| Roy L. Dennis’ Yearbook | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Roy L. Dennis |
|
Type |
Yearbook |
|
Effects |
Increases bone growth |
|
Downsides |
Causes blindness |
|
Activation |
Reading to another |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Date of Collection |
May 9, 2024 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Roy Lee "Rocky" Dennis (December 4, 1961 – October 4, 1978) was an American teenager who had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare sclerotic bone disorder. These calcium deposits decrease the size of cranial foramina, and can decrease the circumference of the cervical spinal canal. The condition usually results in neurological disorders and death during childhood or teenage years. His life was the basis for the 1985 drama film Mask.
Dennis' vision worsened as he got older, and he was declared legally blind at age six. When he was seven, an ophthalmologist told Dennis his poor vision meant he would never learn to read. Rusty handed Dennis a book, which he promptly read aloud before telling the doctor, "I don't believe in being blind.
When his mother attempted to enroll Dennis in school, she was met with significant pushback due to concerns he might be intellectually disabled, but she alleges the school staff were actually bothered by Dennis' appearance and concerned with what the other kids' parents might think. She was successful at campaigning on Dennis' behalf and was able to enroll him in public school, where he was initially academically behind his classmates, but quickly caught up and graduated from Sandburg Junior High as an honor student.
By September 1978, Dennis' health had deteriorated such that he used a wheelchair for the final weeks of his life. On October 3, the family ate out at a restaurant and it was clear to everyone in attendance how weak Dennis had become. That evening, Dennis had a headache, and Rusty, just as she always had, instructed him to go to his room and "make himself well." Dennis died the next morning. His body was donated to UCLA's genetics research center and cremated afterwards
Effects[]
Increases bone growth, often causing swelling on the cranium and impairing the senses, usually leading to blindness. Their intelligence or awareness is rarely affected.