Longtime Perry Wellness Center peer Annie Ruth Thomas recently shared an article she had written about her memories and impressions of PWC founder and CEO Stuart Perry. She wanted us to share her story with others, and we readily agreed.

“This story is about Stuart Perry and how we met at his uncle’s store. He said, ‘Why don’t you come and see what it’s all about?’ So I made it to the center on Highway 280 on the Plains Highway.

“I didn’t know anything about mental illness. This man was a miracle worker. He started talking about mental illness. My mother had just died. I cried all the time. This was in 2007. He said that he knew what the feeling was—depression. I was like, ‘I’m not crazy.’  Everything he talked about was about mental illness: ‘This is what you have, but it does not mean that you are crazy.’

“When we were at the place on Plains Highway, we had a good time.  Stuart used to bring his own daughter, Amanda, to play tennis with us. We grew our own vegetables. Stuart made sure we enjoyed the vegetables that we grew. He told me this place was his dream. I told him to keep the faith in his goal and he did. Stuart told me that his wife, Pam, wanted a house and that he was also going to make that dream came true.

“So, I am telling all of you, if you want to treat depression – I am telling all of you if you need help, call Stuart Perry or Mrs. Pam and tell them. I could write more, but not in this small space. This is only a small part about Stuart and the good man he is. I think of him as a big brother.

“This was written by Annie Ruth Thomas. I love Stuart Perry and his family. May God keep blessing you!”