Patient Story: From Crisis to Control: Dan’s Journey

When Dan landed in the hospital with a sudden flare of ulcerative colitis, doctors delivered a second shock: his A1C measured 12.7—dangerously high for someone who had never been diagnosed as diabetic. Discharged without insurance, Dan turned to the Clearwater Free Clinic.

“Maureen, Georgann, Divya—everyone treated me with total respect,” he recalls. “They get my straight-shooting personality and give it right back.”

Guided by the Healthy Living Program, Dan overhauled his diet, slashing sugary drinks and learning to “water everything down.” In less than a six months his A1C plummeted to 6.3. A GI specialist now believes the diabetes may have been a temporary side-effect of Dan’s colitis—proof, says Dan, that “if you listen and go all-in, your health can turn around.”

The Clinic didn’t stop there. After a motorcycle accident, staff arranged physical therapy; next month, community-partner dentists with HEP will fit Dan for a new lower partial, giving him “a full smile for the first time in years.”

Grateful patients often give back, and Dan is no exception. He volunteers with local nonprofits that support at-risk youth, sharing the same honesty and encouragement he found at the Clinic. “I’d put this place up against the best healthcare out there,” he says. “If you don’t have insurance, don’t wait—come here.”