In a gripping tale of survival and resilience, Jon Clark’s journey began with an airlift to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a grade 5 brain aneurysm—the most severe of its kind.
Upon arrival, Clark underwent an immediate craniectomy after a portion of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain caused by bleeding.
Placed in an induced coma to heal, the situation was dire.
Doctors informed his family that if he survived, he might remain in a vegetative state.
“I stayed at Grady for a month and remember nothing of it,” Clark said.
“My family essentially lived there with me in the ICU.”
Easter, traditionally a significant holiday for the Clark family, fell during his hospitalization.
In a gesture of love and support, Clark’s aunts decided to honor the family tradition despite the circumstances.
“I and two of Jon’s other aunts did what Southern women do best. We brought food,” said Jane Clark, Jon’s aunt on his father’s side.
“It was a scary time, and we didn’t know what would happen.
We wanted to show love as best we could, and we wanted to bring comfort.
We brought Kentucky Fried Chicken, deviled eggs, potato salad, desserts, my sister’s signature pimento cheese, and sweet tea.
We spread out all the food for our family, the nurses, and the other families who had loved ones in the ICU.”
After his month-long stay at Grady, Clark was transferred to Shepherd Center, where he began to emerge from a medically induced haze.
He found himself in a hospital room, wearing a foam helmet, unable to move his left arm or leg.
“My fraternity brothers were there when I came to,” said Clark.
“They were shaking my hand and saying they were happy to see me.
I had no idea what I was doing there.
People told me to get better, and I asked, ‘Get better from what? And what about finals for the spring semester?’”
Clark leaned on his faith during those challenging days at Shepherd Center, finding strength in the verse Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Staying at Shepherd for nine weeks, Clark worked tirelessly to regain mobility and adapt to life in a wheelchair.
The extent of his memory, comprehension, and mobility issues remained uncertain, and despite doctors and family explaining what he had endured, it did not fully register for Clark for about a year.
When he was eventually discharged from Shepherd, Clark returned to his childhood home in Marietta, where his parents made accommodations for his needs.
They installed a ramp at the front of the house and placed a hospital bed in the dining room.
His days were centered around therapy as he adjusted to using a wheelchair.
Then, about six months after his aneurysm, an unexpected turn occurred—he began moving his left leg a little.
Three months later, he regained feeling in his arm.
In a poignant reflection of resilience, Clark returned to Grady on Easter 2006, a year after his brain injury, bringing pastries and encouragement to patients and their families alongside his own.
“I didn’t do it to make myself feel good,” Clark expressed.
“I did it because it’s the right thing to do.
My family and I walked that same path, and I got lucky.
I wanted to go back to show people no matter how dark it might feel, there’s every reason to have hope.
You never know what life might look like in a year.”
In a remarkable display of determination, Clark returned to Grady on Easter 2007, walking through the door with the assistance of a cane.
“My doctors and therapists were blown away,” Clark said.
“I wanted it badly, and I was so happy, but there were still challenges.”
As he regained mobility, Clark sought to return to school, but the combination of using a cane, short-term memory loss, and vision impairment from his brain injury made it too difficult.
He left school and began the search for a job, which proved to be another struggle.
“When employers saw me walk in with a cane, they didn’t want to hire me,” Clark recounted.
“I went to job training sites, had a job coach, went to job fairs, and countless interviews.”
Ultimately, he found a short-term position with his church before securing a full-time job at Walmart in 2014.
“They were the one company willing to give me a full-time job,” he said.
Having envisioned a future with a wife and family before his aneurysm, Clark grappled with uncertainty about finding someone who would accept him and his limitations.
This changed in October 2016 when he met his wife through the dating site Plenty of Fish.
“Zuly and I met and messaged each other for three or four weeks before meeting at Mazzy’s Sports Bar,” said Clark.
“She’s the first person who wanted to see me knowing I’m unable to drive.”
For Zuly Clark, Clark’s limitations were never a deterrent.
“He told me about his injury because I kind of forced him into it,” Zuly, 43, said.
“The driving thing was a logistical challenge, but it was something we could get past.
I can’t get past poor life choices or questionable moral character, but I can get past residual effects from an injury that should’ve taken someone’s life.”
The couple married in 2018, and together they now continue Clark’s Easter tradition at the hospital.
Zuly was initially nervous about the hospital, but she embraced her husband’s mission, bringing baked goods and contributing to his desire to offer comfort through food and warmth.
“I believe in the power of testimony, and I believe hope is healing,” Zuly shared.
“Jon has a responsibility to share his testimony of healing with those who are currently walking the same path he has already tread.
My role as his wife is to simply encourage him.”
After a long and arduous adoption process, Jon and Zuly welcomed a new addition to their family in July—a 9-month-old son they named Joshua, in homage to the scripture that provided Clark with strength during his recovery.
Now living in a Marietta subdivision, the Clark family attends Mount Bethel Church every Sunday.
Zuly works as a teacher, Clark remains at Walmart, and they treasure their evenings together with Joshua, their answered prayer.
This year marks the 20th Easter that Clark will spend at Grady, bringing not only Zuly but also their son, to the very place where his life was saved.
“Having this brain injury has changed my perspective and focus completely,” Clark reflected.
“When I accepted what happened, it gave me a broader sense of gratitude.
I used to be so frustrated over what I couldn’t do, and now I’m just so grateful for what I can do and for the wife and son who have come into my life.
“Some of the patients I meet at Grady are exactly where I once was, and I tell them to keep pressing forward.
Don’t let current circumstances keep you down.
Let my life be an encouragement to yours.”
image source from：https://www.ajc.com/2025/04/for-20-years-easter-sunday-is-a-day-of-gratitude-for-marietta-man/
