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Born
- was born on December 29th, 1960, in California.
- Robert (referred to as Ron in his books) Dave (referred to as David, The Boy, and "IT" in the books) Stephen (referred to as Stan in the books) Richard (referred to as Russell in the books) Kenneth (referred to as Kevin in the books)
- was born into a loving, caring family. Mother: Catherine Pelzer; Father: Stephen Joseph Pelzer
- He said before he was abused, his family was the "Brady Bunch"
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Trip to the River-In the "Good Times"
- Fav trip and beautiful memory of David family
- Their family was ordinary
- The River was not far from Johnson's Beach
- He later want to live near this place
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Dave Now Becomes An "It"
- His mother started drinking more and more until she got so drunk, she abused Dave
- David was only four when he was first punched, hit, and slapped
- He was crying on the inside, but he knew better not to show his feelings, or his mother would know she won the little "games" she played with him (Dave's delusional)
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Arm Accident
- She beat David often now.
- Once she popped his arm out of place. She claimed he had fallen out of the top bunk in his bed.
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The Burns
- David forced to put his arms and body over the kitchen stove.
- He is in so much excruciating pain, but figures out that if he can stall his mother more, she will give up when David's older brothers come home.
- He continues this method throughout his abuse.
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Summer Time
David's mom becomes even more violent. He soon realizes that he misses school, and that it might be his only escape ever. -
Back to School
- David goes back to school finally
- But his mother makes him wear his dirty clothes to school, and it is a huge embarrassment.
- The bruises on his face are fully exposed, and he makes up excuses to say how they happened.
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Starvation
- David's mom soon started to play a little game with him, by starving him constantly for days at a time.
- David was weak and skinny, and his mother often let him just eat the leftover cereal left in his brothers breakfast bowls.
- The abuse includes being forced to eat dog feces
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Parent's Fighting Begins
- David continues to starve, and has entered the second grade.
- His mother is pregnant with a fourth child, and the fighting between his parents only just begins.
- They fight constantly at night, mostly over the treatment of David and his brothers.
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Last Family Trip
- Another family vacations one last time at the Russian River by Johnson's Beach.
- David is abused by his mother still on this trip
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Isolated From The Family
- David is exiled from the family by his mother.
- She doesn't even call him by his name anymore, only by "It" or "The Boy".
- He returns to school with no new clothes, and luckily receives a lunch on most days.
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While Father Is Away
- From the years 1968 to about 1971, David's abuse is continued more and more frequently.
- He tries stealing from other childrens lunches because of his hunger, and is only punished more severly.
- When David's father is away, the abuse is much greater and severe.
- He tries to get his father to help him, but he never offers much help.
- David is very lost without his father, and sleeps in the basement all alone.
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The Stabbing
- David's mom becomes very drunk, and while in her rage she stabs David accidentally.
- The wound is not taken care of properly, and it becomes infected soon.
- David tells his father, who just tells him to keep doing all the chores that his mother insists he should do.
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The Games
- David's mother has always played little "games" with him. - She invents a new one called The Gas Chamber.
- She dumps lots of chemicals into a bucket, and while they are reacting she puts them in a bathroom with David.
- He cannot breathe during these periods of time, and nearly dies on several occasions.
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Father Leaves
- He is forced to do everything for his drunken mom, and then the unthinkable happens.
- Soon after a fifth child is born, David's father leaves them for good. David is left with his mother in the home, and begins to lose hope of ever escaping the household.
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Rescued by School Teachers and Principal
His amazing teachers called the police to remove David from the household of the Mother. David is scared at first, but learns to be courageous, brave, and to find what he was supposed to do in this crazy world. -
First Real Home with Aunty Mary
Moves into Aunt Mary's foster home. He is thrilled to have a new start at life. He doesn't fit in well with the others, so he moves to a new foster home. David spent about 6-7 months at Aunt Mary's. -
Second Foster Home: Cantanzee's
- His social worker, Mrs. Gold, helps him discover the meaning of life, and how to overcome your fears.
- The Cantanzee's foster home seemed perfect for David at first, but he didn't fit in as well as he thought he would.
- He got into a lof of trouble, such as, riding his bike down with one of the other foster kids and decided to go by The Mother's house.
- He did that a couple of times, and he got caught, so the court had to move him to another home.
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Third Foster Parents: Turnonbought's
David's third foster parents were the Turnonbought, who actually ended up adopting David as their own son. He loves them very much and still keeps in touch. -
Third Foster Parents: Temporary
Dave stays at Michael and Joanne Nulls' house for a few months, but Michael divorces Joanne because he had no idea that Joanne had signed up to be a foster parents. David left the house a few days after because he couldn't stand her crying or over reacting anymore. -
Fourth Foster Parents: The Jones
- Vera and Jody Jones were Dave's foster parents for awhile, until he learned The Mother lives less than a mile away
- David made a real friend at the school he attended. He was a Mexican boy, who barely spoke any English. One day, when David got home from school, one of the kids said, "Grab all you're things, were outta' here!" Jody explained that one of the fostered girls accused Jody of molesting her, so they had to hide from the police.
- That was the end of the Jones' house.
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Fifth Foster Parents: John and Linda
John and Linda Walsh were Dave's foster parents for a few years. Dave loved it there and there were no rules whatsoever. David liked his new life there, but he knew it was too much for him. He missed the Turnonboughts dearly. John was in a band, and they were traveling half the time, so he never got to be with his 'family'. He had new friends, a new life; everything. The only thing that was missing was the loving and caring for eachother. So, he decided to go to the Turnonboughts once again. -
Back to Turnonbought's
Dave finally returns back to the Turnonbought's home. He is reunited with the parents who loved him the most. They finally adopted him just before his 18th birthday. They prepared and taught him how to live on his own and loved every minute and secpond he spent with them. He is now part of a caring family, and he knows he is safe from The Mother now. David Pelzer is finally able to call the Turnonbought';s residence his home. -
Attemped to Join Air Force
But failed because of his broken arm -
Period: to
Join U.S. Air Force and Served in the Gulf War
- First served as a cook.
- Later he was hand-picked to midair refuel the then highly secretive SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Stealth Fighter
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Father's Death
Dave Pelzer's father, Stephen Joseph Pelzer, passed away in 1980. This information is available in Dave Pelzer's memoir, "A Child Called 'It,'" where he describes the circumstances surrounding his father's death and the impact it had on his family. -
Married Patsy
Patsy played a significant role in Dave's life and was a source of support as he worked to overcome the challenges he faced during his childhood. -
Stephen Pelzer's Born
Dave Pelzer and his former wife, Patsy, had a son named Stephen Pelzer. Stephen Pelzer was born in 1985. -
Published 'A Child Called It'
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Published 'The Lost Boy'
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Published 'A Man Named Dave'
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Published 'The Priviledge of Youth'
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Divorced