Roy L. Dennis

Roy Lee "Rocky" Dennis (December 4, 1961 - October 4, 1978) was an American boy afflicted with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare, disfiguring, sclerotic bone disorder. The condition usually results in neurological disorders and death during childhood. His body was donated to UCLA Medical Center after he died. His life was the basis for the 1985 feature film drama Mask. Rocky Dennis was born December 4, 1961 in Glendora, California, to... more

Roy Lee "Rocky" Dennis (December 4, 1961 - October 4, 1978) was an American boy afflicted with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare, disfiguring, sclerotic bone disorder. The condition usually results in neurological disorders and death during childhood. His body was donated to UCLA Medical Center after he died. His life was the basis for the 1985 feature film drama Mask. Rocky Dennis was born December 4, 1961 in Glendora, California, to mother Florence "Rusty" Tullis and father Roy Dennis. At the age of 2, Dennis was diagnosed with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, also known as CDD or lionitis, an extremely rare disease occurring in approximately 1 in every 22 million births, with fewer than 20 recorded cases. It is a bone disorder that causes calcium to build up in the skull, disfiguring the facial features and reducing life expectancy. Doctors informed his mother that the abnormal calcium deposits in his skull would push his eyes toward the edges of his head, twist his nose out... less