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Charlotte, N.C. - One of the most talented sculptors in the figurine business today, Tom Clark, has featured Presbyterian Hospital in the creation of his gnome "Carrie" to honor the nursing profession and his relationship to Presbyterian.

Having lived in the Davidson area for nearly 50 years, Tom Clark said that he and his family and friends have come to Presbyterian for their healthcare needs, from having babies to having kidneys removed, for almost as long as he can remember, and two of his cousins are doctors at Presbyterian. So, he said, it only seemed appropriate to honor Presbyterian Hospital in this nurse statue, the third he has created to feature the nursing profession.

"People look for professions or hobbies when they're purchasing the gnomes, and I've gotten lots of requests for nurses," said Clark. "I wanted to reflect the care a nurse provides with this particular statue. That's what people remember, the friendliness and kindness of their nurse, not necessarily the science to what she is doing."

Clark, who has created more than 1,000 different artwork pieces while working in Davidson at Cairn Studios, names each of his gnomes and gives the owner a "certificate of authenticity" with a story about the statue.

Like most of Clark's gnomes, Carrie is adorned with a coin on the backside of the statue that the artist referred to as "the lucky coin from the Presbyterian Hospital." Clark, who is also a former professor of religious art at Davidson College, collects coins from all over the world, and he said he didn't remember exactly where he picked up the Presbyterian coin. Some of Presbyterian's long-time employees remember the coin as one of the old parking coins, though.

"I use a lot of personal things in the creation of my gnomes," said Clark. "Oftentimes, they're named after someone I know. The name Carrie just seemed to fit this piece, so featuring Presbyterian was my way of bringing in something personal."

Carrie peeks through the middle of a roll of first aid tape and a life saver is also perched on the front of the approximately 6-inch high statue to demonstrate the nurse's dedication to caring. Her story, included on her certificate of authenticity, further emphasizes the importance of caring:

When you need a nurse, you want someone who cares...someone like Carrie! It's the caring nurse who puts the first aid tape on you so that it'll hold but not hurt when it has to be pulled off. Perhaps she works in a hospital, in which case she can use the lucky coin from the Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, NC. In any location, she and others like her are "life savERs," especially those ERs! Her life saver is MINT to help you. Want one?

Carrie was released in 2003, unbeknownst to most Presbyterian employees, but the release coincided with Presbyterian Hospital's 100-year anniversary of serving the greater Charlotte community. For Presbyterian employees, particularly nurses, Carrie is just one more way Presbyterian Hospital has left its mark on the greater Charlotte community.

Just in time for Nurse's Week May 6 - 12, Carrie can be purchased at the Presbyterian Hospital gift shop at 200 Hawthorne Lane, the Tom Clark Museum Shop at 131 N. Main St. in Davidson or at any other Tom Clark dealer. For more information on the museum shop, call 704-892-9213 or visit www.cairnstudio.com. The museum is free to enter.