Breaking the Cycle
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| Perry Clark, pictured with Community staff Sherry Hughes (center) and Holly Clark (right), uses art as a way of giving back to Community Health Center-Cedar. |
Clark’s life-like bells were his way to give back to Community Health Center-Cedar (former University Medical Center), a hospital that has provided so much to him in just a few short months.
He offered his artistic services, free of charge, for patients and staff to enjoy the colorful holiday cheer.
“This isn’t about me, it’s about giving back to the community,” Clark said.
The Deran Koligian Ambulatory Care Center located at the Cedar campus has provided many health services to Clark and his family.
“I never had glasses in my life. I got glasses here because of this hospital and MediCal,” Clark said.
He also has had dental work, been able to obtain the correct bi-polar medication and attend support classes for recovering addicts and alcoholics.
“I had my first drink when I was 5,” he said.
This started years of alcoholism and drug addiction, he said. After struggling to fight his cravings, Clark eventually left his family.
But things turned around for Clark and recently, with faith on his side, he came to Fresno from Las Vegas to rejoin his wife and two daughters and become a sober, productive member of society.
“I’m breaking the cycle,” Clark said. “My goal in life is just to be a clean, loving father.”
Clark says he expresses himself through art. Since he has been advised not to work for a year, he is taking work into his own hands and turning it into a thank you to those who have taken the time to listen and give to him.
“The staff in this place, they’re great,” Clark said. “I can’t say enough.”
Sherry Hughes, director of ambulatory care services, said thank you back to Clark with three movie tickets, so he could take his girls to a show.
“The staff here works so hard and doesn’t hear 'thank you' enough,” Hughes said. “So when they are thanked, it means so much.”
Clark said he takes his daughters to the library every weekend and is happy to spend any time with them he can. This is how he continues to break the cycle.
“The key word is God,” he said. “Thank God. I just live for today, just one day at a time.”
This story was reported by Rebecca Wass. She can be reached at rwass@communitymedical.org.