David shares his story with intensity and rawness, detailing a life shaped by incarceration, addiction, violence, resilience, and a deep connection to faith. His body is a canvas covered in tattoos, some of which were acquired as part of a campaign that raised $22,000 for children’s cancer research—each tattoo representing a $1,000 donation. His drive to support kids battling cancer is rooted in personal loss: his grandmother, who raised him while his mother was incarcerated, died of lung and bone cancer, and he cared for her until the end.
His past includes time in a federal penitentiary, multiple life-threatening assaults, drug-related violence, and a near-death medical emergency caused by an infection from sleeping outside. He describes an 18-hour surgery to remove part of his spine and ribcage, during which the surgeon, moved by the experience, found faith himself.
