On June 1, 2002 life changed instantly for Francesco Clark. That day, the aspiring fashion expert, who then worked at Harper’s Bazaar, sustained a spinal cord injury in a swimming pool diving accident.  After dealing with the initial devastation of quadriplegia, Clark had to also face the many secondary conditions that come with paralysis – including losing his ability to sweat.  He tried several over the counter and prescription skin care products to remedy his problem but was just left with clogged pores and acne.

As fate would have it, Clark’s own father, Dr. Harold Clark is a physician trained in both traditional Western medicine and homeopathy. Together, the Clarks decided to do something about Francesco’s skin troubles and created botanically-based formulas that cleared up Francesco’s skin completely. Once popularity of the products grew, the father and son duo began selling Clark’s Botanicals in 2005.

Wanting to turn his tragedy into hope for others living with paralysis, Clark became an advocate for spinal cord injury research and is now an ambassador for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Through his company Clark's Botanicals, Clark plans on being a voice of hope for the SCI community. "As a disabled citizen and as an advocate, I hear many others tell me they feel they don’t have a voice. They feel hopeless, and that there isn’t a person who is willing to take charge and address the medical, political, and societal issues that affect the handicapped. I want their voice to be heard," said Clark.  Clark hopes to continuously spread the message of the Reeve Foundation and to make his connections to fashion, beauty, and celebrity, more relevant to the cause.

Visit Clark's Botanicals.