CDD).
The disorder meant that he was going to have calcium building in his skull and facial bones. It was clear that he was going to have a rather short stature and a disfigured face. As he grew, it became evident as the distance between his eyes widened, his skull got larger on one side, and the shape of his nose was flat.
Doctors told Rocky’s parents that pressure from the accumulation of bone was going to cost the kid his life before the age of 7. Before then, he was going to lose his eyesight, and hearing, and it would also affect his brain.
He Lived a Life beyond the Prediction of Medics
Although it wasn’t an easy ride, Rocky Dennis still managed to lead a rather normal life. He attended the Sandburg Junior High through the effort of his mother and although he was initially behind in his studies, it didn’t take him too long before he caught up with other students. He graduated as an honor student. He recorded this achievement even though he had eye problems and was registered as legally blind.
Apart from his academic achievements, he also excelled in his social life. Described as a humorous young man, he had a few friends and enjoyed pranking people. This was what made Halloween one of his best moments. He wasn’t the kid who would dwell in self-pity.
Just like other kids his age, he fell in love with sports, most especially baseball. He was not allowed to play because of his condition and so he was known for collecting baseball cards.
Rocky Dennis’s mother was his rock
Rocky Dennis was able to navigate life better than anyone could have predicted thanks to the love and support of his mother.
Rusty Dennis Mason was a former drug addict who got married at 17, became a mom at 19, and divorced soon afterward before remarrying and getting divorced again. She had her many battles but above anything else, she chose to become a source of strength for her son.
When the medics declared that he was going to die at a very young age and suffer disabilities, she did not yield to that. Instead, she taught her son the power of the mind in healing, and that was believed to be what sustained him.
One of the most recognized battles Rusty had for Rocky Dennis was when he was set to go to school. The school system insisted that he was disabled and would not perform, but she fought until he was admitted, and by the end, he graduated with honors and was among the best in his class.
See Also: Lexie Bigham – His Life, Times, and How He Died
He passed away before he was 17
For someone who was only given 7 years to live by the medics, Rocky Dennis lived for almost 10 more years before he finally gave up.
As the years progressed, his health continued to deteriorate. 1978 became a much tougher year for him even as he continued to fight with the help of his mother.
On 4th October 1978, while Rusty was before a judge pleading her case over charges of drug possession, she received a call that Rocky had passed on.
His remains were donated to UCLA for medical research.
The movie, The Mask, which featured Cher as Rusty and Eric Stoltz as Rocky, captures the life and death of the youngster and the effort put in by his mother to give him a great life and keep him for as long as she could.
