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 left him behind because her future husband was prejudiced and wanted to avoid having another mixed-race child in the house.\n', '

Brashear eventually moved in with his mother and stepfather in Lorretteville, Quebec. Unfortunately, because of his stepfather\'s racist attitude, he suffered further abuse in his new surroundings; for instance, he was forced to sleep with a garbage bag tied around his waist to keep him from wetting the bed, and 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."\n', '

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