Donald Brashear

Brashear was born in Bedford, Indiana, but moved to Val-Bélair, Quebec, as a child. He has represented his native United States twice internationally, playing in consecutive IIHF World Championships in 1997 and 1998.\n', '

Brashear is the youngest of three children born to an African-American father, Johnny Brashear, and French Canadian mother, Nicole Gauthier, in Bedford, Indiana. His father was an alcoholic who relentlessly abused his family, including slashing Donald with belts and electrical cords. On one occasion, when Donald was only six months old, he picked him up and hurled him through a window. Nicole, afraid 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 l…