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 MEET A MAN NAMED DAVE In 1992, Dave Pelzer was invited to meet former President Ronald Reagan in his California office. Minutes later the two were doing their own impromptu stand-up routine. President Reagan was doing "Reagan" and Dave was impersonating Reagan's VP, President George H.W. Bush. Afterward, President Reagan hugged his comedic partner and with that familiar twinkle in his eyes told Dave, "You're a good American." The two men shared more than a private performance, they both came from humble beginnings, worked hard to achieve more than was ever imaginable for their lives and did so with a strong sense of God and country. As a young boy, Dave remembered hearing Governor Reagan take a bold stand against riots in California. But he never imagined he would someday meet the man behind the voice drifting from his family's television set down the stark stairs to Dave's basement "prison." The severely abused child whose mother would only address as "It" triumphed over a bleak childhood to become a man acclaimed, awarded and accomplished. It is hard to imagine that the upbeat impressionist standing in front of audiences today once lived in hunger, fear and torture at the hands of his own mother. In the first few years of his life, Dave's family life was idyllic, but alcohol and a twisted sense of parenting created a drastic change in his mother. Singled out from his brothers, Dave was soon isolated in the family's basement with an army cot for a bed. He was deprived of regular meals and beaten when he didn't complete his "chores" by the prescribed deadline. Mrs. Pelzer forced her young son to drink ammonia, inhale toxic fumes and even stabbed him. The physical abuse was combined with mental cruelty meant to convince young Dave he was bad, worthless and not a fit member of "the family." While his mother was the sole parent to dispense her unique brand of "discipline" on her son, Dave's father either could not or would not rescue his son from the nightmare in which he was living. His inaction was both incomprehensible and tragically disappointing to the young boy who looked up to his father as his potential savior. Child abuse was an almost taboo topic in the seventies, so it took Dave's elementary school teachers, principal and school nurse some time to recognize the truth. They began documenting their findings in relation to the thin, poorly dressed child who was stealing lunches from his fellow classmates until one day they made the heroic decision to call the police. On March 5, 1973, Dave's life was changed forever by their decision. He had lived to taste freedom, but adjusting to a normal life would take some time. For a child whose case is still considered one of the worst child abuse cases in California history, waking up from such a horrific nightmare takes more than a change of scenery. Dave was in and out of numerous foster homes, struggled to gain acceptance among his peers and find his way in life. While his teen years were a balancing act, Dave continued to yearn for the love of a mother who could not return that love. He found, instead, love and stability from one of his foster parents, the Turnboughs. He became an international bestselling author. His trilogy: A Child Called "It", The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave, tell the heart-wrenching, stirring story of the abused child, the young man struggling to find his way and the successful man that child became. The author in Dave didn't put down his pen afterward. He went on to release Help Yourself and The Privilege of Youth and book #6 will be hitting bookstores soon. Dave is one of the only authors to have four books on the New York Times Best Sellers List simultaneously and the first author to have three books on this list simultaneously in trade paperback. Dave is the only author to have four #1 International Best Sellers. And both A Child Called "It" and Help Yourself were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Through it all, he always remembered his roots and had a drive to help others. While in the Air Force, he worked with programs that dealt with at-risk youth and his road schedule continues to be a hectic one today. He speaks to audiences throughout the nation to motivate and inspire with his unique insight to their problems, his strong belief in standing tall for one's beliefs and his uncanny wit. Dave's experience includes: Juvenile Hall Counselor, Youth Service Worker, Troy State University-human services studies, National Advisor-Missing Youth Foundation, Board of Directors-Foster Care ILP, and Certified Correctional Custody Program Facilitator. He has appeared on radio and television programs. "I'm just a regular guy trying to keep this all together. I'm a presenter, not a speaker," Dave says of himself. And his message is simple and straightforward. If you have survived something terrible know that, "No one can ever hurt you again. Defend yourself! Take a stand!" He has been there and doesn't believe in taking "No" for an answer. "No excuses; make good decisions. Life goes on! Move on!" And despite what society says, Dave is a firm believer that character does matter. When Dave was about 10 years old, the starvation, the beatings had become almost unbearable. How could a just God allow a child to remain in such intolerable conditions? Dave had despaired in the very existence of God. Had God abandoned him completely? His father, who had countless times promised to take his son away with him, left his wife and family during this same period. Life was bleak and Dave became resigned that he might forever live in servitude at his mother's bidding. But Dave realized only God could truly deliver him from evil and he learned to thank God each day. "I was always thankful that Mother didn't hit me one more time," he says of those prayers he uttered then. "I would never change one moment of my life," Dave confides today. "It brought me closer to God; it made me stronger." And Dave celebrates the life he is living today with the conviction that he is truly a blessed man.is time to inspiring others has received numerous awards. There are personal commendations from Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush. In 1990, he was the recipient of the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, making him the California Volunteer of the Year. In 1993, Dave was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans, joining a distinguished group of alumni including: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Anne Bancroft, Orson Welles, Walt Disney, and Nelson Rockefeller. In 1994, Dave was the only American to be honored as one of The Outstanding Young Persons of the World. And last year, Dave was the recipient of The Points of Light Award. He has received more than most individuals will ever receive in a lifetime, yet his strongest holds on happiness revert back to the love-starved child from years earlier. He found that love for which he had been searching in his foster parents and, more recently, in his son, Stephen, and his wife, Marsha. They are, without a doubt, the loves of his life and perhaps Dave, more than most, knows the true worth of savoring love, love sought out for years and returned at last without reservation. His office is a testament to those people that have influenced his life profoundly: family photos, photos of his wife and his son. And while Dave has met hundreds of personalities worldwide, there is only one celebrity photo that is quietly displayed among those personal photos: a picture of Dave standing next to President Ronald Reagan. Their smiles might have been in place due to Dave's impersonation of President Bush or he might have slipped into a Clint Eastwood monologue. Perhaps the Gipper heard the humorous Clinton impression I heard when Dave and I spoke. But the truth is probably much more substantial. Two men met, shared a laugh and a hug. They each left an impression on each other and others around them: love God, love country and believe in your ability to be so much more than you ever thought possible. Read More Stories |
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