Don Perry

Born and raised just north of New York City, Donald (Don) Perry spent more than thirty years in Rhode Island before moving to Middle Tennessee in 2011 with the two loves of his life: his wife, Karen, and daughter, Maggie. A Brown University alumnus as an undergraduate, Don completed his graduate studies in public administration at the University of Rhode Island. He dedicated over four decades of his career to public service, working for the state health departments in both Rhode Island and Tennessee. He’s now enjoying a well-earned retirement.

Don and his wife adopted their daughter in 2007: “Maggie came to our house straight from the hospital,” Don recalls. “It didn’t take long for us to completely fall in love with her. She was just over two years old when the adoption was finalized, but really, she was ours from day four. Absolutely, she was our child from the beginning.”  

Maggie received a series of diagnoses throughout her childhood, including meningitis, autism, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), celiac disease, epilepsy, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) to name a few. Luckily, Maggie had TennCare Medicaid coverage through her 20th birthday as part of her Special Needs Adoption. On top of regular preventative care, Medicaid coverage helped Don and his wife stay on top of Maggie’s surgeries, therapies, and specialist appointments.

Maggie has since blossomed into a kind, playful, creative, and empathetic young woman with a strong sense of self. Her artistry and creativity come naturally. Today, she is pursuing her talents as a singer, musician, songwriter, actor, and makeup artist. Don is continually impressed by her approach to life. He proudly shares that “The way she has responded to a tough industry is remarkable and admirable. God gave her these incredible gifts, and at the same time, He gave her significant challenges.” In her free time, Maggie enjoys perfecting her photography skills and caring for nine pets at home, including her darling “fur baby,” Ralphie. She works at an animal shelter while pursuing acting, and she is also considering continuing her education to become a Certified Nurse Assistant. 

Don first connected with the Tennessee Justice Center when he learned his daughter’s TennCare coverage had terminated. TJC staff helped Maggie apply for Employment and Community First CHOICES, a program designed to support Tennesseans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The multi-step application process involved establishing a savings account with Tennessee Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE TN) to meet the financial requirements for ECF CHOICES. “We would never have found the ECF CHOICES program on our own,” Don humbly shares. “We wouldn’t have known what documentation to gather or how to make the case. The attorneys guided us every step of the way and even represented us at a hearing in July 2025. Gosh, it was so much more than I could have expected. Wonderful support and a tremendous sense of relief. And the outcome was extremely successful. You just can’t beat it.” Maggie enrolled in the program four months later without any lapse in insurance coverage.

Throughout the case, the team at TJC was struck by Don’s attention to detail and his unwavering advocacy for his daughter. Only later did TJC learn that Don was also fighting cancer: “I had two cancer diagnoses within six months, starting in the fall of 2024,” Don shares. “When I was working with TJC, I was mostly working from my bed. Focusing on Maggie and supporting her acting career gave me purpose, it gave me value, it gave me the courage and strength to go through cancer. I didn’t expect that to be the case.” Don underwent a stem cell transplant in December 2025 and is now in remission. “My cancer journey has been transformative in many ways, and it still very much is,” he reflects. “Cancer shows you how unpredictable life can be. Someone in excellent health all of a sudden isn’t. It puts everything into perspective.”  

Don finds strength and solace in his renewed faith. He cherishes his wife and sings the praises of her relationship with Maggie. Together, they hope their daughter will become as self-supporting as possible: “We all need help from others. Who among us doesn’t? But we want her to spread her wings and be as independent as possible, with strong support from her friends and relatives.”   

The Tennessee Justice Center is humbled to recognize Don Perry as 2026 Father of the Year. 

Photo by John St. Clair

Published in 2026