“There are no limitations to what I can do!” a very confident Diane Clark states.  And she means it.  This 50 year old mother of 3 grown children and 8 grandchildren is very active in both her work and her home life.  Diane has been a Dankmeyer patient in our Cumberland office since 1993, when an accident resulted in a leg amputation.  There was a car crash on icy roads, and when she stepped out of the car, she was struck by another driver.  She says when she woke up and saw the faces of loved ones around her, she decided then to “be tough and not let it get me down.”  And she hasn’t let it get her down.

Originally from Oakland, MD, Diane lived in Mt. Storm, West Virginia where she attended high school.  After she met husband Frank, “the best thing that ever happened to me”, she moved to Cumberland. She worked for a while as a feeding assistant for Frostburg Nursing Rehab Center.  Eventually she changed positions to become an activities assistant there, where she has found her calling. “I love working with the elderly, lifting their spirits.”  She brings in entertainment for the residents, including Dankmeyer prosthetist Mark Treasure and his wife, to perform for the group.  She also dances with them, and literally clowns around.  See the gallery of pictures included for Diane in clown clothes!

In her time outside of work, Diane is involved in a number of activities.  She and her husband own a karaoke business. She goes to the gym three to four days a week where she jogs and works with a trainer on a variety of equipment.  Then there is the line dancing, where she scoots around the dance floor in her Harley boots, and she is a member of the Eagle Riders motorcycle social club.  There is the swimming and the zip line in Hawaii.  Yes, a zip line.  See the pictures below!

Yes, there is no disability for Diane, who says an artificial leg “doesn’t stop me from doing what I want to do.”  Whether that is dance, workout at the gym, ride the motorcycle, go to work or play with her grandchildren and pets, Diane is an inspiration to everyone she meets.