Donald Brashear - Early Life

Early Life

Brashear is the youngest of three children born to an African-American father and Québécois mother, Johnny and Nicole Brashear, in Bedford, Indiana. His father was an alcoholic who abused his family, including beating Donald with belts and electrical cords. On one occasion he threw a six-month-old Donald across the room. His mother, fearful that Johnny might kill her, left the family and returned to Canada. Later she came back to take the children, but left Donald to live with his father for another four years, until Donald's paternal grandmother sent him to Canada. Donald's mother later stated that she left him behind because her future husband was prejudiced and did not want another mixed-race child in the house.

Brashear moved in with his mother and his new stepfather in Lorretteville, Quebec. He suffered further abuse in his new surroundings, he was forced to sleep with a garbage bag tied around his waist to help him stop wetting the bed, and he was verbally berated for not being able to tie his shoes. His mother finally decided to give him up to foster care, due in part because of what she called "mental problems" from the abuse he had suffered, and because he did not accept her as his mother. Brashear lived in two different foster homes that sent him away since the families believed he was a "little too much to handle."

At the age of eight Brashear moved to Val-Bélair, Quebec City and settled into a new foster home. Once there he began playing hockey with his new siblings. In order to help pay for hockey, Brashear sold baked bread and garbage bags door to door. Later he became a paper boy.