Despite her drug habit and revolving bedroom door, Rusty shined in the glory category of good parenting: fighting for her kid. Mask is based on the true story of Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis, a boy born with a rare disease called craniodiaphyseal dysplasia that distorted his face and made his head grow to twice the normal size. When teachers tried to place Rocky in classes for developmentally disabled kids (even though his disease had no impact on his intelligence) Rusty fought back. When doctors insisted that Rocky was a hopeless cause who would die by the age of 7, Rusty fought back. She wasn't a perfect mom, just the perfect mom to have in a foxhole when you're battling bureaucratic apathy.