EDITOR’S NOTE:
We contacted Mr. David Harvey to share his story. Below is his wonderful open letter to people anywhere and everywhere.
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Hello Everyone,
My name is David Harvey. I have been going to Comic Conventions, Comedy Shows, Concerts, and more for about 6 years. I want other people in life to know they are part of something special in this life. I want to say that all these events gave me a sense of hope, helped me to deal with pain and just to have fun and get to be myself. Before all this happened, I was just a kid in struggling through school and playing video games but when I started going to these cons, it was life changing for me… I said to myself after that I don’t need to let people tell me how to live my life. I was told I was nothing, a loser, some said to kill myself, they said no one loved me, they got me so bad I believed it. I also have had a lot of death in the family. But I continued to attend events and it’s been a heck of a journey. I know many will say they don’t have the best life, who have no friends, are bullied, and are forced to be things they don’t want to be. My message to many of you out there who suffer through depression, anxiety, mental disorders, anything that is a cause of the sadness or stress in life is this: it’s not your fault. You are worth something more. Find it, embrace it. Life itself is a truly amazing thing and yet a scary one. These events are what helped me.
CHILDHOOD & SCHOOL:
In elementary school, I acted out to make friends because I never had any. I would get sent to the principal’s office and she wasn’t nice to me either (she did get in trouble for abusing me verbally). I wound up getting kicked out of school so many times that I went to an ESE school called Sunset School. I would come home each day to watch Goosebumps and Power Rangers, I was into 90s cartoons, fishing, biking and rollerblading. My family moved to Florida when I was young and I knew nothing, so I took the bus and learned the area. I had Asthma and would have moments when I got sick and would be on a machine. I was also diagnosed at a young age with AD/HD, Bipolar, & ADD. I got so bad at times I was “baker acted,” meaning my mental health was bad to a point where I was put into a children’s hospital– I went back and forth so many times and was on so much medication that I can’t even remember. By the time, I got to middle school, I weighed so much and got picked on. I was developing depression at the time and ended up getting in trouble a lot– I was beginning to be a mean person, I saw what other people did and I became a bully and in the end I wound up being bullied. I wasn’t trying to be a bully, I just wanted to fit in. I think we all as individuals do things to fit in with the crowd.
In high school, I acted up, skipped class, I just never cared. I went to this thing called TRACKS a lot, like a sort of detention, certain things you did, you did “time” for: some an hour, or two, a day, a week..I remember my grades sucked and I kept getting worse and worse… I was falling apart and I was only 15 at the time. But I got this English Teacher named Mr. Hornsby, and he never gave up on me and I didn’t even want his help because it was hard to trust him, but he didn’t give up on trying. Out of all the teachers that gave up on me, he did not. I’m here like,” these people do not want to help me, why does he care when the rest did not?”
I end up going to my first ever Comic Convention: Wizard World in Miami, Florida for my birthday. I met Daniel Logan (who I am excited to meet again after so many years), Billy Dee Williams, Kevin Nash (who was Super Shredder– I met Nash 3 times and is always a cool dude). Then I met Ernie Hudson who not only played in Ghost Busters but also played in my favorite movie series The Crow starring Brandon Lee… I met Ernie quite a few times and he is such an amazing guy.
A year before I graduated, my grandmother’s health deteriorated. I fell apart in school and no one knew why and I was just mad and upset. I stayed home from school and a week later we all gathered around her to take her breathing mask off. When that happened I walked out and went to play my game to keep my mind occupied—after that I fell into a depression. I lost a lot of friends, I just didn’t care anymore and just wanted to drop out of school. Mr. Hornsby did not allow that, and I just gave in more and let him help me. The other teachers cared but not how Mr. Horsnby did, he CARED.
Halfway through my senior year I was missing quite a few credits. So what did I do? I chose to not hang out with anyone, I turned my phone off and kept Facebook and I finished my classes. I ended up graduating and proving to myself and others that I could do it.
COMIC CONS:
I went to Florida Supercon at the same time as “The Walking Dead” started so I met Sonya Thompson who was a Zombie on the show and she offered me a free print. She remembered me after 3 years and that was awesome. I met Richard Horvitz, Rikki Simons, and Melisa Fahn and so many other people. I met a lot of my favorite voice actors, and actors itself and it was a great year. I managed to meet Rap Legend Tech N9ne, Freddie Gibs who worked with Eminem, Psych Ward Druggies who are amazing dudes.
Then my mom was diagnosed with stage-4 lymphoma, a form of lung cancer. This is the hardest thing to talk about. I was going to go to a con for my birthday but I just was bummed out. I wasn’t like, in touch with the mood since my mom was in the Hospital. I go and see Veronica Taylor who was the Original Voice for Ash from Pokemon. I am waiting too talk to her and she remembered me from 3 years earlier. I was telling her my mom was in the hospital; she is always a sweet heart.
I got admitted to a mental hospital because I couldn’t handle my mom’s suffering. My mom was giving up. The hospital she was brought to infected her port so they had to take it out. She got sick real easily which she did a week before her passing. I went to see her and she didn’t know who I was and I started to fall apart. My mom ended up going into cardiac arrest. On March 15th, 2015 my mom passed away. My world, everything stopped…. I lost it.
My Friend Reese encouraged me to go to Megacon, which was hard, but I went. I forgot about all of it for a minute. I got to meet and talk to Stan Lee, who was really cool. WWE/F Legend Hulk Hogan who was just an awesome dude and met his daughter and I met the “Mouth of the South”, Jimmy Hart. I got to meet Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker, the Dixon Brothers of the Walking Dead and they were beyond awesome. I then met the voices for Steven Spielberg’s Cartoon, Animaniacs; Yakko, Wakko, and Dot and they were just awesome. I met Troy Baker and Joel from the Last of Us; I was just stunned, like, it was a honor. He said the guests are the reason he does this stuff. I met Grey DeLisle and I nearly cried meeting her. I told her my mom passed, and told her how I spent so much money just to see all the amazing and talented people who impacted my life… and saved it. Then she said something that hit me hard, she told me my mom is here watching. I Believe It.
I can’t really stress how many people I have met who have supported me along the way. Don’t let your depression or anything keep you from being yourself, from living life. I hope to meet and hear many of your stories which will inspire me to do more good and become more of a better person myself.
David Harvey
Some quick THANK YOUs-
I wanna give a few shout out to some friends who are like family. I have many friends I wanna thank my buddy Reese he is a big part of all these events and he helps me out and is a big inspiration and a huge help to my life who is like my second opinion. My brother Max, he is also a part to all this and helped me with many of the obstacles along the way. My brother, his name is Karcamo, well its not his real name, I call him that cause he is from the Country of Panama, he is Pro-Wrestler, Hardcore Gamer, Amiibo hunter and I recommend him to people who love any of that and his channel is “Karcamo Gaming.” His Dad passed a year ago and his tribute to his dad made me appreciate this life and enjoy it. I also love the Cosplay community and many of cosplayers I do support. One in particular, Ani-Mia, who put up a video of how she went through depression and I give her full support along with the rest of the creative people just like her.
