F EAT URE C O VER
When Fortune Smiles
“Clyde is the real hero, as a father and as an example to his children.” ~Dr. Mark Duncan
by Linda A. Thornton photos courtesy Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown
C
lyde Brooks is used to giving, not receiving. As a single dad raising four children, he has always been laser focused on putting his family first. A proud man, he rationalized everyone has some kind of burden to bear and so, on a wing and a prayer, he would get through another day, keeping the “chink in his armor” to himself.
Clyde never smiled Issues with his teeth forced him to always cover his mouth, drink with a straw, and be self-conscious of his chewing. Still, as resourceful as he was, he always seemed to find a more pressing need for the
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money he put aside for dental work—like putting his children through college. Working alongside his brother at the company his brother founded, Country Window Cleaning, Clyde got to know Dr. Mandy Holley. For years, they took time to chat when Clyde washed her windows at her home and office. One day, out of the blue, he asked her about dental plans and insurance. When she inquired about what his dental issues might be, he was hesitant to share. When he did, it released emotions he had been holding in for many years and they both found themselves in tears.
It just so happened... Each year, Dr. Mandy's practice, Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown, gives back to the community by bestowing the gift of a new smile to one deserving person. They ask only that, in return, the recipient pay it forward in his or her own way. Called Smile Freely, the program is now in its seventh year and about the time Dr. Mandy and Clyde had their chat, excitement was already building as she and her dentists, Dr. Mark Duncan and Dr. Krista DeCoursin (at right) and their eight team members, worked together to review possible candi-
