David Michael Dooler was born in New Crofton, near Wakefield, and raised as the tenth of fifteen children. His early life was shaped by close family bonds, limited means and the wit and resourcefulness of working-class Yorkshire.

His working life began in shoe repair before taking him into retail and management. Behind the everyday routine, David lived for years with serious ulcerative colitis, eventually undergoing life-changing surgery and adapting to life with a stoma.

Later health difficulties led him to research vitamin B12 deficiency and press for further medical attention. He writes about this experience openly as part of his wider story of perseverance and self-advocacy.

David’s search for meaning took him through several Christian traditions before he found a spiritual home in Buddhism. Today, he writes, sings and shares the belief that every life, famous or not, contains a story worth telling.