Family Health Battles Inspire Lion-Themed Art

Don Perlyn lived with Parkinson’s disease for more than 20 years. While it challenged his body, it never diminished the magnitude of his spirit. Daughter, Amanda Perlyn Jackson, recalled, “He was larger than life. A man whose humor, optimism, charm, determination, and light filled every room he entered. He was my hero, my mentor, and my best friend.”

During Don’s battle with illness, he traveled to 75 countries. Here Amanda relates how through art she memorialized his character.

In May, during the days after Don died, Amanda stood in his closet, surrounded by ordinary belongings that suddenly carried extraordinary meaning. As the family sorted through his things, Amanda found a bucket filled with brightly colored hospital bracelets he had saved. Each one represented a hospital visit, test, or challenge over decades. Instead of throwing them away, he kept them like medals of honor. Amanda added, “They were symbols of strength and survival. That perspective defined the way he lived.”

In 2017, two weeks before Amanda’s first son was born, Don suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Through the quick actions of his wife, Marilyn, emergency responders, and what can only be described as “a miracle,” he survived. What could have been the end of his story extended to eight more years and memories with “Poppy D.”

Don had built a meaningful life as a successful lawyer and senior restaurant executive, but his most cherished titles were “husband, father, and grandfather.” He never allowed a diagnosis to define his boundaries. Even after Parkinson’s and the heart condition, he refused to let life pass him by.

Alongside Marilyn, he traveled to more than 75 countries, embracing adventures. While traveling, the family noted he connected with people “effortlessly and authentically, making them feel seen and appreciated.”

He loved experiencing different food, art, and photography, capturing the beauty of people, wildlife, and world culture.

Searching for a way to channel her grief into something meaningful, Amanda found herself returning to that bucket of bracelets, feeling the need to transform them into art. In the same closet, she discovered a striking photograph of a lion Don had taken during one of his many trips to Africa. Amanda recalled, “The image immediately stopped me in my tracks. The moment I saw it, I knew what I wanted to create.”

She sketched the lion onto a blank canvas and began cutting the saved bracelets. Piece by piece, color by color, she cut, glued, and transformed them. The result was a portrait of perseverance. She explained, “From afar, the finished artwork radiates strength, courage, resilience, and undeniable presence. Only when viewers step closer do they discover that every inch of the lion is composed of the bracelets.”

Today, the artwork hangs in Amanda’s home as a reminder of the life Don lived and the lessons he taught. She titled the piece, “Roar of Resilience,” because it “signifies that strength is not the absence of hardship. Strength is choosing to keep moving forward despite it.”

For families facing long-term illness, Amanda proffered this, “My father’s life offers an important lesson. Parkinson’s was part of his journey, but it was never his story. When my mother asked him, ‘on a scale of 1-10, how much Parkinson’s had changed his life,’ he answered, ‘Zero. I’ve had to deal with it, but it never changed who I am.’”

Amanda Perlyn Jackson is a hospitality executive with more than 20 years of experience in global marketing and brand leadership. An artist, author, and illustrator of two children’s books, she was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times (May 29, 2020): “A Virtual Hug for the World Comes at the Perfect Time.”