FIGHTING the - Shepherd Center

Transcription

fighting the
good
Fight
also inside
Teaching children To cope + smarT phone, smarT apps
The winning vows + designed for women + a True reflecTion
ShepherdCenterMagazine.org
Summer 2012
Shepherd Center Magazine:
Spinal Column®
Summer 2012
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
[email protected]
www.ShepherdCenterMagazine.org
Design
Soloflight Design
Contributing Writers
Sara Baxter, John Christensen, Amanda
Crowe, Rachel Franco, Phillip Jordan,
Ansley Martin, Florina Newcomb,
Cara Puckett, Bill Sanders, Scott Sikes,
Midge Tracy, Lauren Tucker
Contributing Photographers
Leita Cowart, Louie Favorite, Abby
Greenawalt, Gary Heatherly, Ross
Henderson, Leslie Johnson, Russell Klika,
Ted Kostans, Kellye Lewis, Kelvin Ma, Gary
Meek, Thomas Wells, Gray Whitley,
Jeremy Wilburn
Board of Directors
James H. Shepherd, Jr., Chairman
Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., President and CEO
Emory A. Schwall, Vice President
William C. Fowler, Treasurer
Stephen B. Goot, Corporate Secretary
Alana Shepherd, Recording Secretary
Members
Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson, David
F. Apple, Jr., M.D., C. Duncan Beard†, Brock
Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James M.
Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman, Clark Dean,
John S. Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber*, David H.
Flint, Stephen B. Holleman*, Michael L. Jones,
Ph.D.*, Tammy King*, Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.,
Douglas Lindauer, Sarah Morrison*, Julian B.
Mohr, Charles T. Nunnally III, Sally D. Nunnally,
Clyde Shepherd III, J. Harold Shepherd, Scott
H. Sikes*, James E. Stephenson, James D.
Thompson, Goodloe H. Yancey III†
*
†
Ex Officio
Emeritus
Shepherd Center Magazine: Spinal Column
is published quarterly by Shepherd Center, a
private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in
the treatment of people with spinal cord injury,
brain injury and multiple sclerosis. E-mail
change of address information or request to
be removed from our mailing list to magazine@
shepherd.org, or by mail to Shepherd Center,
Attn: Shepherd Center Magazine Mailing List,
2020 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia,
30309. Please include mailing label. Shepherd
Center Magazine accepts no advertising.
Spinal Column is a registered trademark of
Shepherd Center.
about the cover: Army Sgt. Tom Boone
sustained an SCI in 2010. Today, he is back on
the job in the Special Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Photo by Russell Klika
A Letter from JAmes shepherd
Dear Friends,
This summer, Shepherd Center’s campus renovation project comes to a close with
the reopening of the updated third floor of the Shepherd Building.
Patient rooms are larger and hard-wired for the latest technology. We have eliminated
four-person suites in favor of mostly private rooms, a change that helps with infection
control and the logistics of admissions. This floor has been updated only once since
it originally opened in 1982, so it was time for the update, which was generously funded
by our donors.
The reopening of the third floor has expanded our total number of beds from 132 to
152, giving us a better opportunity to unplug the bottleneck that sometimes occurs in
admitting inpatients for rehabilitation and/or medical services.
The renovation also brings the opening of the Billy and Betty Hulse Spinal Cord
Injury Research Lab in the former therapy gym on the third floor of the Shepherd
Building. This space gives the lab a permanent home for neurorecovery research led
by Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D., director of spinal cord injury research at Shepherd Center.
The Hulse SCI Research Lab also provides state-of-the art therapeutic and research
equipment. Funds for the lab were raised in record time – less than a year – by former
spinal cord injury patient Billy Hulse and his wife Betty of Atlanta, along with their close
friends, Tommy and Beth Holder, also of Atlanta. Donors requested – and we
wholeheartedly agreed – that the lab be named in honor of Billy and Betty.
Now that our renovation phase is completed, we will focus on sharpening all of the
edges that distinguish Shepherd Center in the rehabilitation community. We expect
to continue to improve patient outcomes through new, as well as tried-and-true,
rehabilitation therapies and treatments. We will continue to support our excellent and
dedicated staff through professional and educational opportunities that also contribute
to improved patient outcomes. And we will sharpen our focus on innovative neurorecovery
research that leads to the best and most effective treatments to improve functional
outcomes in our brain and spinal cord injury patients.
Finally, we remain committed to being a nimble healthcare organization that adapts
to changes that will come with healthcare reform. At the same time, we will not waver
from our commitment to excellent outcomes that help patients rebuild their lives with
hope, independence and dignity.
Warm regards,
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Photo BY ABBY GreenAwAlt
Editor
Jane M. Sanders
Spinal Column®
Contents
summer 2012 • shepherd Center
features
Departments
2
5
26
28
30
32
49
short
takes
Profile
Medical Staff: Arthur Simon, M.D.
research
insights
6
12
Profile
foundation
features
honorariums
& memorials
Two soldiers battle back from spinal
cord injuries to return to duty.
teaChing Children
to Cope with liFeChanging injury
A patient with seven children
imparts life lessons to his family
and draws strength from them
during his recovery.
Patient: William Flewellen heard
shePherd
alums
Fighting the good Fight
14
a true reFleCtion
18
the winning VowS
20
deSigned For woMen
24
Young people with spinal cord
injuries share their self-image
struggles and triumphs.
Former patient and his new wife
win a national contest with the
wedding vows she penned in just
a few minutes.
While female patients make up a
small part of Shepherd Center’s
patient population, the hospital
goes the distance to help them
adjust to life after injury.
SMart phone,
SMart appS
Wireless RERC at Shepherd Center
and Georgia Tech launches App
Factory project to develop apps for
people with disabilities.
Gifts of Generosity
shepherd Center magazine online
If you would like to make a gift to support the work you have
read about, please contact Scott H. Sikes at the Shepherd
Center Foundation at 404-350-7305 or visit shepherd.org.
Shepherd Center’s Spinal Column® magazine is available at
ShepherdCenterMagazine.org. Go online to view stories, features,
profiles and more with expanded photo galleries and additional content.
S
s hort
takes
injury Prevention ProgrAM exPAnDS in Metro AtlAntA MiDDle School
“We were able to show measureable
changes in the students’ attitudes about
risky behaviors, which will hopefully lead to
fewer brain injuries or spinal cord injuries,”
says Bridget Bitterman, a case manager at
Shepherd Center.
In addition to expanding the program,
the Shepherd adolescent treatment team
and school faculty are tweaking the
content to make an even larger impact.
They are expanding the peer intervention
component. Students will also hear from
Ken Wilson, M.D., a trauma physician
from Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital,
who will describe the physical impact of a
spinal cord or brain injury just hours after
an accident.
“The additions to the curriculum for this
year are very exciting and add another
level of impact for the kids to something
they already found fascinating last year,”
McDowell says.
Staff members at Shepherd Center
will continue to enhance the injury
prevention program – in particular with
information they are gleaning from two
recent patient and family focus groups.
Herndon Murray, M.D., the adolescent
team physician, conducted the focus
groups to gain opinions on how best to
reach adolescents and young adults to
prevent catastrophic injuries.
McDowell is encouraged by the
impact the pilot program had. She says
she is particularly pleased that students
at Campbell Middle School seemed
to fully grasp the dangers of two risky
behaviors: texting while driving and
diving head first into water.
“Kids picked up on diving the most,”
she says. “We stressed 20 behaviors
and perceived risks, and all but two
showed statistical differences from
the beginning to the end. Diving into a
pool or lake was one of the ones that
changed the most.”
For more information, contact McDowell at
[email protected]. q Bill sanders
Former Shepherd Center patients and staff spoke about injury prevention to students at a metro Atlanta school in May.
2 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org
Photo thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite
Shepherd Center staff members will once
again conduct a comprehensive injury
prevention class at a metro Atlanta middle
school in the fall. This time, armed with
the results from a 2011 pilot program, the
class will be further tailored to meet the
needs and answer the questions of 400
seventh graders.
“The pilot program had one teacher who
ran the program within one class,” says
Shari McDowell, director of Spinal Cord
Injury Services at Shepherd Center. “This
fall, we’ll have additional teachers teaching
injury prevention at the school. The entire
seventh grade will go through this program,
which has been modified based on
feedback from students last year.”
Perhaps the most encouraging finding
is that students in the pilot program,
which was taught at Campbell Middle
School in Smyrna, Ga., drastically
changed their opinions on how easily
they could be injured if they didn’t think
first before taking risks.
BEST
HOSPITALS
NATIONAL
REHABILITATION
2012-13
ShePherD center rAnkS AMong toP 10 in u.S. neWS & WorlD rePort’S beSt hoSPitAlS
Shepherd Center was again named one
of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in
the nation in a U.S. News & World Report
survey. The rankings are published online
at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals
and will be published in U.S. News’
annual guidebook, Best Hospitals 2013,
which will be available in mid-August.
Shepherd ranked No. 10 among
dozens of hospitals that earned a spot
in the magazine’s survey of rehabilitation
hospitals. Shepherd Center first
appeared on the list in 2000.
Also, U.S. News & World Report
announced that Shepherd Center ranked
No. 2 in the Atlanta metro area in the
magazine’s “Best Hospitals” metro area
rankings for 2012-2013 and No. 3 in
Georgia. These rankings were released
simultaneously with the national rankings.
Rankings for rehabilitation hospitals are
based on nominations among physicians.
Physicians are asked to name hospitals
they consider the best in their specialty,
regardless of location or expense.
America’s Best Hospitals guide
includes rankings of medical centers
nationwide in 16 specialties. The ranked
specialties are cancer, diabetes and
endocrinology, ear, nose and throat,
gastroenterology, geriatrics, gynecology,
heart and heart surgery, kidney
disorders, neurology and neurosurgery,
ophthalmology, orthopedics,
psychiatry, pulmonology, rehabilitation,
rheumatology and urology.
“All of these hospitals are the kinds of
medical centers that should be on your
list when you need the best care,” says
Avery Comarow, health rankings editor.
“They are where other hospitals send the
toughest cases.” q Larry Bowie
ShePherD center ProMoteS long-tiMe StAFF MeMberS to leADerShiP PoSitionS
Shepherd Center named Sarah Morrison,
PT, to the newly created position of
vice president of clinical services,
effective May 1. Morrison is responsible
for directing patient care, including
Shepherd’s spinal cord injury, brain
injury, chronic pain and multiple
sclerosis programs.
She previously served as director
of Spinal Cord Injury Services, which
serves more than 600 people from
across the nation each year. She has
been a vital part of the Shepherd Center
staff since 1984, serving as a physical
therapist, therapy manager and the
intensive care unit program director.
Shepherd Center recently created the
position Morrison has taken because
of the hospital’s continued growth. This
summer, the Center completed a $5.5
million expansion and reconfiguration that
will increase the number of beds to 152.
“Sarah’s experience offers a wealth of
skills and knowledge, and she is also
a great motivator of people, which has
prepared her for this integral leadership
position,” says Gary Ulicny, Ph.D.,
Shepherd Center president and CEO.
In other recent promotions:
Shari McDowell, PT, who has served
as Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord
Injury Program manager for the past six
years, was promoted to the position of
director of Spinal Cord Injury Services,
effective May 1. McDowell has been with
Shepherd Center since 1992. “Shari’s
strong leadership skills, dedication and
impeccable work ethic have been vital
to the success of the SCI Program,”
Morrison says. “I look forward to her
continued success as director.”
Deborah Backus, PT, Ph.D., was
named to the newly created position of
director of multiple sclerosis research
in the Andrew C. Carlos MS Institute at
Shepherd Center. Formerly the associate
director of SCI research, Dr. Backus began
her career at Shepherd Center in 1989 as
a physical therapist. She was previously
involved in the development of the MS
outpatient program. In this new position,
she is developing a research program that
encompasses the entire continuum of MS
services. q Jane m. sanders
SArAh MorriSon, Pt
ShAri MCDowell, Pt
DeBorAh BACkuS, Pt, Ph.D.
Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 3
S
s hort
takes
get into the greAt outDoorS With uPcoMing
therAPeutic recreAtion triPS
The Shepherd Center Therapeutic
Recreation Department is offering
two upcoming trips that will allow
former patients opportunities to enjoy
challenging activities.
On Sept. 22-29, Shepherd therapeutic
recreation specialists, in partnership
with Divers@Sea, will lead an adaptive
diving trip to Bonaire. This all-inclusive
trip includes round-trip airfare from
Atlanta, hotel stay, boat dives and airport
transfers. It is open to all skill levels and
abilities, as well as family and friends
of former patients. HSA certification is
required. The registration deadline is July
31. For more information, contact Angela
Pihera at [email protected]
or 404-350-7786.
Also, former patients, along with
their families and friends, may want to
make plans to snow ski with Shepherd
Center’s Therapeutic Recreation
Department and SkiMore Tours. A
trip planned for March 1-6, 2013 to
Steamboat Springs, Colo., will feature
private adaptive ski instruction,
equipment, lift tickets, accommodations
and airport transfers.
The trip is open to all skill levels
and abilities. Book the trip early for
discounts. For more information, contact
Katie Murphy at 404-350-7465 or
[email protected].
More information is also available
online at shepherd.org/tr. q
ShePherD center celebrAteS tWo big MileStoneS
Because the grant has a research
component, it laid the foundation for
Shepherd’s research program, which has
grown exponentially through the years.
Aside from conducting research, as one
of 14 Model System facilities, Shepherd
Center is required to collect patient data,
both during hospitalization and periodically
throughout the patient’s lifetime.
“We collect data every five years, but
check in with patients in between to
make sure their information is current,”
Hudson explains. “It takes more time
and effort to do that, but it dramatically
increases our capture rate.”
The Model System designation has
given Shepherd Center national exposure,
Hudson notes. The hospital’s involvement
with the American Spinal Cord Injury
Association (ASIA), which is housed at
Shepherd Center, also lends credibility to
the hospital’s mission. ASIA celebrates its
40th anniversary this year.
“Our relationship with ASIA has been
a mutually beneficial situation,” says
Hudson, who became ASIA’s executive
director in 2006, when the ASIA office
moved to Shepherd Center. “It’s given us
recognition in a national and international
arena.” q sara Baxter
SCiMS staff members are lesley hudson, M.A., David Apple, M.D., Patricia Duncan and keith tansey, M.D., Ph.D.
Photo At leFt BY louie FAvorite
In October 1982, Lesley Hudson walked
to the office of Shepherd Center Medical
Director David Apple, M.D., and asked him
if he had a minute to talk.
He waved her in, and she delivered
some big news: The U.S. Department of
Education’s National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) had
selected Shepherd Center as a Spinal Cord
Injury Model System (SCIMS) of care. Along
with it came a $1.25 million, five-year grant.
“When I got the call, I couldn’t believe
it,” recalls Hudson, who became the coproject director of the SCIMS, along with
Dr. Apple, who is now medical director
emeritus. “Since Shepherd Center was
only seven years old at that point, I didn’t
know what to expect when we applied.”
Hudson’s words to Dr. Apple were, “This
is the start of something big.”
Since that day, Shepherd Center has
been renewed as a SCIMS every five years
and has remained continuously funded
for the past 30 years. The latest grant,
received in 2011, is for $2.5 million – the
maximum any hospital can receive.
“Being continuously funded has been
huge,” Hudson says. “It has enabled us
to make strides in therapeutic recreation,
outreach and employment programs.”
P
staff
profile
INTERESTING FACTS:
arThur simon, m.d.,
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
With Arthur simon, m.d.,
mediCAL direCtor of
reConstruCtive surGery
intervieWeD by jAne M. SAnDerS
Dr. Simon began practicing reconstructive surgery as
a consulting physician at Shepherd Center 23 years
ago when he opened his private practice in Atlanta.
He provides consultation regarding patients with
skin complications, performs surgery on Shepherd
patients at the adjacent Piedmont Hospital and sees
patients in clinics he holds twice a week at Shepherd.
He is board certified in general and plastic surgery.
Q: why did you decide to become a physician?
A: My mother encouraged me to become a doctor or
lawyer. Also, I was strong in math and science. So, to
take my skills to a higher level, I chose medicine. In
fact, I was the first person in my extended family to
graduate from college.
PhotoS thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite
Q: why did you specialize in plastic and
reconstructive surgery?
A: I always wanted to be a general surgeon. As a
medical intern, the things I liked about surgery were
the immediate results and gratification. The internal
medicine physicians always had to order tests and
wait for the results. Then as a resident, I applied to
some competitive programs where I knew I could
get lots of hands-on experience in surgery. At Cook
County Hospital in Chicago, I did a plastic surgery
rotation in a clinic where we operated on children with
cleft lips and palates. I was enthralled to take babies
who were missing palates and help make them look
almost normal. It was an “aha” moment for me.
I was the first graduate of the University of Illinois to
complete a general surgery residency and then go on
to complete a plastic surgery residency. In the fourth
and fifth year of my general surgery residency, I got
to do all kinds of surgeries, and it made me a better
surgeon. I learned to make decisions quickly and
how to handle complex cases.
But I decided to go on to plastic surgery, not for
the breast augmentations, facelifts and money, but
because of the experience I had in correcting cleft
and missing palates.
Q: describe your role as medical director of
reconstructive surgery at shepherd center.
A: I am the go-to guy when complications arise
with patients’ skin. I provide consultations for
reconstructive surgery and staff a skin clinic at
Shepherd Center twice week in which we see at
least 40 patients.
experience:
Medical Director
of Reconstructive
Surgery, Shepherd
Center, 23 years; also
operates a private
practice in Atlanta
I have always considered my work at Shepherd
Center to be the most rewarding part of my practice.
When a patient has a large pressure sore, which can
be fatal, my biggest joy is when I tell patients who
are doing well at several months post-operation that
I never want to see them again professionally. They
laugh and always thank me for helping them. That’s
the most rewarding part of the job.
residencies:
University of Illinois
Medical Center and
Medical College of
Virginia
inTernship:
University of Health
Science, Chicago
Medical School
Also, I consider it part of being a doctor and part
of practicing at Shepherd Center that I treat every
patient as I would treat them if they were my own
family member.
medical school:
Chicago Medical
School
random facTs:
For five years, when he
was in high school and
in college, Dr. Simon
worked as a nurse’s
aid in a Chicago
hospital. It taught him
to be respectful of
nurses and patients
and reinforced his
interest in becoming a
physician, he says.
Shepherd Center is a remarkable, magic kingdom.
People come here with their lives altered so much by
injury. With help from their treatment team, they are
able to overcome adversity and live productive lives.
It is always inspiring to see this happen. The energy
this hospital has makes me a better person. So,
practicing medicine here is my way to give back.
Q: what are some things you’ve learned from
your interactions with shepherd center patients
through the years?
A: Never give up hope. That’s very important. I’ve
seen patients using wheelchairs and then six months
later, they have walked into my clinic.
Dr. Simon has
participated in several
medical mission trips
to Haiti, Kenya and the
Philippines through
the Christian
Children’s Fund.
Always have confidence in yourself. If you lose that
confidence, you’re not going to progress with your life.
I’ve seen some patients learn to discover the
unexpected blessing of their injury. In time, the injury
experience leads them down a different path to a
more successful and meaningful life – perhaps even
more so than if they had remained able-bodied. q
In his free time, Dr.
Simon enjoys writing
and creating product
lines to promote health
and wellness.
5.
More story and photos online at
fighting the
good
Fight
[
Two soldiers baTTle back from spinal
cord injuries To reTurn To duTy.
by bill SAnDerS
PhotoS oF toM boone by ruSSell klikA
PhotoS oF MArcoS MADriD by Abby greenAWAlt
]
When someone such as Tom Boone says
rehabilitation for a spinal cord injury at Shepherd
Center was one of the physically toughest, but
most rewarding, things he’s ever done, it means
something a little extra.
Knowing his title and job helps to explain.
It’s not Mr. Boone; it’s U.S. Army Special Forces
Sgt. First Class Tom Boone, 30, a Green Beret
soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Tom sustained a C-4 to -5 spinal cord injury
(SCI) and was diagnosed with central cord
syndrome, which limits function in the upper
extremities more than the lower ones. He was
injured in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident in
September 2010 while attending a family reunion
near Nashville, Tenn.
There’s never a good time to flip an ATV and
injure your spinal cord. But the timing seemed
particularly cruel for Tom. He’d been married just
six weeks when the injury happened. And he had
just finished two years of Special Ops training and
was about to deploy as a Green Beret.
“It’s what I had trained for,” Tom says. “I wanted
to get back to kicking down doors and shooting
the bad guys. I think I still will get back to the front
line and do the job I had trained for.
“If it were not for Shepherd Center, I know I
wouldn’t be having a conversation like this, even
entertaining thoughts of being able to do things
that physical,” he adds. “I’m still in awe at what all I
saw and experienced at Shepherd Center.”
Few can understand Tom’s motivation better
than Marcos Madrid, 45, of Fairfax, Va., a retired
Special Forces soldier and current civilian employee
of the U.S. Army. As part of his requirement to stay
physically fit for his job, Marcos was mountain biking
in July 2010 when he wrecked his bike and sustained
a C-4 to -5 SCI. He, too, was diagnosed with central
cord syndrome.
Like Tom, Marcos underwent inpatient
rehabilitation at Shepherd Center under the care
of physiatrist Anna Elmers, M.D. Also like Tom,
Marcos was scheduled to deploy for an overseas
mission when he was injured. But as a 45-year-old,
he’d already seen several overseas tours of duty
as a Special Forces soldier.
Today, Marcos is 95 percent recovered and has
returned to work and to mountain biking.
“Eventually, I will deploy and support those
operations,” Marcos says. “I’ve been deployed
before. I’ve been there, done that, but I want to go
back. I may not be at 100 percent, so not all missions
are going to be a good fit for me. But I think there will
be a mission where I can serve in deployment again.”
ToM’S ACCIDENT, Rescue and Rehabilitation
For Tom, it felt as if his whole life was in front
of him on Sept. 10, 2010. He had a beautiful
new bride, and the rigorous, meticulous training
required to become a Green Beret was behind him.
His personal and professional life seemed set.
Then, on a family reunion weekend in Nashville,
Tom’s wife, Meredith Boone, went boating with part
of the family while Tom went to ride ATVs with his
uncle and cousins.
“For some reason, I had a bad feeling about
him going riding that day,” Meredith recalls. “I
kept telling him to be careful and check in with me.
When his Uncle Bobby called me, I thought he was
joking at first. This couldn’t be real.”
Tom was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical
Center. The diagnosis wasn’t good – at least not at first.
“I remember them telling me that I’d probably
never walk again.” Tom says. “Then this doctor,
(orthopedic surgeon) Dr. Clint Devin, who is some
kind of superstar doctor, walks in, looks at the MRI
and X-rays and said, ‘I think I can fix this guy.’”
Tom had already improved his chances for
recovery before he ever got to Vanderbilt. As a
trained Army medic, he knew the importance of
stabilizing a patient with a spinal cord injury, even
if he was the patient. He instructed his cousin and
uncle to get the emergency kit out of his truck and to
put a neck brace on him and then not to move him.
After surgery, Tom regained some sensation in
his feet, and everyone believed it was a good sign.
Two weeks later, he was taken by ambulance from
Nashville to Shepherd Center. As thankful as the
Boones are for what Dr. Devin and the Vanderbilt team
did, what happened over the next couple of months at
Shepherd Center left them almost speechless.
“Rehabilitation was completely different from
the physically taxing things I’ve done,” Tom says,
“and I’ve done some things that not many would
ever think about doing. The rehab was the most
difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, telling my body
to do something and having it not do it, then
relearning how to make it happen.
“Everyone at Shepherd Center was awesome,”
Tom says. “Even on days when I was being
pig-headed and wanted to pout, that was not an
option. I would throw a little temper tantrum and
say I wasn’t going to do something that day, but
my treatment team always won. It is because
of them, that I can run, climb a rope, go to the
shooting range and teach my 10 years of military
experiences to young privates.”
Meredith got to witness the spirit of Shepherd
Center in a way that only spouses can. In some
ways, the spouse gets to see so much more of
what is going on around their loved one and in the
rest of the hospital.
Watching wasn’t always easy, Meredith recalls.
But the outcome was typically good.
“It was amazing,” she says of her Shepherd
experience. “At first, you are in shock, then you
wonder how all these people are all so happy. You
feel like you’re the only one in the world this is
happening to until you see this great community.
“At Vanderbilt, they had him standing up before
he left there, but his blood pressure was an issue,
and he’d pass out,” Meredith recalls. “When he
got to Shepherd Center, on the first or second day,
they had him walking with a gait belt at the parallel
bars. Then, I was the one about to pass out.”
Meredith adds: “When we found out at
Vanderbilt that Tom had central cord syndrome, it
was heartbreaking. Tom is so strong-willed and
self-reliant. Luckily for us, we had Shepherd Center
to help. It was extremely hard for him to lose his
independence, and when he started to recover, it
was just as hard for me to give it back.”
Dr. Elmers says there was never doubt in her mind
that Tom would reach his rehabilitation goals. And she
thinks his future goals are certainly attainable.
“Patients who have gone through military training
are often our best patients and have the best
outcomes,” she says. “The training Tom had gone
through, it’s obviously not easy. I know soldiers
go through a lot in training camps, both physically
and psychologically. Their attitudes and work ethic
pay off in rehabilitation here.”
u.S. Army Special
Forces Sgt. First Class
tom Boone, 30, is a
Green Beret soldier
stationed at Fort Bragg,
n.C. he sustained an
incomplete C-4 to -5
spinal cord injury in an
Atv accident in 2010.
he was diagnosed with
central cord syndrome.
today, he has returned
to duty as a medic
and instructor.
MARCoS’ ACCIDENT, Rescue and Rehabilitation
Imagine a tough, veteran Green Beret, and that
describes Marcos, Dr. Elmers says.
“What you see in movies about soldiers, Marcos is
that kind of person,” she explains. “He has a dry wit,
but was very serious about his rehabilitation. He’s the
type of patient that we’ll remember 30 years from now.”
The feeling is mutual.
Marcos retired in 2009 after 20 years in the
U.S. Army, the last 11 of which were in the Special
Marcos Madrid, 45, of
Fairfax, va., is a retired
Special Forces
soldier and current
civilian employee
of the u.S. Army. Marcos
was mountain biking
in July 2010 when
he wrecked his bike
and sustained
a C-4 to -5 SCi. he,
too, was diagnosed
with central
cord syndrome.
today, he is back at
work for the Army.
Forces. In 2009, he became a civilian employee in
support of Special Ops. He was about to deploy to
Afghanistan when he was injured.
“I was doing some last-minute training before
deploying and was riding my mountain bike on a
trail I had ridden for eight years, the same route,
with the same group,” Marcos recalls. “Somehow,
I went over a log, and it drove my head into the
ground. I knew it was bad from the moment it
happened, but I also remember thinking I would
overcome it – and quickly. I couldn’t move
anything, couldn’t tell where my arms were, what
position they were in.”
Marcos was second to last in his group of 12
bikers on the trails. Had he been last, he’s not sure
how quickly he could have gotten help. As it was,
he was able to get the attention of the last rider,
who stopped to help his friend.
“We were deep in the trail, so it took paramedics
about an hour to get to me,” Marcos recalls. “They
dragged me out on a back board, then to a Gator
(all-terrain vehicle) and then to an ambulance. This
whole time, I’m thinking it will go away. I will fight
through it like everything else. I had just shocked
my system. I thought I’d be running again the next
day. It didn’t get any better in a few hours, and
I started to realize that it was not looking good.
That’s when depression hit.”
Like Tom, Marcos had central cord syndrome.
That meant nothing to Marcos, who just wanted to
know whether he’d be walking and running again,
and when.
“Basically, it’s a crap shoot as to what comes
back after the swelling goes down,” Marcos says.
“I needed an answer. Was it 50-50? 75-25? But
they didn’t know.”
Twelve weeks later, Marcos left Shepherd Center
with most of his questions answered.
“When I got to Shepherd, I couldn’t move,” he
recalls. “As far as I’m concerned, I couldn’t do
anything. Within the first week, my therapists had
me standing me up, even though I still couldn’t
move. I was on a backboard, and they had me
support myself. It was a good milestone. The
following week, while I couldn’t control what I was
doing, they had me walk in a harness. If I had
laid in bed, which is what often happens at other
hospitals, I might still be in bed.”
Two Soldiers Back on Duty
Marcos has one regret about joining the Special
Forces – that he didn’t do it sooner.
“Definitely I would do it again,” he says. “I wish
I had done it earlier. I liked the full-on volunteer
nature of enlisting. Everyone is there because they
want to be there. No matter what you’re doing,
everyone is there because they chose to, and that
adds some peace of mind.”
Tom, of course, wants nothing more than to have
a shot at what Marcos had – 11 years in the Special
Forces.
“I had no intention of making it a career,” Tom
says. “I went into the National Guard right out of
high school. It was going to pay for college. While
in the Indiana National Guard, I worked with some
Green Berets. I thought they are a lot cooler than I
am. I want to be one of these guys.”
Both Marcos and Tom plan on continuing a
career that involves deployments.
“I believe I can do that,” Tom says. “Physically,
I’m nowhere near the man I was, but I’m getting
closer every day, and I do hope to get back to the
frontline fight. I’m a stubborn guy. No one will tell
me what I can’t do.”
Dr. Elmers believes Tom can and will do that
before too long. As for Marcos, he might have
already gone back to Afghanistan and just isn’t
saying so.
“I think he thought he was going soon – against
doctor’s orders,” Dr. Elmers adds. “But I know
that’s where his heart is, too, so as his doctor, I’m
fine with it.” q
Share Military initiative provides
hope and recovery for wounded
Military personnel
By Bill sanders
Patients who have served the u.S. military have long been an important focus of
the medical treatment and rehabilitation programs at Shepherd Center. But since
early 2008, after philanthropist Bernie Marcus learned about the gap in care for
military personnel with brain injuries, the hospital has served more than 124
service members through the ShAre Military initiative.
Marcus funded the program initially, but after publicity about its success in
helping wounded service members either return to the military or transition back
to civilian life, ShAre (Shaping hope and recovery excellence) has garnered
financial support locally, as well as nationally.
“it truly is remarkable that we continue to see the generosity in support of
wounded service members so these heroes can receive the much-needed private
sector care they deserve until the military health care services ramp up,” says
Susan Johnson, program director of Brain injury Services.
though ShAre initially provided treatment for active-duty military personnel
who sustained spinal cord and/or brain injuries either on the battlefield or
stateside, the program – based on increasing need – has evolved, Johnson
explains. now, it focuses on comprehensive treatment for military personnel
who have sustained mild traumatic brain injury (mtBi) and post-traumatic stress
disorder (PtSD) while serving in iraq or Afghanistan.
“they have suffered from numerous blast injuries with subsequent PtSD and
have often have been misdiagnosed or untreated, resulting in a number of other
chronic issues,” Johnson says.
ShAre participants undergo outpatient treatment in a 10- to 12-week program
in which they are housed together in apartments close to Shepherd Center.
Services provided run the gamut from physical, cognitive, behavioral and
psychological treatment, including family and vocational counseling.
Since its inception, ShAre has collected a lot of outcome data from the
treatment program. the data indicate that clients are improving in cognition,
depression, PtSD, headaches, pain and sleep, Johnson notes. once they transition
back into the military or civilian life, clients are managed and followed by ShAre’s
military services transition coordinator for up to a year – or more based on their
individual needs.
the ShAre leadership team has just developed an enhanced transition
treatment program that measures the individual success of clients. this model
is individualized using a goal attainment scale that the client determines for
monitoring his/her success, Johnson explains. Clients can use outlined strategies
to cope based on the ups and downs that may occur during their transition. the
pilot program has shown a lot of merit, she adds.
“right now, we know how many go back to work or return to active duty, but we
want to learn more about their day-to-day development after they leave,” Johnson
explains. “this new standardized measurement scale will help give us more
objective data.”
Meanwhile, fundraising continues for the ShAre Military initiative. triCare
military insurance covers only some of the costs of treatment. So, funds donated
to ShAre fill the gap. the program needs about $70,000 a month to sustain its
current patient population of 10 to 12 soldiers at any given time, Johnson says.
Donors continue to give generously to ShAre, and the program is well on its
way to meeting its funding goal in the current fiscal year, she adds. ShAre expects
to get a boost later this year from funds raised in the hospital’s largest fundraiser of
the year – the legendary Party. it is scheduled for nov. 3, 2012 at the ritz-Carlton,
Buckhead. ticket information for the gala event will be
available soon at www.thelegendaryParty.com.
For more information on ShAre, see
Sidebar story and photos online
5.
www.shepherd.org/share.
at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org
A patient with seven children
imparts life lessons to his
family and draws strength from
them during his recovery.
by bill SAnDerS
1.
To 12-year-old Sylvia Meredith, Shepherd Center
was the perfect location for a superhero to do
battle with his arch nemesis.
Sylvia, and her six siblings, spent weeks in
early 2012 living in Shepherd Center’s Woodruff
Family Residence Center while their dad, Tim
Meredith, 42, of Bristol, Tenn., underwent
rehabilitation for a stroke.
In a story Sylvia wrote during her dad’s
rehabilitation, Batman became a patient at
Shepherd Center after a car crash caused by The
Joker. The Joker got so frustrated with Shepherd
Center for doing such a thorough job in treating
Batman that he set out to destroy the hospital.
The Joker foiled his own plan, though, when
he fell off the roof of the hospital. The Joker then
underwent rehabilitation at Shepherd Center
before going to prison.
“I thought this would be a good way to say thank
you to Shepherd Center and make them laugh,”
says Sylvia, who sent her story to hospital cofounder Alana Shepherd. “I figured out a problem
and a good solution to the problem. I tried to make
Shepherd Center the hero.”
The Meredith children, ranging in age from 8
months to 12, witnessed the heroics of the Shepherd
Center staff on a daily basis. Alison Meredith, Tim’s
wife, homeschools the children, and after consulting
with Tim and counselors at Shepherd Center, she
decided to relocate her family to Atlanta for the
duration of Tim’s rehabilitation.
Catherine Rogers, Ph.D., a clinical
neuropsychologist at Shepherd Center, says in
this case, having the whole family participate in the
daily therapeutic process was beneficial not only
to Tim, but also to Alison and the children.
“One thing we recommend for families is to
keep as much structure and routine for children
as possible,” Dr. Rogers says. “For the Merediths,
with the kids being homeschooled, it would have
been more disruptive for them to be apart from
their parents when they were so used to being
together during the days and evenings.
“It’s amazing, given that they have seven
children, how orderly things were and how well
they did being on the Acquired Brain Injury Unit.”
Alison knew the stay in Atlanta would be a
PhotoS BY louie FAvorite AnD leitA CowArt
disruptive time for the children. The question was,
“Would it be more helpful, in the long run, to have the
children with their dad?”
“I asked three of my closest friends, ‘Am I nuts?’
before bringing the kids,” she says. “Everyone agreed
with what I was thinking. So the kids were packed up
and brought down to Atlanta. The kids learned in a
real way that family matters, and you drop everything
and do what it takes to love Dad.”
Shortly after experiencing strokes caused by
an iliac aneurysm, Tim’s chances of survival were
poor, according to his doctors in Tennessee. But the
Meredith family never lost hope, instead choosing to
pray and then to focus on things they could control.
Tim, who was discharged from Shepherd Center
in late March, says he is proud of his children and
thankful for how the hospital staff helped them
understand and cope with his injury.
“For Sylvia and Peter (age 10), this will be a defining
part of their childhood,” Tim says. “It’s all been hard
on them, but I think it would have been harder for
them to stay at home. They got to come together
around their dad and saw me take this journey. I think
it strengthened them.”
Dr. Rogers says that being at Shepherd Center
was not only good for the kids, but helped in
Tim’s recovery.
“It made a big difference with his mood having
the contact with his family,” she notes. “It helped
emotionally, but also physically, because he was so
motivated to do the work involved with therapy, in large
part, because he was surrounded by his family.”
Dr. Rogers adds that in some other cases,
having children at the hospital every day might not
be good for the patient.
“It varies, depending largely on the patient’s
condition,” she says. “In this case, it was really
good because Tim felt like the same person to
them. It’s harder for kids when the patient is very
disinhibited or acting out verbally or physically.
He didn’t have that kind of personality change
sometimes caused by a brain injury.”
The Merediths are back home now.
Tim wants his children to understand that he may
never be 100 percent recovered from his stroke. It’s
a life lesson that children have to learn at some point.
But he also wants them to know how grateful he is for
his many blessings – mainly, his seven children and a
loving, committed wife. q
1.
2.
1. Former patient
tim Meredith and
his family visit with
neuropsychologist
Catherine rogers,
far right, outside
Shepherd Center’s
woodruff Family
residence Center,
where the family
stayed while
he underwent
rehabilitation for
a brain injury. 2.
Amanda Shank and
her children meet
with Gale eckstein
in Shepherd’s
Family Services
Department.
Sidebar and photos online at
1.
A True Reflection
Young people with spinal cord injuries share
their self-image struggles and triumphs.
by john chriStenSen
Her struggles began in the southwest Georgia
town of Blakely, where the family lived when she was
injured. Although Kelsey downplays those early years,
her mother, Rhonda Sasser says: “She had a really
hard time. She felt different, and her teacher didn’t
understand why Kelsey would have to leave the room
so much, why it took her so long in the bathroom and
why she was sick so often.”
Her “new normal” and the lack of understanding
she encountered stressed everyone in the family, and
things didn’t improve when they moved to Dothan,
Ala. “The teacher left her alone,” Rhonda says, “and
the kids followed suit.”
But after moving to Atlanta in 2002, Kelsey met
other young people like herself in Shepherd Center’s
Outpatient Services Department and found she was
usually accepted wherever she went in the city. “In
school, it was no big deal,” Rhonda says. “I think the
kids felt, ‘Oh, it’s just Kelsey.’ She becomes Kelsey,
not the chair. It was easier for her and for us.”
Nevertheless, Kelsey, her older sister, Lexa, and
Rhonda herself participated in counseling to help
them adjust to their new reality.
“Before the accident,” Rhonda says, “Kelsey was
sassy and very self-confident and independent. For
a while after, it was difficult for her. Her self-esteem
kelsey Sasser, 18,
recently graduated from
holy innocents episcopal
School in Atlanta. Years
after sustaining a spinal
cord injury, she is now
self-confident and
outgoing. She enjoys
photography and won a
Critics’ Choice Award for
her work in a competition
in Atlanta. the photo
depicts a damaged, but
still beautiful Barbie.
“Finding the beauty in
negative places proves
hard to some, but for
others, when that nut
is cracked, the true
beauty shines through
more powerful than
before,” kelsey says.
PhotoS BY GArY Meek
When 18-year-old Kelsey Sasser was a freshman
at Holy Innocents Episcopal School in Atlanta, her
English teacher told the class “If you’re going to talk
the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk.”
Kelsey quipped, “Are you trying to make fun of me?”
Her classmates laughed, but the teacher was
horrified, thinking he’d offended her. He hadn’t.
“That’s just the way I roll,” she says.
Kelsey has been rolling since she was six years
old, when she sustained a complete T-3 spinal
cord injury in an auto accident. Now a recent high
school graduate, she is a poised young woman
whose stunning photograph of a smudged, onelegged Barbie doll won a photography contest. She
also hit the bull’s-eye three times the first time she
shot a 9-millimeter pistol, programs the family’s
electronic devices and — English teachers take
note — was voted by her classmates “Most Likely
to Make You Laugh.”
Kelsey describes herself: “I’m shy to a certain
degree… a bit reserved until I know what’s going
on. But once you get to know me, I might not be
quiet ever.”
However, adjusting her self-image to
accommodate her disability, as many teen-agers
discover, was not easy.
1., 2. Former patient luke
easterwood, 22, of rome,
Ga., regained his selfconfidence in time after
his injury. he recently
graduated from Georgia
Southern university
and will be entering
graduate school at the
university of washington
this fall. 3., 4. Former
patient Schuyler Jenkins,
20, of ellenwood,
Ga., right, returns to
Shepherd Center to
provide peer support
to patients, including
Brady Conaster, 19, of
Cunningham, tenn., left.
he keeps in touch with
his former therapists,
including Cheryl linden
and Cathi Dugger.
was not very good. But now she’s sassy again. She
thinks, ‘Yes, I can do it.’”
“Sometimes young people are embarrassed at
having a disability,” says Kathy Mattox, a nurse in
Outpatient Services, who has seen Kelsey in the clinic
since 2005. “But we get them out in the community
and teach them how to handle people who lack
knowledge about people with disabilities. Kelsey
grew up in that chair. Kelsey has a good self-image
and is proud of her accomplishments. She is a wellrounded teenager and has a bright future.”
Cheryl Linden, a counselor who works with
Shepherd’s adolescent inpatients with spinal cord
injury, says young people with disabilities worry about
how they appear to others, whether they’ll be able to
do what others do and whether others will want to be
around them. They worry about getting around, about
complications from bowel and bladder programs,
and, naturally, they wonder about dating.
One of the best predictors for a good self-image,
Cheryl says, is strong support from family and
friends. In fact, she says, “Some who are more
independent physically have a harder time at home
than those who are less independent, but are better
emotionally because of that support.”
Another indicator is personality. Everyone has
different coping skills, and someone who is highly
motivated before their injury may also be motivated
to recover from it.
“It’s not just about adjusting to a spinal cord
injury,” Cheryl says. “It’s also about taking charge
of your life again and how you put yourself out there
and perceive yourself rather than how others see
you. Others take their cues from you.”
But what teen-agers seek most is conformity.
1.
2.
3.
4.
PhotoS BY JereMY wilBurn AnD leitA CowArt
“Image is everything,” Cheryl says. “They want to
be like everyone else; they don’t want to be seen
as different. They want to fit in, whether that means
having long hair or wearing your pants hanging down.
They identify with the group.”
She adds, “I can talk about those things, but I’m
not a teen-ager and haven’t been for some time, and I
don’t have a spinal cord injury.”
Thus, the need exists for peer supporters –
teenagers and young adults who have overcome the
physical, emotional and psychological challenges of
spinal cord injury and are living independently.
Take Luke Easterwood, 22, of Rome, Ga., for
example. Luke sustained a complete T-5 to -6
spinal cord injury in a motorized scooter accident
in November 2008. But he graduated from Georgia
Southern University this spring in just three years
while also working as an intern at a university
magazine. He will attend graduate school at the
University of Washington this fall.
Luke learned to care for himself so well that he
bristles when someone holds the door for him. “I
feel it’s almost like telling the other person I can’t
do it for myself,” he says. “I don’t mind it if I’ve got
a box in my lap or something, but I like being an
activist and being empowered.”
But he admits that his injury did change his
self-image.
“I can’t move around like I did,” he says. “And
things like transferring from a bench to my chair are
uncomfortable. But I also know it’s important not to
worry, to be myself and not attached to the chair.” A
book he read convinced him that it’s not enough to
go only places that are accessible, “or you’re making
yourself inaccessible. You’re putting yourself in a box
if you don’t try to go,” he says.
So he has gone to concerts and soccer games,
and wears neon-green laces in his tennis shoes “to
make people look at the laces instead of the chair.”
Schuyler Jenkins, 20, a peer supporter from
Ellenwood, Ga., sustained an incomplete C-4 to -5
spinal cord injury in an auto accident in November
2010. Although he is walking again, he still uses a
wheelchair at times and says: “I’m pretty insecure. I
was in tiptop shape for 19 years and could bench
press 500 pounds. Now, I can barely lift 100, and I’m
not able to do as much as I used to. But even though
I’m battling, it’s still worth it to share something that
would mean something to someone else.”
Throughout his ordeal, Schuyler says, his friends
were steadfast. “It’s like I’ve got eight mommies,”
he says.
Kelsey says her friends don’t see her as being in a
wheelchair and “haven’t changed at all,” and that she
has an active social life.
And, yes, she says, she fits in.
“Yeah, I stand out,” she says, “but not in a bad way.
I’m the only one sitting down. But I’m pretty confident.
Everyone has insecurities, but I have pretty high
self-esteem. And if someone sees only my disability
or has a prejudice against me, they haven’t spent
enough time with me. They’d see otherwise.” q
atlanta School Forms a Special
Bond with Shepherd Center
By John chrisTensen
when rhonda Sasser looked for a high school for daughter kelsey, she called
several private schools in the Atlanta area and asked if they would admit a child in
a wheelchair. Most of them said no. But holy innocents episcopal School not only
enrolled her, it also renovated bathrooms to make them accessible and installed
push plates at the doors.
“that was a big deal,” rhonda says. “they didn’t have to do that.”
holy innocents makes it a habit to accommodate students and faculty with disabilities and make them feel welcome.
in one case a few years ago, a third-grader was temporarily restricted to a wheelchair and unable to get to classrooms on the second floor. the third-grade classes
were moved to first-floor classrooms until the student was able to walk again.
in another ongoing case, a lower school chaplain has a disability, so students are
brought to her for class.
holy innocents students also volunteer regularly at Shepherd Center, doing such
things as making courage cards, putting up holiday decorations, decorating trays and
painting ceiling tiles. Some of their parents also volunteer at Shepherd.
“Community service is something we value and try to instill,” says Associate
headmaster rick Betts, “and we maintain a relationship with Shepherd Center, where
the students can go and serve and build relationships. our community gets a lot out
of it, and i know Shepherd Center appreciates what we do.”
“our association with holy innocents is special,” says Dean Melcher, the
Shepherd Center Foundation’s director of annual giving. “we’ve had a very long and
deep relationship.”
Aside from volunteer activities and individual donations, Betts estimates that
fundraisers such as read-a-thons and fun runs have contributed an additional $30,000
to Shepherd Center in the 14 years he’s worked at the school.
Janet Silvera, who teaches middle school science at holy innocents, was a patient
in Shepherd Center’s Acquired Brain injury unit following a stroke in early 2010. At
her request, the holy innocents Parents’ Association donated more than $14,000
from its 2011 Fun run to Shepherd Pathways, the hospital’s post-acute brain injury
rehabilitation program.
“holy innocents has a very strong family relationship among faculty, parents and
students,” Janet says. “And a number of our students and parents have been patients
at Shepherd Center. i really wanted to do something to give back because when i walk
into that hospital, i get an overwhelming feeling of comfort and appreciation for the
ongoing support that Shepherd provides for patients and their family. i am blessed to
be able to teach again.”
Former Shepherd Center patient Janet Silvera teaches at
holy innocents episcopal School in Atlanta.
Photo BY GArY Meek
The Winning Vows
former patient and his new wife win a national contest with
the wedding vows she penned in just a few minutes.
by bill SAnDerS
PhotoS BY kellYe lewiS
How long would it take you to write wedding vows
so beautiful, eloquent and heartfelt that you’d feel
comfortable enough to enter them into a national
E! Network online contest?
Surely, if you even mustered up the gumption
to give it a try, you’d dwell on every word, rewrite
every sentence a dozen times and, if you really
wanted to take it seriously, you’d probably get all of
your friends’ opinions on the draft version.
Megan Robinson Huwe did exactly the opposite.
Upon seeing a commercial for a contest that was
pegged to the release of the February 2012 Rachel
McAdams movie “The Vow,” Megan sat down, and
in a few minutes, she wrote the vows she wanted to
say to her fiancé, Peter Huwe, a former Shepherd
Center patient who sustained a C-6 to -7 spinal cord
injury in a diving accident in 2005.
In an excerpt from her vows, Megan wrote:
“I always knew that one very lucky girl would
steal your heart and get to spend her life with you.
I just never thought that girl would be me... I have
always said, what you lack physically, you make up
for 100 times over in character, perseverance and
kindness. You are exactly what I always prayed for
in a husband... It is so comforting to know that I will
have a husband who can handle all the curve balls
life has to throw…Thank you for changing my life.”
That said, Megan put her entry into an envelope and
mailed it, thinking nothing more about it or the $25,000
grand prize to be awarded to the contest winner.
“It was really easy,” Megan recalls, a bit
embarrassingly. “It took me about 15 minutes to
write exactly how I feel. I may have missed a thing
here or there, but it got my point across.”
About a week after submitting her contest entry,
the E! network called Megan to say she was a
finalist. Eventually, after nearly two weeks of voting,
she heard from the network again.
“They called on Valentine’s Day to tell me we had
won,” Megan says. “I was in shock. I called Peter,
and he didn’t believe me. We’d come to terms
with the fact that we hadn’t won that morning. We
thought, while it would have been great to win,
what meant most to us about the entire process
was all of the love and support we received from
our friends, our family and all of the people who
rallied behind our story. Without that, the victory
would not have been possible, and it made the win
that much sweeter.”
On June 30, the couple married in Mississippi,
and E! Network picked up $25,000 of the tab. The
prizes included Megan’s wedding dress and up
to five bridesmaids dresses from Simone Carvalli,
wedding bands from Parade, registry gifts from
Bloomingdale’s and a honeymoon in Los Cabos.
But long before the contest, Peter and Megan
both felt like they had won the spousal lottery.
Peter and Megan met in the chemistry
department when they were students at
Mississippi College. Paralyzed from the chest
down, Peter was a little apprehensive about dating
at first. But his wheelchair wasn’t the hindrance.
“We started out as friends, “ Peter says. “We’d
go out for coffee, occasionally lunch. It wasn’t until
after I graduated from college and moved up to
Philadelphia and started grad school that we started
a romantic relationship.”
What took him so long?
“That was all her fault,” Peter says. “When I was
in Mississippi, she was dating another guy. As
soon as I found out they had split up, I escalated
the relationship.”
Megan likes the idea of sounding diplomatic when
speaking of that previous dating relationship. But
now that she’s married, there’s no fooling anyone.
“From first time I met him, I knew some girl was
going to be lucky, and secretly maybe I was hoping it
would be me,” Megan says.
The two now gush over one another with worldclass grace.
“She’s a catch, a very special girl,” Peter says. “She
has the sweetest personality. When she broke up
with her boyfriend, I know there were tons of guys
who wanted to date her. I was the lucky one.”
Megan doesn’t see it that way, instead believing
that she is the lucky one.
“He’s very handsome, smart and outgoing,” she
says. “You just feel good when you are around him. I
don’t know one person who doesn’t like him.
“We had a long talk about his injury before we
started dating. He asked if it was something I
could handle. Of course,
I said yes. Now I think,
‘Who wouldn’t want to
marry someone like
Peter, someone who
could handle what he’s
handled and have such
a great outlook on life?’”
Peter hasn’t regained
any sensation and only a
little motor function since
leaving Shepherd Center
seven years ago.
“My biceps work a
little, and I have a little bit
of finger extension,” he
explains. “But I have no
grip in my hands. There’s
not much there.
“But really, once I
decided for myself that it
was OK, and I got back to
putting myself out there
as a confident person,
it became easy,” he
adds. “Other people are
attracted to that.”
Megan certainly was.
“I don’t really remember
having thoughts about
what it meant to be dating someone in a wheelchair,”
she says. “I know this, it wasn’t the first thing I noticed
about him. Not by a long shot.” q
Megan robinson and
former patient Peter
huwe married on June
30 in Mississippi. the
e! network paid for
$25,000 of their wedding
expenses after Megan
wrote wedding vows that
won her the grand prize
in a national contest.
Women
desiGned for
While female patients make up
a small part of shepherd Center’s
patient population, the hospital
goes the distance to help them
adjust to life after an injury.
1.
For Maria Rea, grocery shopping is an exercise in
organization and tenacity.
The 34-year-old teacher from Hazlehurst, Ga.,
places a hand basket on her lap and rolls her
wheelchair around the grocery store, collecting
what she needs for her family of four. When the
basket is full, she rolls to the front of the store,
where she’s placed a cart, and dumps everything
in. She repeats this process until she has
everything on her list.
Jitka Virag, of Greenville, N.C., is equally skilled
at improvising everyday tasks. She’s had to
be. Nearly five years ago, Jitka was hit by a car
while riding her bicycle to work at East Carolina
University, where she is a professor. The accident
left the mother of two with a T-4 complete spinal
cord injury. Today, when making pasta for dinner
(a family favorite), she methodically spoons the
noodles from their cooking pot into a strainer
placed over an empty pot. The practice saves her
from lifting the heavy pot off the stove.
Such are the strategies women learn during
their rehabilitation at Shepherd Center to help
them resume their lives as wives, mothers and
employees. While the goals for male and female
patients are the same at Shepherd Center – to
regain as much independence as possible – female
patients who have a spinal cord injury (SCI) or an
acquired brain injury (ABI) often receive added
assistance dealing with issues unique to them, from
careers to child care, body image to sexuality.
And homemaking. Therapy at Shepherd Center
addresses everything a patient did before injury,
and for many women that includes cooking,
cleaning, shopping and doing laundry.
“We take them out on outings, teach them
how to maneuver around a grocery store,
practice in the kitchen – even teach them how
to get dressed and put on makeup,” says Minna
Hong, a peer support coordinator at Shepherd
Center. “Whatever they want to work on, we try to
accommodate because practice makes perfect.”
Injured 13 years ago in a car accident that left her
a single mother to a 6-year-old son and 8-year-old
Photo thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite
by SArA bAxter
PhotoS thiS PAGe BY GrAY whitleY
daughter, Minna knows firsthand about being in a
wheelchair and handling the challenges of raising
children, working, and eventually for her, dating.
That is why she freely shares her experience with
others through peer support groups.
Maria is one who benefited from such sharing.
After sustaining a T-10 incomplete SCI in a
February 2011 car accident, she spent seven
months in Shepherd’s inpatient and day programs.
One particularly helpful boost was when Shepherd
taught her how to train her two children on new
ways to manage day-to-day activities and tasks.
Another was learning to drive an accessible
vehicle: Maria now drives an accessible van
(donated to Shepherd Center and then given to
Maria) to the school where she works as a prekindergarten teacher. She plans to resume full-time
teaching this fall.
“I’d probably be sitting in the closet crying if it
weren’t for Shepherd,” Maria says. “They played a
huge role in my recovery.”
Alyson Boyea Doherty, of Woburn, Mass.,
agrees. Eleven years ago, her car hydroplaned
and hit a tree, leaving her with an acquired
brain injury. Alyson, now 36, spent a month at
Shepherd Center, relearning how to walk, talk and
eat. She continued with outpatient rehabilitation
at Shepherd Pathways. Her goal after leaving
Shepherd was to have a “normal” life, she says.
Though she has adjusted well, Alyson
encounters some limitations. Daily tasks are
sometimes a challenge because the accident
damaged the system in her brain that controls
cognitive processes. In 2005, she married her
boyfriend, Jeff, who’d been with her before the
accident, and the pair moved from Atlanta to
Woburn. They now have a 3-year-old son, and
Alyson is a stay-at-home mom.
“Most day-to-day stuff is hard,” says Alyson, who
tried to return to work as a bank teller, but was unable
to. “So I try to stick to a routine as much as I can.”
That means shopping for groceries, taking her son
to and from preschool and working out. As a result
of her injury, she has positional vertigo, which affects
her balance and ability to walk a straight line. As a
result, she has to remain extra vigilant when watching
her son. Finding a way to maintain a positive attitude
has been equally important.
“Although it is very hard to stay positive while
recovering, you have to, otherwise you will go
insane feeling sorry for yourself,” says Alyson,
adding that despite the extremely difficult times,
the accident really strengthen the key relationships
in her life, and for that she is grateful.
Jitka has experienced her share of adjustments,
too. An assistant professor of physiology at
East Carolina University, Jitka studies the ways
to repair damaged cardiac tissue after a heart
attack. Part of her research includes performing
microsurgery, and the university has sought to
make her transition easier by providing support
staff and lowering the work table in her lab. Jitka
has also learned to juggle errands and tasks, such
as taking her kids to swim or dance practice, and
she credits her husband, Jani, for handling most
duties in the home.
While managing households and recalibrating
logistics often take top priority, the women treated
at Shepherd must surmount other challenges – like
2.
1. Former patient Maria
rea of hazelhurst,
Ga., learns to navigate
a grocery store in a
wheelchair as part of
her therapy at Shepherd
Center. 2., 3. Jitka virag
of Greenville, n.C.,
returned to work as
an assistant professor
of physiology at east
Carolina university.
3.
body image. Maria doesn’t like to wear dresses
anymore because she’s self-conscious about the
appearance of her legs in the wheelchair. Alyson
was concerned right after her accident that her
smile was “crooked.” And while Jitka calls body
image “low on her priority list,” she says she
doesn’t like the fact that she’s no longer at eye
level with people.
Gaining some measures of control are beneficial.
One of the first things that made Alyson feel
“normal” again was styling her own hair, she says.
Maria felt the same way about applying makeup.
“We find all kinds of ways to help patients with
their grooming if it’s important to them,” Minna
explains. “Sometimes, that means we get creative
and teach them new techniques. What’s most
important is that it can be done.”
Related to body image is sex, which most women
with SCI can still enjoy, albeit in a different way. In
fact, women with SCI can also still get pregnant.
“Our passion is still there – it’s just that the
expression of that passion is different,” Jitka
1.Despite some lingering
limitations from a brain
injury she sustained 11
years ago, Alyson Boyea
Doherty of woburn,
Mass., has learned to
manage her household
and her role as a full-time
mother of a 3-yearold son. 2. Speechlanguage pathologist
hannah helton teaches
organizational skills to
patient Maggie Deery of
hilton head island, S.C.
3. occupational therapist
Sara Brockman shows
patient Barbara Moore of
Memphis, tenn., a device
to help her open a jar.
Photo thiS PAGe BY kelvin MA
1.
says. “I have all this metal around me, so it can be
challenging to find ways around it.”
“The thought of sex terrified me,” Minna admits.
“My body didn’t look the same, and I thought, ‘Who
will find this attractive?’ It is very scary.” But like
other Shepherd patients, Minna worked through
the self-doubt and remarried five years ago. Her
advice to others: “Humor is extremely helpful.”
Shepherd has a support group covering topics
relating to sexuality so women can talk about
their issues and concerns. “You don’t get brownie
points for doing it on your own,” Minna says. “You
need to ask for help and support.”
It helps to have that support close to home.
Alyson, Jitka and Maria all credit their husbands
for standing by them and giving them the love and
support they need to adjust to their new situations.
“My husband gives me ‘tough love,’” Maria says.
“He tells me, ‘I’m here if you need me, but try it on
your own first.”
“My husband is undeterred by adversity,” Jitka
says. “If there is a way to get around it, he will
find it. We share the view that things are only
impossible if you let them be.” q
2.
PhotoS thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite
3.
Why Are Women
UniqUe
At shepherd Center?
By sara BaxTer
Regardless of injury – spinal cord injury (SCI) or acquired
brain injury (ABI) –men far outnumber women in the
patient population at Shepherd Center. In 2011, Shepherd
had 916 inpatients. Of those, only 209 were women.
“Generally the ratio of men to women with SCI is four to one,”
says Sarah Morrison, PT, vice president of Clinical Services at
Shepherd Center. “Last year, only 18 percent of the people we
served in the SCI inpatient rehabilitation program were women.”
This statistic is mirrored on the brain injury side, as well. “Only 27
percent of all ABIs at Shepherd are women,” says Susan Johnson,
MA, CCC-SLP, CCM, director of Brain Injury Services at Shepherd.
This imbalance is largely because, by nature, men are higher risk
takers than women, and they are more likely to put themselves
in situations that are unsafe, where serious injuries can occur.
“SCI has many causes, but the typical ones are associated
with major trauma from moving vehicle accidents, falls, sports
and violence,” Morrison says. “In general, men take more risks
and are more likely to engage in highly dangerous sports or
activities that lead to these kinds of catastrophic injuries.” The
same is true for traumatic brain injuries, Johnson says, adding
that men also tend to have jobs with higher stress levels,
which increases hypertension and vulnerability to strokes.
Historically, this lopsidedness has also been reflected in the
body of research dedicated to women with SCI and ABI – mainly
because of the small pool from which to pull research candidates.
Just as they have unique needs in therapy, women with SCI
and ABI also have unique needs in research, and the field is
realizing that women need to be studied differently than men.
“Women develop different co-morbidities than men,” says
Lesley Hudson, M.A., co-project director of the Southeastern
Regional Spinal Cord Model Injury System at Shepherd
Center. “Because there aren’t as many patients to study,
those issues have been largely ignored.” Reproduction,
fertility, osteoporosis and menopause are issues that are
unique to women and need to be addressed, she adds.
One big factor that has helped fuel new research focused
on women is that more women are entering the research field
and obtaining doctoral and medical degrees. “Also, women are
becoming more vocal, and are asking for this,” Hudson says.
“Usually, when there is a glaring need, someone steps up.”
And research that is unique to women will only
help them deal with their unique issues.
“We’ve done so much to ensure a reasonable life expectancy,”
Hudson says. “We now want to give women the
tools to improve the quality of that life.”
smart Phone,
smart Apps
Wireless rerC at
shepherd Center
and Georgia tech
launches App factory
project to develop
apps for people
with disabilities.
by john chriStenSen
PhotoS by gAry Meek
The online pitch for the smart phone app “foursquare”
promises that users can keep up with friends, discover
what’s nearby, save money and unlock rewards. But to John
Morris, apps like foursquare have great potential to enable
people with disabilities to lead fuller and more active lives.
“It’s intended for young people to hang out and
check in with each other when they’re at a club or
restaurant,” says Morris, program manager for the
Research Engineering and Rehabilitation Center for
Wireless Technology (Wireless RERC). “When you
open the app, it uses GPS to locate your cell phone
and know where you are. You can invite friends and
family into your foursquare network, which can be
especially empowering if you have a disability. It
lets you go out into the world, and if you get lost or
confused or stuck somewhere, you friends and family
know where you are.”
Conducting research and developing apps for
people with disabilities is one mission of the Wireless
RERC, a collaborative effort between Shepherd
Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology. It
is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR). Its mandate goes beyond
Shepherd patients who need assistance with mobility,
dexterity and cognitive issues to include people with
vision, hearing and speech impairments, as well.
A 2009 survey estimated that 10 percent of the U.S.
population – about 30 million people – has a disability,
a number that Morris believes is lower than the actual
figure. He also notes that a recent Wireless RERC
survey reveals that close to 90 percent of people with
disabilities use wireless technology – a rate that is
comparable to the technology adoption rate of the
general population. Regular cell phones offering call,
text and camera functions are useful to people with
disabilities, but the popularity of smart phones and
the explosive growth of apps make them the obvious
focus of Wireless RERC’s efforts. The smart phone
can be adapted to meet a variety of needs.
“You can add and subtract a lot of things, and that’s
been a problem for people with disabilities,” says Jim
Mueller, co-director of a Wireless RERC project called
the App Factory. “There are certain things they’d
love to adapt, but can’t. Smart phones have that
accessibility.”
But finding apps that are useful to people with
disabilities can be bewildering and frustrating. For
example, neither of the two major application vendors,
iTunes’ App Store and Google Play, have specific
categories for users with a disability. And when iTunes
created a category that had useful apps for people
with speech impairments, they were lost in the shuffle.
“The choices were limited,” Morris says, “and they
were mixed with things like ‘Learn Spanish in Five
Easy Steps.’”
Without discrete categories, Morris says: “The
best ideas won’t necessarily rise to the top. If you
build a better mousetrap, people may not come
because they may not even know about it. If there are
500,000 apps on the App Store and another 500,000
on Android’s store, how do you find one that helps
a blind person navigate a city street? If you know its
name, great. But if you’re looking to compare features,
functionality and options, it’s difficult.”
Further complicating the issue is that there are no
standardized keywords when searching for apps. “Is
foursquare an assistive app?” Morris asks. “Yes. But,
there’s a lot of ambiguity about what apps qualify
as assistive technology in the app world. And that
presents a challenge.”
The App Factory was created, Mueller says, “to
develop apps for people of all ages and disabilities,
including senior citizens and those who may have
age-related loss of function.”
Wireless RERC uses a variety of online
technologies to update consumers and industry
about its App Factory apps and other projects. Those
technologies include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube,
LinkedIn, email newsletters and its newly revamped
website, wirelessrerc.org. Developers and industry
leaders use these resources to learn about unmet
needs from content posted by advocacy groups, user
groups and members of Wireless RERC’s Consumer
Advisory Network, which has about 1,000 members.
Wireless RERC’s YouTube channel also offers
a variety of app tutorials, and its Facebook page
encourages consumers with disabilities to share their
experiences using wireless technology.
The App Factory uses that information as guidance
in developing applications for unmet needs and
niche markets that commercial developers neglect.
“The deaf-blind community is one of those,” Mueller
says. “We want to be open to address solutions that
address their population. Generally, we’re trying to
level the playing field across all disabilities.”
One of the App Factory’s recent applications,
Braille Touch, allows blind and visually impaired
users to type messages on a smart phone without
looking at a keyboard. “Typing the Braille alphabet
on a smart phone using Braille Touch can be very
fast,” Morris says. “This app also could inspire sighted
people to learn Braille because it’s very easy to use
and facilitates learning the Braille alphabet.”
Mueller says that as technology improves, new
needs can be addressed. “People want more
independence,” he says, “and as they become
more independent, they want to live on their own,
not in institutions. Technology has the opportunity
to fill that void.” q
For more information on the App Factory, go to:
www.wirelessrerc.org/content/app-factory-d1
Conducting research
and developing
apps for people with
disabilities is one
mission of the wireless
rerC, a collaborative
effort between Shepherd
Center and the Georgia
institute of technology.
Apps
for
People
with
Disabilities
The Wireless RERC doesn’t
endorse the apps listed here,
but acknowledges that the apps
could benefit a wide range
of people with disabilities.
For more information on the Wireless RERC, a collaboration between Shepherd
Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology, see www.wirelessrerc.org.
GPS/Location
foursquare: enables people to send text and photos
to each other while moving about. Also locates
restaurants and other urban features. Compatible with
iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia, Palm, Windows
Phone. App Store and Google Play: Free.
Google Latitude: allows users to report where they
are on a map and choose which friends and family
members know it. Compatible with iPhone, Android,
BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. Google Play and App
Store: Free.
Parking Mobility: users photograph cars illegally
parked in disabled parking spots. Parking Mobility
forwards the information to city authorities, who can
ticket violators and donate a portion of the fine to a
charity of the user’s choice. Compatible with iPhone,
Android, BlackBerry. App Store and Google Play: Free.
Medication Management
Pill Identifier Lite: A database of pill images for
more than 14,000 U.S. medications searchable by
imprint, drug name, color and shape. Compatible
with iPhone only. App Store: $.99.
Pocket Pharmacist: summaries of the 1,100 mostused prescription drugs in the U.S. Compatible with
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (iOS 5.0 or later). App
Store: $1.99.
iPharmacy: includes ratings, dosages, warnings,
and contraindications of medications, as well as a pill
identifier, medication reminder, prescription discount
and weekly pharmacy deals. Compatible with Android.
Google Play: Free.
More apps on
reverse side.
Emergency/Safety
Miscellaneous
FEMA: information on disasters, interactive checklist for
emergency kits, emergency meeting locations, advice on staying
safe and recovering from a disaster, and location of FEMA recovery
center and shelters. Compatible with Android, iPhone, iPod Touch
and iPad (4.0 or later). Google Play and App Store: Free.
A Special Phone: Users with visual impairments can dial
numbers by simply shaking the phone. Also, touching the screen
activates a voice announcing each number and allows eyes-free
and speed-dial dialing. Compatible with iPhone (iOS 3.0 or later).
App Store: $.99.
Ready Georgia: state version of the FEMA app sends local
weather warnings and public health alerts along with evacuation
routes, Red Cross shelters, etc. Compatible with Android,
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 3.1 or later). Google Play and App
Store: Free.
Eyes-Free Shell: Moving a finger over the screen enables
eyes-free access to all applications. Lifting finger activates the
app. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free.
Smart-ICE: allows a pre-recorded message to be played for
emergency personnel (ICE stands for In Case of Emergency)
detailing important medical information at push of a button.
Includes buttons that dial emergency services and sound
an alarm if patient is unconscious and sends location to
dispatchers. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS
3.2 or later). App Store: $.99
Emergency Button: sends a distress signal, user’s GPS
location and a personalized message. Compatible with Android.
Google Play: Free.
Close Calls: primarily for locating clients and businesses, but
allows users to create a wallpaper image with name, emergency
phone number, allergies, medications, etc., and displays it onscreen whether phone is locked or not. Compatible with iPhone,
iPod Touch. App Store: Free.
Alyacom Emergency: alert button calls emergency number
and allows user’s location to be tracked using GPS coordinates.
Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free.
iSOS: SOS button sends an email or SMS message with user’s
name, date, time and location according to GPS coordinates.
Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS 4.1 or later).
App Store: Free.
My Weather Mobile: reports detailed weather conditions
anywhere in the world and advises registered users of weather
alerts. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 4.0 or
later). App Store: Free.
American Red Cross Shelter View: locations and details of
60,000 Red Cross shelters in the U.S. Compatible with iPhone,
iPod Touch and iPad (iOS 3.0 or later). App Store: Free.
S.O.S. by American Red Cross: step-by-step video
demonstrations by Dr. Oz demonstrating how to respond to
emergencies. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free.
Barcode Scanner: uses camera function to read barcode
and identifies prices and reviews to reader. Also shares apps,
contacts and bookmarks via QR (Quick Response) code.
Color Identifier: one of many color identifiers (others: Color
Visor, Color Reader, Color Edition, Hue Vue, ColorBlind Tools)
that allow users with visual impairments to use the camera to
detect and announce colors. Compatible with iPhone, iPod
Touch and iPad (iOS 4.0 or later). App Store: $1.99.
Eye Note and LookTel Money Reader: Use a camera to read
currencies and announce the denomination in real time. Eye
Note reads only U.S. currency; LookTel Money Reader reads
US, Euro, British, Canadian and Australian currency. Compatible
with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad. App Store: Eye Note, free; LookTel
Money Reader, $9.99.
iAugComm: allows users with speech impairments to
program multiple recordings for upcoming events such as
going to a restaurant or a ballgame. Compatible with Android.
Google Play: $4.99.
Alexicomm AAC for Android: turns phone or tablet into an
augmentative communication device using more than 1,200
pre-made pages and 7,000 images. Pages are imported and
customized and new ones can be created. AT&T’s Natural
Voices allows text-to-speech in 20 voices and five languages.
Zello Walkie Talkie: turns phone into walkie-talkie for instant
communication with friends or family without typing or reading.
Works on any network and Wi-Fi, although users report bugs.
Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 4.2 or later),
Android. App Store and Google Play: Free.
List Compiled by John Christensen
m frosty and Bentley – much-loved
meet
additions to shepherd Center’s staff.
by PhilliP jorDAn / PhotoS by louie FAvorite
1.
Six days after a dune buggy accident left Christian
Maynard partially paralyzed, he entered Shepherd
Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Program. Physically,
mentally, geographically, it was a daunting new world
for the 16-year-old Floridian.
“At first, it was scary,” Christian says. “Not being
able to do anything for yourself, being put in a
completely different situation. Everything was hard
at that point.”
Christian says of all Shepherd Center’s staffers,
there was one caretaker who particularly stood out –
the 2-year-old with a light yellow coat of hair.
“It was really comforting having Frosty around,”
Christian says of the yellow Labrador, who has
quickly become a well-loved member of Shepherd
Center’s fourth-floor SCI rehabilitation team. “They
even let him get in bed with me. I have four dogs at
home, and I missed them a lot. Frosty was a pet I
could be with while I was there.”
Frosty did more than provide a comforting
presence for Christian. To work on Christian’s fine
motor skills, Shepherd’s therapists had Christian
brush Frosty’s hair. Games of fetch helped Christian
build up his hand and arm strength.
“He’s a real calm dog,” Christian says. “He helped
me start engaging. He helped with everything. He’s
just a good dog to have by your side.”
Christian was also a great teacher for Frosty. That’s
because Frosty’s first day on the job at Shepherd
Center was Jan. 30 – about a month into Christian’s
three-plus-month stay there. Frosty and his fellow
four-legged co-worker, Bentley, were brought to
the hospital to serve as comforters and therapy
assistants for patients in the SCI program.
Dogs are no strangers to Shepherd Center; they
have frequently been brought in by other groups
to visit with patients and to receive training. But the
hospital had never directly “employed” them before.
“I saw how the patients and even the staff
responded to the dogs who visited before,” says
Rebecca McCallum McWalters, a nurse in the
SCI program. “It was a remarkable sight to see
everyone light up. And I thought, ‘This would be
great to have all the time.’”
She pursued the idea along with SCI physical
therapist Beth Sasso. The two connected with
the Orlando center of Canine Companions for
Independence and wrote essays applying to
become dog handlers at Shepherd Center.
After a week of intense training with the dogs in
Orlando, Sasso and McWalters brought Frosty and
Bentley to Atlanta in January. Frosty was assigned
to nurse duty with McWalters. “He’s very laid-back,”
she says. “He will sit there and let you pet him all
day. They knew Frosty would be good with me
because he would have a lot of downtime while I
was with patients.”
Bentley was assigned to work alongside Sasso
during her physical therapy rounds. “He’s pretty
much the exact opposite of Frosty,” Sasso says with
a laugh. “Bentley’s ready to play at all times. He’s well
suited to help with physical activities.”
Already, each dog has embraced his respective
role. Bentley loves the gym, and Sasso schedules
canine therapy into patients’ scheduled rehabilitation
sessions. He is the physical helper to Frosty’s
emotional comforter. Each responsibility suits the
dog’s personality perfectly.
Teenagers and adults alike seek out quality time
with Shepherd Center’s paw-padded assistants.
Often, patients’ family members look forward to the
dogs’ entrance as much as the patients do.
Sasso and McWalters have noticed their fellow
employees’ love for the dogs, too. “The therapy staff
loves Bentley,” Sasso says. “People visit me on a daily
basis now, and I know they’re not always coming just
to see me! You can’t see him and not smile.”
“The nurses on my floor repeatedly say that when
Frosty appears, the stress level immediately goes
down,” McWalters adds. “He brings a calm, a peace to
the floor that wasn’t there before. We have always been
close-knit, but he brings so much joy and happiness.”
Christian says he saw that during his time there, too.
“Everybody was always wanting to play with the dogs,”
he says. “They just changed the mood of everyone.”
Today, Christian is back home in Florida. He is
getting stronger and going to outpatient rehabilitation
in Orlando. The sessions with Frosty helped, he says;
he can move his hands completely now.
McWalters remembers how close Frosty and
Christian became. “Frosty spent a lot of time with him.
Just being near him, lying in bed with him, because
he was going through a lot of uncomfortable
procedures while he was here.”
She thinks that unconditional love and devotion
is what a lot of patients covet, particularly while
wrestling with the physical and emotional trauma of
their situation.
“I think another reason why these dogs are so
loved by our patients is they don’t see their injuries,
their scars,” McWalters says. “Frosty and Bentley
love them regardless of what they can or cannot do.
And being with Frosty each day, I see that he doesn’t
care how long it takes them to get their arms ready to
pet him. He just loves having their love.” q
2.
1. Christian Maynard,
16, of titusville, Fla.,
gets some attention
from Shepherd Center
therapy dog Frosty.
2. nurse rebecca
McCallum Mcwalters,
right, demonstrates the
skills of therapy dog
Bentley. 3. Physical
therapist Beth Sasso
assists patient Josh lam
of McGayesville, va.,
as he walks Frosty.
3.
R
r esearch
Weighing the Options for
MS TreaTMenT
shepherd Center research helps identify ms patients at higher risk
of problems when considering tysabri® as a treatment option.
by AMAnDA croWe, MA, MPh
Jennifer Helbing, 41, of Dallas, Ga., is a busy
mother of two and a full-time bookkeeper at a local
elementary school. She has always had a very
active lifestyle, from her high school days running
on the track team to playing a tough game of
tennis with her friends and now shuttling her kids to
and from practice and cheering them on. Looking
at her, you wouldn’t know she has MS. Helbing
says that’s because she doesn’t yet have difficulty
walking – one of the tell-tale signs of the disease.
Since being diagnosed in 2001, daily or weekly
injections of beta interferons or Copaxone – firstline therapies for MS – have kept the disease at
bay. But last year, a magnetic resonance imaging
scan of her brain revealed new lesions – signs that
the disease had become active and was causing
damage. Helbing found herself at a crossroads.
She and her care team at the Andrew C. Carlos
MS Institute at Shepherd Center had to rethink
her options for treatment. A monoclonal antibody
called natalizumab (marketed as Tysabri®), was at
the top of the list, but Helbing had some trepidation
having seen news reports about its risks.
“Tysabri® is probably the most effective treatment
we have in our toolbox to help stop MS from
progressing, but it’s not without some serious
safety concerns,” says Helbing’s physician, Ben
Thrower, M.D., medical director of the MS Institute
at Shepherd.
For a subset of patients with relapsing or
uncontrolled MS, treatment with Tysabri® is
riskier because of the increased risk for a rare
and sometimes-fatal disease called progressive
multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. PML is
caused by the JC virus (polyomavirus JC), which
is usually contracted during childhood. The
virus is thought to lay dormant in the body, and
typically does not cause any health problems
except in individuals with seriously compromised
immune systems.
Until recently, there was no way to determine
which individuals were actually virus carriers. Earlier
research suggested up to 90 percent of adults
may carry the virus, Dr. Thrower notes. Therefore,
he and other clinicians were working under the
assumption that most patients with MS would be at
heightened risk for PML if given a trial of Tysabri®.
But new data, including initial results from the
ongoing, longitudinal STRATIFY clinical trial under
way at Shepherd Center and 326 other sites, finds
that only half of the population has detectable
levels of the JC virus, meaning that Tysabri® may
be a viable option for many more patients with MS
than originally thought. The blood test to detect
JC virus was approved for commercial use in
August of 2011 due, in large part, to its use in the
STRATIFY study.
“The ability to separate out individuals who do
or don’t carry the JC virus is a big leap forward
in helping us to determine who might be a safer
candidate for the most effective drug we’ve got,”
Dr. Thrower says.
So far, it appears the incidence of PML in
Tysabri®-treated, anti-JC virus antibody-negative
patients is significantly lower than in those who
test positive for the virus. Of patients with MS who
are taking Tysabri® and have contracted PML, 21
percent have died, and the remaining 79 percent
are living with severe and permanent disability.
Some are faring better than others.
“PML is very serious so we do everything to
avoid it, and, thus far, we haven’t had a case
at Shepherd Center,” Dr. Thrower says. “Most
centers will still start with the first-line injectable
therapies, but when a patient doesn’t have
adequate control of MS, or if they are having
troublesome side effects to these medications,
Tysabri® should be considered.”
The drug works very much like a lock and key.
By binding to receptors on the surface of white
blood cells, it shuts the “door” to any white blood
cells trying to make their way into the central nervous
system through the blood-brain barrier.
Helbing says the decision to try Tysabri® is likely the
best she has made related to her MS.
“Every time you start a new drug, it’s scary,” she
explains. “You don’t know how your body is going to
respond. I felt so much more confident once I knew
they would be monitoring me for the JC virus, and if,
at anytime, I tested positive, I’d, of course, come off
the medication.”
So far, the news has been favorable for Helbing,
and because the treatment is administered as a oncemonthly injection at Shepherd Center, it has been a bit
of a game-changer. She no longer has to think about,
prepare and give herself daily injections, which she
says were nagging reminders of her disease.
“It’s convenient, and it fits my lifestyle,” Helbing says.
“I’m always running around with my kids, and I don’t
want to give up that time. Now, I go in once a month,
and the nurses in the infusion clinic – I love them –
they take care of me, and that’s my day to focus on
me and my health.”
The STRATIFY study will continue to follow enrolled
patients for four years to collect more data and
determine conversion rates – what percentage of
patients actually go from being JC virus antibodynegative to positive over time. All patients who are on
or considering Tysabri® should now receive repeat
testing for the JC virus as part of their usual care.
“JC antibody testing should be part of an ongoing
process to better customize therapies to the
individual, rather than having to look at blanket risk,”
Dr. Thrower says. “We can now counsel patients
more effectively about the risks of this medication.” q
Risk Factors
for PML
Patients with multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s
disease who are taking Tysabri® face an
increased risk for PML if they:
•TestpositivefortheJCvirusantibody
•HavebeentreatedwithTysabri®
for longer than two years
•Receivedprevioustreatmentwith
immunosuppressant drugs, such as
methotrexate or cyclophosphamide
The Food and Drug Administration
estimates that patients with all three risk
factors face about a 1 percent risk for PML
(11 cases per 1,000 patients treated).
Jennifer helbing,
41, of Dallas, Ga., is
participating in a clinical
trial at Shepherd Center’s
Andrew C. Carlos MS
institute. Medical
director Ben thrower,
M.D., checks in with
Jennifer during an iv
treatment session.
P
patient
profile
An
Artist’s
Life
former patient overcomes
adversity and shares hope
and help through his artistry.
by john chriStenSen
PhotoS by thoMAS WellS
William Flewellen Heard, 37, was leaving Harvey’s,
a popular Tupelo, Miss., restaurant, last winter
when one of the hostesses noticed his paintstreaked wheelchair and followed him out the door,
asking, “Are you an artist?”
“I know who he is!” cried the other hostess. “He’s
the guy who does that painting!” She flung her arm
out as if casting paint across a canvas.
It wasn’t the first time William was recognized
that evening. When he arrived at his table, a pretty
woman at a neighboring table, seated between her
husband and toddler, smiled brightly and waved to
him. Twice.
“Happens all the time,” he muttered
apologetically.
It is almost an understatement to call William a
celebrity. He has been featured on FOX TV news
and in a Jackson, Miss., newspaper article; he is
recognized in the grocery store by school children,
counsels people on the phone for hours and
was urged by Tupelo Mayor Jack Reed to help a
woman who was dangerously ill.
“I asked him recently to speak to a young
woman who almost died twice from an eating
disorder,” says the mayor, who owns several
of William’s paintings. “Few people have more
difficult challenges than William, and to be both an
accomplished artist and an inspiration at the same
time, not many can claim that legacy.”
William broke his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae in an
automobile accident in 2000. When he arrived at
Shepherd Center for rehabilitation three months
later, his nurse told him: “Your old life is over. I’m
birthing you today.”
During recreation therapy at Shepherd, William
decided to try painting. As a teenager, he had
sprayed the undercoat on children’s furniture and
baskets that his mother painted and sold at her
store, Daddy’s Duck. At Shepherd, he painted
with a brush taped to his wrist and continued
briefly when he got home, but he hadn’t come to
terms with his disability and led an unhealthy life –
physically and mentally.
“I stopped and prayed and decided I had to do
something with my life and get stronger,” he says.
“I was dependent on Mom and everyone else to
do things for me. I was determined to become
independent.”
He returned to rehabilitation with a vengeance
and exercised constantly. He also watched a movie
about painter Jackson Pollock and was fascinated
by his “drip” technique. “I wanted to try what he was
doing,” William says, “but I couldn’t hold a brush.”
An operation on the tendons in his wrist enabled
him to regain use of his right hand. It enabled
him to drive and become self-sufficient, and to
experiment with Pollock’s technique by dipping a
Styrofoam ball with a spoon stuck in it into cups of
paint, then drizzling it onto a canvas. One day he
accidentally dripped paint from one cup into the
others and noticed that rather than blending, the
paints retained their respective colors. Curious,
he emptied one cup’s contents onto the canvas,
turning and shaping as he poured.
“The colors exploded,” he said.
Thus was born the technique that has generated
art shows in Charlotte, N.C., Seaside, Fla., New
Orleans, La., and Jackson, Miss., and landed
his works in private collections, galleries and a
few museums. He has painted everything from
abstracts to nudes to homes to cityscapes, but it is
his butterflies that became his trademark.
“The butterfly was the image that first came to
me,” he says. “It’s got all the colors, and it’s a
symbol of rebirth.”
William donated a butterfly painting to Shepherd
Center and further shared his rebirth by joining
an organization for people with disabilities called
Living Independently for Everyone (LIFE). While
visiting others with disabilities, he was struck by
how many were isolated, poor and depressed. He
started an art class for them at his mother’s store
and included trips to the mall, restaurants and other
activities to involve them in everyday life.
He was so successful that he now receives
grants to support his work and teaches in the
schools where children not only get to paint, but
also learn to understand and relate to people with a
disability. William’s foundation, Our ArtWorks, also
organizes a dressy art show that has become one
of the major social events of the year.
He has won numerous civic awards for his
efforts, but perhaps his greatest satisfaction has
been bringing joy and a sense of community
to those who had neither. Annette Rinehart of
Booneville, Miss., drives her son 31-year-old
son, Brad, 45 minutes each way so he can
attend William’s class. Brad, who has epilepsy, is
unable to drive or work, but is now selling his own
sculptures, birdhouses and angels.
“He did not have anything to look forward to
before art,” Annette says. “Now, every day he
wants to know if he’s going to class.”
“I have friends now,” Brad says. “I can call and
visit with them and do things. William is a great
friend who loves to help others.”
“Wherever William goes, he’s like a missionary,”
says Susan Heard, his mother. “People are just
transformed. There was one guy who never talked
to anyone and never used the telephone. William
called him every day and became his friend; he
even took him to get a tattoo. Now he’s calling
people and getting out. William also took them to
the beach, and they went deep sea fishing and
were interviewed on the local radio station.”
Yet another time, William and two of his students
painted their hair red, white and blue, just for the
heck of it.
William says he is “amazed” at how his life
has turned out, adding: “It’s a lot of fun. I’m very
thankful and lucky.”
His mother is in awe of his transformation. “William
has made me believe in God,” she says. “I didn’t
before. Between Shepherd Center and God, he is
making a mark that would have been impossible
without his injury. When you see him with children
and adults, you know somebody has intervened.” q
william Flewellen
heard, 37, of tupelo,
Miss., has become a
celebrated artist. During
rehabilitation at Shepherd
Center for a spinal cord
injury, he tried painting
but then stopped after he
returned home. Seeking
to improve his life, he
returned to painting
years later, and now
his unique work has
grown in popularity.
Sidebar story and photos online
at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org
A
a lumni
profiles
2
4
3
1
from near
and far
former shepherd Center
patients from across the
nation report on their
productive lives post-injury.
by bill SAnDerS
1
Jason
Gavel
griFFin, gA
Jason Gavel, 27, of Griffin, Ga., woke up
one Monday morning in fall 2011, and he
couldn’t feel anything or move anything
from his waist down.
He was fine Sunday night and paralyzed
by Monday morning. Soon, he was
diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
“The diagnosis was a complete shock,”
Jason says. “It put a big pause button
on my life.”
Shepherd Center MS Institute
neurologist Sherrill Loring, M.D.,
confirmed the diagnosis and started
Jason on a daily injection therapy of
Copaxone. Jason, who lives about 30
miles south of Shepherd Center, also
began going to weekly support groups
at the hospital.
“Talking to people who can relate
to what I’m going through is a huge
encouragement,” he says. “The doctors
are tremendous. They have given us a
lot of information, including advice on
insurance and employment issues.”
During one visit to Shepherd Center
earlier this year, Jason was seen in
the Shepherd Pain Institute, where
his physician discovered two holes in
discs in his back. They stemmed from
previous spinal taps that had gone awry.
So, Jason recently had surgery to repair
those discs, and he expects to make a
full recovery soon.
“I haven’t had any symptoms from the
MS since being on the daily therapy of
injections,” Jason says. “As soon as I get
out of this back brace, I can get back to
a so-called normal life.”
2
3
4
Sam “Sonny”
Novotny,
Taylor
Relford
Brook
Waddle
oSSiPee, nh
gADSDen, Al
lAnDruM, Sc
Taylor Relford, 25, of Gadsden, Ala., was
Sam “Sonny” Novotny, 46, of
a student at Auburn University when he
Ossipee, N.H., sustained a T-11 to -12
sustained a brain injury in an automobile
incomplete spinal cord injury in 2008
accident. He was in a coma at University
in a snowmobile accident. Sonny
of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center
believes that had he not found his way
for a couple of months following the
to Shepherd Center four years ago, he
accident. Then he was transferred to
might not be walking today.
Shepherd Center for rehabilitation.
As it is, Sonny walks, sometimes with
Ultimately, Taylor graduated from
a cane, and uses an electric scooter
Auburn in December 2011 with a
on long outings. That’s the good news.
bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary
The not-so-good news is that he still
studies with concentrations in agronomy
experiences a lot of pain, he says.
and soils, as well as agricultural
“I was totally paralyzed when I left
economics. As a brain injury survivor,
the Maine Medical Center to come to
Taylor readily admits that his studies took
Shepherd Center,” Sonny recalls. “I
more work than it might have pre-injury.
really lucked out by getting there. It was
“School was very hard,” Taylor says.
amazing. I know if we ever win the lottery,
“It was a constant battle to pass every
we’re going to donate.
course. I did everything I could to pass.
“But the pain is almost the same as
At Auburn, as part of the work toward my
it was when I left Shepherd Center four
degree, I worked on the athletic fields turf.
years ago,” he explains “My lower back
It always was a dream to work on those
and the nerves around my waist hurt
fields. I worked on golf courses, too.”
every day. But I can get around the
For Taylor, adjusting socially after
house, and I hunt and get on my fourhis injury was a bit easier than the
wheeler and play in the snow and do
academic adjustment.
some gardening.”
“Everything is going great socially,” he
Recently, Sonny and his wife Kim have
found themselves fighting another battle. says. “I was always very social before
my wreck. I knew people might look at
Their son, Nicholas, 22, was recently
me and think something is different, but
diagnosed with lymphoma.
I had enough self-confidence not to let
“He’s my right hand man in a lot of
that bother me at all. This is me. Take it
what I do,” Sonny says. “It’s a hard time
or leave it.”
on all of us.”
Taylor’s self-confident attitude turns
to one of sheer appreciation when
he speaks of his mother’s dedicated
caregiving and support.
“Mom has been such a help for me,”
he says. “She’s always very supportive. I
owe everything to her. She never let me
have doubts that I was going to get back
to where I wanted to be.”
Brook Waddle, 24, of Landrum, S.C.,
sustained a C-5 spinal cord injury seven
years ago in an automobile accident.
She was a high school cheerleader on
her way to cheer at a ballgame. Now,
Brook is finding fulfillment in other
ways, including her online studies with
Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU).
While the accident has been
devastating, it didn’t take Brook long to
experience the love of and help from
those around her.
“Upon returning home, I was featured
in the local newspapers, asking what
I planned on doing now that I was
back,” Brook writes. She is unable to
talk because of a tracheotomy that
has remained in place. “Fortunately, a
professor from FDU saw my story and
read that I still wanted to pursue college.
Through my late Professor Randall
Colon, I received a full scholarship in
psychology, and I plan to eventually earn
a master’s degree. After completion of
my master’s, I plan on applying for a
position in the Psychology Department
at Shepherd Center.”
For now, Brook enjoys being a student
at Fairleigh Dickinson. “Even though
I am physically disabled, I am just the
same mentally as any of my fellow
classmates,” she writes.
Brook notes that Shepherd Center
counselor Cheryl Linden inspired her
career choice. “When I was a patient,
Cheryl and I would go to the rooms
of patients who were too nervous or
embarrassed to leave their room and get
them to join the therapy group,” Brook
recalls. “Cheryl opened my eyes to let
me see I could still have a career in the
medical field.”
3 4 • shepherdcentermagazine.org
VOLUNTEER PROFILE
Mary Gilbreath
36
DONOR PROFILE
John and Colette Killebrew
37
CORPORATE STATEMENT
38
DERBY DAY
40
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION
44
ANGEL LUNCHEON
45
LEGENDARY PARTY PREVIEW
46
UPCOMING EVENTS
47
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
48
HONORARIUMS & MEMORIALS
49
Shepherd Center staff members and former
patients speak to middle school students as part
of the hospital’s injury prevention program, which
is getting a boost from donor contributions.
Notes from
scott h. sikes
shepherd Center foundation executive Director
Photo oF SCott SikeS BY louie FAvorite
Photo BY louie FAvorite
Injury Prevention – A Key Part of Shepherd Center’s Mission
Our mission at Shepherd Center is to help people with a temporary or permanent
disability caused by injury or disease, rebuild their lives with hope, independence
and dignity, advocating for their full inclusion in all aspects of community life while
promoting safety and injury prevention. For years, we have had a full-time injury
prevention coordinator who worked every day with metropolitan Atlanta elementary,
middle, and high school students to promote helmet use when bicycling and
motorcycling, and seat belt use when in automobiles, and to emphasize the importance
of never jumping into any water head-first. This employee also visited driver training
schools to discuss safety and injury prevention.
We were the State of Georgia coordinators for the ThinkFirst® program and created
our own program called YIPES! (Youth Injury Prevention Education at Shepherd)
that is a part of the curriculum in a pilot program in a Cobb County (suburban Atlanta),
Ga., public middle school. We recently expanded our efforts with our RESCUE
program to help public safety officials determine the homes of people with disabilities.
Now, we are working to take our injury prevention program to the next level. We want
to have various electronic and print media outlets take our message to a regional and
national audience. With the volunteer leadership of Tommy Malone, Shepherd Center
physician Herndon Murray, M.D., and a team of our clinical staff working on this project
in their spare time, we are creating a much more robust injury prevention program.
Tommy Malone is a Trustee of the Shepherd Center Foundation. He is the founding
partner of the Malone Law Firm, which has long specialized in helping people with
catastrophic injuries. Dr. Murray is an orthopedic surgeon and the longest-serving
physician at Shepherd Center, other than our co-founder and first medical director,
David Apple, M.D. Dr. Murray has made a career of helping adolescents with
catastrophic injuries. Separately, over the past few months, both of them have
approached me and told me they want to do something to prevent catastrophic
injuries, especially among teen-agers.
Almost at the same time, program director Shari McDowell and case manager
Bridget Bitterman from the Spinal Cord Injury Unit approached Gary Ulicny, Ph.D.,
our chief executive officer and president, to express their interest in a dramatically
more effective and well-known injury prevention program. All of these interests are
now coming together to promote injury prevention. Mitch Fillhaber, our vice president
for marketing and managed care, has volunteered to lead this effort.
Please be on the lookout for our increased efforts at injury prevention, public awareness
and education. We hope more people will see, hear, and heed our injury prevention
messaging. Check back frequently at www.shepherd.org for more information, and, if
you have ideas, give me a call at 404-350-7305 or [email protected].
v
VOLUNTEER PROFILE
Mary Gilbreath
dedicated volunteer finds meaning and true love
from volunteering at shepherd Center.
by PhilliP jorDAn / Photo by leitA coWArt
Mary Gilbreath of Atlanta
began volunteering at
Shepherd Center in
1995. She has served
in leadership roles with
the Junior Committee
and Peach Corps. She
joined the Center’s
Advisory Board in 2005.
When Mary Gilbreath began volunteering
for Shepherd Center in 1995, she hoped the
experience would help her meet new people and
make a meaningful difference in the community.
Little did she know then the impact that the
hospital would ultimately have on her life.
Today, Mary is well-established in Atlanta with
a large community of friends and a rewarding job
as managing director of the National Alliance of
Private Clubs. Back in 1995, however, she was
still relatively new to Atlanta and was looking for
ways to make new friends. At the suggestion of
a colleague, Mary joined the Shepherd Center’s
Junior Committee, a young professionals group
that raises funds for the hospital through its annual
Derby Day event.
“I thought it would be nice to join a volunteeroriented group,” Mary says. “Seeing these
young people dedicating so much time toward
volunteering was refreshing and inspiring.”
Mary was so inspired that she went on to
dedicate just as much (if not more) time to
volunteering for Shepherd – for more than 16
years to date. After a year of serving on the
Junior Committee, Mary began assuming more
leadership roles. First, she chaired the Derby Day
transportation committee in 1996, then served on
its executive committee from 1997 to 2000 and,
finally, co-chaired the entire Derby Day event in
2000. That year, Derby Day raised $235,000 for the
Center’s therapeutic recreation program.
Through her fundraising and other activities
with the Junior Committee, Mary learned about
the invaluable difference Shepherd makes in the
community. Wanting to continue volunteering
for Shepherd, but faced with a busier schedule
because of her burgeoning career, she joined Peach
Corps, a group geared toward people with families
and/or busy professional lives. As a member and an
eventual co-chair of Peach Corps, she helped plan
two to three smaller-scale events per year, including
an ice cream social and a cookout for Shepherd
Center patients and their families.
Impressed with Mary’s enthusiasm and
dedicated record of service, Shepherd Center
invited her to join the Advisory Board in 2005. As
a board member, Mary learns about Shepherd’s
capital campaign initiatives and other development
initiatives and then networks with members of the
community in hopes of attracting potential donors
to the Center. Shepherd also recently invited her (in
2011) to serve on the executive committee of the
Advisory Board. On this committee, Mary works
intimately with the other 15 members to review
donor prospects and opportunities
more closely.
“It’s very meaningful for me to be
part of the executive committee
because I can see how and where I
can make an impact,” Mary says.
Her volunteerism is meaningful
to Shepherd Center, as well. “Mary
is the kind of person that you can
call at the last minute, and she’ll
come through with whatever is
needed,” says Midge Tracy, director
of Volunteer Services. “She’s a joy to
work with, and we hope to have her
volunteering with us for another 20
years.”
In making friends and making
a difference in the community,
Mary has more than succeeded
in her original mission. In fact, it
was through some former Junior
Committee friends that she met her
fiancé, Hugh Pope, whom she’ll
be marrying in her hometown of
Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 6, 2012. q
DONOR PROFILE
d
John and Colette Killebrew
two parents face the ultimate test and decide to give back.
by rAchel FrAnco / Photo by gAry heAtherly
There is perhaps no greater test two parents can
face than the death of a child. John and Colette
Killebrew of Maryville, Tenn., know this firsthand.
They also know that there’s no greater reward than
using their experience to help others.
For John and Colette, it was love at first sight.
Living in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area at the time,
they met through a mutual acquaintance in
June 1976, got married in 1977 and have been
happily married for 35 years. John, a retired
telecommunications professional, and Colette, a
retired healthcare professional, have a son, Brent,
and a four-year-old grandson named Johnathan.
They also had a daughter.
Born in January 1978, their daughter, Colleen,
had spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when
a fetus’ spinal column does not close all of the
way and, in Colleen’s case, gets infected. While
medical advances today have improved the survival
rate of people with spina bifida, in 1978, these
advances were not available to save Colleen, who
died in April 1978 at only four months old. Colleen’s
death devastated John and Colette, but it also
strengthened their Christian faith, their marriage and
their desire to help others.
“Both Colette and I were in so much pain,” John
says. “We knew something like this could make or
break us, and it helped us get stronger.” Colette
adds, “We got stronger in our belief that we are here
for a reason, and if it’s not to be Colleen’s parents, it
is to help someone else.”
Looking to help others with Colleen’s condition,
John and Colette, who then lived in Atlanta,
discovered Shepherd Center, which, in 1991,
operated a summer camp, SPARX, for children
with spina bifida. After touring the Center and
having lunch with Alana Shepherd and Dell Sikes,
then-vice president of development, John and
Colette were excited about contributing to SPARX
and have donated $100 a month since 1991.
Even after Shepherd Center discontinued SPARX
to instead focus on its adolescent patient care
program, John and Colette have continued to give
generously each month.
While living in Atlanta, John also volunteered
on the planning committee for Shepherd Center’s
annual charity golf tournament and at the
tournament itself. Both John and Colette have
named Shepherd Center as a beneficiary in their
wills. And, since leaving Atlanta, they’ve returned
to tour the Center periodically to see the innovative
advances the hospital continues to make.
In whatever way they give, John and Colette
remain appreciative of Shepherd Center’s
gratitude for their donations, as well as incredibly
fulfilled by giving to a place that makes such a
tremendous difference in people’s lives. “What
Shepherd does for the patient is remarkable,” John
says. “It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction to
contribute to a place that helps so many people.”
Colette adds: “Our lives were totally changed
by Colleen’s death. Because of Shepherd, we feel
good knowing that another family won’t have to go
through what we did.”
John and Colette
killebrew of Maryville,
tenn., have been
giving to Shepherd
Center on a monthly
basis since 1991.
Dean Melcher, director of annual giving at the
Shepherd Center Foundation, greatly admires
John and Colette. “They’ve really inspired all
of us who work in the foundation office by their
commitment to the Center, especially since their
daughter didn’t receive treatment at Shepherd,
nor do they live near here. They remind us that
everyone can make a difference.” q
Corporate Statement
Companies that know Shepherd Center’s
reputation refer their injured employees to the
nationally ranked rehabilitation hospital.
By Phillip Jordan
38 • ShepherdCenterMagazine.org
Photo BY teD koStAnS
Genuine Parts isn’t the only nationally recognized
Chris Houser doesn’t remember much between
business that refers injured employees to Shepherd
June 12 and July 3, 2010. He was in a coma
Center. “The people at these companies who support
much of that time – unaware that he had been
us get to know us well,” says co-founder Alana
found unconscious at the bottom of an apartment
Shepherd. “They have employees who volunteer here.
staircase with severe head trauma.
They donate gifts. They learn about us. Then when
Two years later, Chris still doesn’t know exactly
they have employees who sustain brain or spinal cord
what caused his accident that night. But he does
injuries, they send them to us because they know
know that his employers at Atlanta-based Genuine
they’ll get the best outcome here.”
Parts Company realized immediately that he
Chick-fil-A, The Coca-Cola Company, The
needed specialized care. Thanks to the company’s
Home Depot and Walmart are other well-known
long-standing relationship with Shepherd Center,
businesses that have designated Shepherd Center
Genuine Parts officials knew where he should go
as their preferred rehabilitation destination should
for rehabilitation.
their employees sustain spinal cord or brain injuries.
Chris remained at Shepherd Center for a month,
Coca-Cola’s relationship with Shepherd Center,
receiving physical, occupational and speech
for example, dates back more than two decades
therapy. “Just about everything was difficult at first,”
when the Atlanta-based soft drink maker first began
he says. “I was in a wheelchair, and my jaw was
supporting Shepherd Center’s Derby Day fundraiser.
broken in eight places, but my biggest problem
Since then, Coca-Cola has supported the hospital’s
wasn’t physical. It was mental. My memory, speech
programs in a variety of ways, including volunteer
and thought processes were what I needed to work
on the most. It was slow going, and I was frustrated.” support from employees and Coke products
provided for events such as Derby Day.
Chris, now 28, says he had a singular goal in
The relationship is a two-way street. “Having
mind: “I wanted to be back to work the first day I
Shepherd available to us, having that right kind of
was out of there. I needed to know I was going to
care available, is important,” says Connie McDaniel,
go do my job again.”
vice president, chief of internal audit for Coca-Cola,
And he did – with a Shepherd vocational
and a Shepherd Center trustee. “We make sure our
rehabilitation specialist at his side. Genuine Parts set
employees have this option.”
up a schedule that allowed Chris to slowly work his
“People have the impression, ‘Wow, it’s so
way back into his role as an internal auditor. Twice a
devastating to have a spinal or brain injury.’ And
week, the Shepherd specialist would sit with Chris
it is,” Connie says. “But the beauty of Shepherd
at work, helping him rediscover critical thinking skills
Center is that they have found a way to create
and relearn how to function in the office.
hope and a positive atmosphere. They are focused
Today, Chris says he feels 95 percent recovered
on helping patients make the best of it, returning
physically. And mentally? Well, in January, he
people back to their lives.
received a promotion. Chris is now the operations
“And it’s not just the attitude,” she adds. “You can
manager for a Genuine Parts company, S.P.
have a great, positive atmosphere without the ability
Richards, in Philadelphia. “I was stubborn and I
to back it up. But that’s how Shepherd’s staff has
was driven,” he explains. “I knew I could do this,
distinguished themselves: They have both.”
but there’s no way I could have gotten to this point
Erwin Reid is a member of the Shepherd Center
without Shepherd’s staff.”
Advisory Board. As vice president of real estate
Frank Howard knows that’s true, too. A senior
for Chick-fil-A, he also understands Connie’s
vice president and treasurer for Genuine Parts,
perspective. “[Shepherd Center’s] purpose is
Frank has helped guide several injured employees
something you hope you never have to take
to Shepherd’s care. Genuine Parts has also
advantage of,” Erwin says. “But to know something
referred some employees to the Andrew C. Carlos
like that exists is a comfort, and it’s the first place
Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd, where MS
we can turn to if something catastrophic happens.”
treatment options focus on medications, physical
“It doesn’t matter your belief system, what product
rehabilitation and experimental therapies.
you sell, the purpose of your company,” he adds.
“We have made Shepherd Center our go-to when
“A catastrophic injury doesn’t discriminate. It can
someone in our family has a (need),” he says.
“The staff there really cares,” Frank adds. “And not happen to anyone. Thankfully, Shepherd Center’s
care is open to anyone, too. They treat everyone
just about the physical part of the recovery. It’s also
who enters with the utmost care. Lots of companies
the mental and emotional side. Chris was a perfect
have come to realize that.” q
example of that. He wouldn’t be where he is today
without that focus on lifting up his attitude and
getting him mentally prepared.”
Former patient Chris
houser was able
to return to work at
Genuine Parts after
completing rehabilitation
at Shepherd Center
following a brain injury.
Derby Day
Fundraiser Celebrates the Event’s
30th Anniversary in Style
by cArA Puckett / PhotoS by roSS henDerSon
The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful on
Saturday, May 5. And what better way to celebrate
a spectacular spring weekend than attending
Shepherd Center’s 30th annual Derby Day?
Nearly 1,100 sponsors, patrons and Junior
Committee members enjoyed all the sights and
activities that have made this one of Atlanta’s
premier social events. For the third year, Derby
Day was held at the Georgia International Horse
Park in Conyers, Ga., and the crowd enjoyed firstclass amenities in a casual, outdoor setting.
From fashionable to festive, guests arrived in
style to enjoy a day of socializing and fun for a
great cause. Colorful sundresses and seersucker
were popular choices among guests. The lawn
games and expanded casino were a big hit with
this year’s crowd. There was plenty of friendly
competition and fun prizes to be won.
Brent McDonald’s musical performance set the
tone for a very relaxed, casual afternoon leading
up to the Derby as guests mingled in the sun,
shopped in the silent auction tent and “wagered”
on the race. Some of this year’s more popular
auction items included a Big Green Egg, tickets to
all UGA home football games and the opportunity
to pilot a Delta jet in the Delta flight simulator.
Proof of the Pudding provided a sumptuous
southern fried chicken supper, complete with
creamy cole slaw and heavenly mac ‘n cheese.
Sponsors enjoyed an expanded feast, which
also included pulled pork sliders dressed
with Cobbie’s Sauce and treats and cakes
featuring the special 30th anniversary logo. In
addition to upscale amenities and service in the
Sponsor Tent, Barefoot Wine hosted a tasting
of their delicious summertime sparkling wines.
1.
2.
3.
4.
PhotoS BY louie FAvorite
1. Silent auction items
included a Big Green
egg and tickets to all
uGA home football
games. 2. this year’s
executive Board worked
hard to make this Derby
Day one of the most
successful in the event’s
30-year history. Pictured
are: front from left,
Catherine Skeen, kelley
Simoneaux and wesley
Snapp; Middle row
from left, Cara Puckett,
Shannon hinson, Joe
Mays, Duvall Brumby
and Chris Forenza; last
row, McQueen Calvert,
Bradlee Simoneaux, trey
weatherly, hamilton
Bridges and Matt
Moore. 3. Derby Day
guests enjoy a friendly
game of poker. 4. to
celebrate Derby Day’s
30th anniversary, former
co-chairs gather for
a photo in the trophy
room lounge.
Throughout the venue, guests enjoyed libations
courtesy of Diageo, Barefoot Wine, Coca-Cola and
United Distributors.
Of course, the highlight of Derby Day is the
broadcast of the “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” and
this year’s race was quite exciting. The Patron and
Sponsor tents filled with cheers as soon as “I’ll Have
Another” beat Bodemeister by almost two lengths.
After the race, drawing and contest winners were
announced before Shepherd Center Foundation’s
Ty Tippett demonstrated his mastery as live
auctioneer. This year’s live auction featured exciting
trips to locations such as Steamboat Springs, Colo.,
and Aruba, as well as two season tickets to this
year’s Georgia Bulldogs football games. Once the
auction concluded, Bobby and the Aristocats took
the stage and kept the crowd dancing to rhythm
and blues music with a bit of soul.
Not only is Derby Day a fun-filled afternoon
with friends, it’s also an important fundraiser
for Shepherd Center Foundation. The Junior
Committee works yearlong to plan and produce
Derby Day. Shannon Hinson and Trey Weatherly
co-chaired this year’s hard-working group, and
their leadership and dedication showed as the
volunteers, attendees and sponsors thoroughly
enjoyed a great day for a great cause.
Both Shannon and Trey were excited about
the enthusiasm of this year’s group of volunteers.
After the event, Shannon said, “It’s great to see
so many passionate and dedicated volunteers.”
And Trey agreed, noting, “Having such a large,
young, excited group really helps set the tone for
the whole event.” Shannon and Trey worked hard
to make this year’s Debry Day extra special to mark
the event’s 30th anniversary. In addition to the
exceptional volunteers, the Foundation is grateful for
Derby Day’s sponsors and donors, who generously
support the event. Special thanks to Winner’s
Circle Sponsor Resource Real Estate Marketing
for creating and producing the beautiful logos and
printed materials, and Cooper-Global Chauffeured
Transportations Services for providing the luxury
roundtrip transportation for patrons, sponsors and
Junior Committee members. q
Shepherd Center junior Committee 2011-12
Co-Chairs
Trey Weatherly
Shannon S. Hinson
Harry Aiken
Tori Allen
Mary Lauren Bagwell
Shaina Barth
Jessica Bartholomew
Kenson Bates
Emily Blaiss
Matt Boetger
Melanie Bolch
Amanda Bordner
Claire Bovat
Chris Brandon
Robert Bray
Joe Bricker
Ginny Brock
Neal Brock
Taylor Broun
DuVall Brumby
Meredith Bryant
Kenneth Budd
Brent Bumgarner
Adam Butler
Andrew Butler
Madelyn Butler
McQueen Calvert
Kennedy Capin
Lucy Capps
Andrea Carmin
Campbell Cartledge
Jill Casey
Katherine Clifton
Tricia Clineburg
Melissa Clineburg
Brittni Collins
Kalen Dalrymple
Nick Davies
Katie Defer
Justin DeJesus
Christina DeMaria
Eleni Dermatas
Adam Diamond
Allison Dick
Alison Drane
Lauren Dupuis
Charles Duvall
Stephanie Dylewski
Jonathan Eidman
Kelly Emerick
Kali Ensley
Leslie Falzone
Megan Fishburne
Jane Fisher
Adam Fleming
Jana Fleming
Beau Flowers
Chris Forenza
Wesley Forlines
Ashley French
Hillary Fryer
Jackie Gibson
Baxter Gilliam
Sean Gilligan
Allyson Gimple
Karen Gramlich
Devon Green
Robin Greene
Louis Gruver
Catherine Hamilton
Ross Hammer
Emily Hampton
Jami Hanzman
Josh Harden
Christopher Harney
Kristen Harris
2012 derby
day Sponsors
Winner’s Circle Sponsors
Cooper-Global Chauffeured Transportation
Resource Real Estate Marketing
Triple Crown Sponsors
Choate Construction Company
The Coca-Cola Company
Diageo
Gallagher Electric & Engineering Company
Sara and Fred Hoyt
United Distributors, Inc.
Platinum Sponsors
Avisos Digital Graphics & Signage
Bear Claw Condominiums
Bradford Renaissance Portraits
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Lanier II
Charles & Catherine B. Rice Foundation
www.AnneLattimore.com
Blue Ribbon Sponsors
Atlanta Track Club
Bank of North Georgia
Barefoot Wine and Bubbly
Catalyst Fitness
Critical Care MedFlight
DATAMATX
Sara Goza, M.D.
Carol and Rick Hoskinson
David & Jennifer Kahn Family Foundation
LeCraw Family
L.K. Comstock National Transit, Inc.
The London Trading Company
Parramore & Quinn
Proof of the Pudding
Reece Tent Rental
Donna and Bill Richardson
Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint, LLP
Speaker Law Firm
SunTrust Bank, Atlanta
Yates Insurance Agency
Erica Headlee
Ashley Hedges
Rob Hefley
Dan Heller
Colleen Hendrix
Anna Hensley
John Herman
Meredith Hill
Michael Hill
Nick Hinson
Russell Hofstetter
Henri Hollis
Michael Holt
Lindsey Hornsby
Caroline Howard
Emily Hoyt
John Hritz
Andrew Huber
Kristina Hughes
Robert Hull
Taylor Inman
Miller Jackson
Allison Jackson
Laura Jakubowicz
Matt Johnson
Bryan Jones
Jessi Joseph
Mary Claire Keane
Natalie Keen
Jill Kellner
Gray Kelly
Lauren Kendall
James Kennedy
Heawoan Kidane
Travis Koehler
Callie Koepsel
Michael Landsberg
Chad Lane
Molly Lang
Chris LeCraw
Gold Cup Sponsors
Academics Plus Brainjogging®
AmWINS Brokerage of Georgia
Atlanta Radiology Consultants
Bachelor & Kimball
Joan and Robert Berto
Mary Bickers/Bickers Consulting Group, LLC
Broyhill Family Foundation
Jim Calise
Cateechee Golf Club
Delgado Boxing
Delta Air Lines
Sylvia and Bruce Dick
Diversified Metal Fabricators
Epps Aviation
E. R. Snell Contractor, Inc.
Fieldale Farms Corp.
First Flight Foods
Brian George
Judy and Mike Harhai
The Home Depot
Iron Mountain Information
Management, Inc.
JRH Industries
Craig and Mary Coleman Jones
Martha and Wilton Looney
Mainly Baskets
National EMS
Owen, Gleaton, Egan, Jones & Sweeney, LLP
Elizabeth R. Pearce
Perfect Circle Renewable Energy, LLC
Piedmont Center
Post Properties
The Regal Group
Rogers Bridge Company, Inc.
John and Barbara Shannon
Robert Shaw and Kevin Solchenberger
Shaw Industries Group, Inc
Alana and Harold Shepherd
Shepherd Construction Company
Boynton and Elizabeth Smith
Sinless Cocktails
Snapper Industrial Products
Sugarloaf Wealth Management, LLC
TPC Sugarloaf Golf Club
Urban Body Studios
Watercolor Inn & Resort
Wheeler Lewis
Todd H. Lindsey
Sara Lloyd
Alex Lynch
Sinead Lynch
Caroline Madden
Nicole Manry
Taylor Manry
Bobby Marston
Courtney Martin
Megan Martin
Dana Matthews
Teddy Mayer
Corey Mayes
Joe Mays
Caroline McCoy
Mary Katherine McRae
Chris McShane
Patrick McShane
Kate McWilliams
Megan Meloy
Gray Messier
Andrew Meyer
Ryan Moffett
Jessica Monk
Jake Moore
Matt Moore
Virginia Moore
Mackenzie Morris
Zachary Morris
Warren Mullis
Jonathan Myers
Catherine Nall
Andrew Newcomb
Joe Norton
Robert Norwood
Brandon Orth
Elizabeth Osborne
Christopher Owes
Martina Palatto
Catherine Skeen
Mimi Skiles
Brian Smith
Ashley Smithson
Wesley Snapp
Lizzie Sprague
Katharine Spratlin
Megan Springfield
Bea Staley
Sarah Sullivan
Sam Sykes
Judith Taylor
Lauren Taylor
Alysen Thompson
Chelsea Thompson
Caroline Trammell
Lauren Tucker
Scott Tucker
Brandon Tyler
Bradford Vaughan
Elizabeth Vaughan
Brittany Verloo
Mark Vickers
Kara Weatherly
Austin Weathington
Colleen Weaver
Sarah White
Ryan Wiita
Lenore Wilson
Dalyn Winter
Alissa Wolter
Marshall Wood
Carrie Woods
Kathryn Woods
Richard Wrenn
Julie Wynne
John Zaback
Andrew Zelman
Brad Zimmerman
Patrick Pallotta
Laura Parker
Michael Patterson
Amanda Peeler
Samantha Peterson
Hays Pickens
Suzanne Pickens
Morgan Pierson
Emily Pilcher
Ali Pletzer
Bryan Pyne
Justin Quina
Midd Read
Ellen Regan
Blake Ricci
Shannon Ridgeway
Sallie Robbins
Michael Roberts
Audrey Rogers
Sarah Rollins
Orin Romain
Megan Roper
Shea Ross
Virginia Rounds
Mary Runkle
Margaret Anne Ryburn
Blair Saeks
Lauren Schroer
Alex Schwartz
Ashley Sears
Charlie Sears
Brinkley Serkedakis
John Seymour
Robert Shaw
Palmer Sherer
Sarah Sibley
Matt Simmons
Bradlee Simoneaux
Kelley Simoneaux
Kate Simpson
Woo Skincare and Cosmetics
Anne and Andrew Worrell
Charles S. and Dancy H. Wynne
Silver Cup Sponsors
Jane and David Apple
Atlanta Kick/Operation Bootcamp
Beau Rivage
Jeane and Bill Bovat
Butler, Wooten & Fryhofer, LLP
Donald Camp, Inc.
Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White,
Williams & Aughtry
Sara and Donnie Chapman
Classic Weddings of Buckhead
CrossFit North Atlanta
V. N. DuBose
Lora and Geoffrey Fishman
Framers on Peachtree
The Gables Antiques
The Leonard & Jerry Greenbaum Family
Foundation
H & A Sales
Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey P. Hall, Sr.
Beth and Tommy Holder
InterContinental Hotels Group
Jones Lang LaSalle
Junior Committee Executive Board
Debbie and Jack Lane
Sherri and Ron Michaelis
Elizabeth and Chris Morris
NAI/Brannen Goddard, LLC
Pickens, Inc. Jewelers
Pittman Construction Company
Premier Southeast Sales, Inc.
Ravinia Club
Rosewood Hotel Georgia
Ross Henderson Photography
Royal Food Service
Linda and James Shepherd
David Shipley and Jenny Coleman
Valerie and Scott Sikes
Steve Madden
That Garrison Girl
Carol and Jim Thompson
Bradford Vaughn and Elizabeth Wilson
W Atlanta – Buckhead
Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba
Charity and Michael Whitney
Patron Levels
Patrons
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Alston, Sr.
Benson Dental Associates
Divergence Analysis, Inc.
Harriett and Rob Hollis
Michael P. Holt, Sr.
Treva Jackson
Jan and Chris LeCraw, Sr.
Virginia Moore
Debbie Murphy
Lois Puckett
Jill and John Seymour
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shepherd III
Jeannie and Victor Springfield
Zimmerman & Associates
Junior Patrons
Sallie and Mark Brooks
Kristen and Paul Fancher
Susie and Hiram Folds
Art Forenza
Mary Gilbreath
Thomas G. Gilligan
Goodman Decorating Co.
Susan Harp
Emery Harp
Miller Jackson
Dee King
Fred Moore III – The Moore Company
Susi Patton
Cathy and Mark Reynolds
Louell and Ray Roper
Bruce and Ellen Simmons
Springer Mountain Farms
Jennifer Van Horn
Mr. and Mrs. George P. Watson, Jr.
Julie and Josh Watt
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick White
Independent Volunteer Appreciation
Dinner Honors Gifts of Time
volunteer Ann Boriskie is
congratulated by Shepherd
Center director of inpatient
neuropsychology Sarah
Small, Psy.D., for being
honored with the inaugeral
Spirit of Shepherd Award.
Shepherd Center celebrated its volunteers and their
dedication to the hospital at the annual Independent
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on April 12.
Scott Sikes, executive director of the Shepherd
Center Foundation, welcomed the guests and
thanked volunteers for their tremendous gifts of time.
Following dinner, which was catered by Chef Cary’s
Cuisine, current Action Trial study participant Danny
Jackson and his son D.J. shared their personal story
and reminded the guests of the importance of our
volunteers at Shepherd Center. Then, a brief slide show
provided a look back on the past year, showcasing
many familiar faces.
Volunteer Ann Boriskie was honored with the
inaugural Spirit of Shepherd Award, which recognizes
a volunteer who “demonstrates outstanding passion
and commitment and is instrumental to Shepherd
Center’s activities, programs and mission.” As founder
of the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program, Ann has
devoted thousands of hours to recruiting and training
volunteers who visit patients with brain injuries and their
families to offer support.
Also, volunteer James Curtis was recognized for
giving the most hours in a fiscal year – 980! At the
event, each volunteer received a pocket flashlight
engraved with the words “Shepherd Center Volunteer”
as a small token of appreciation. q
Volunteer milestone awards
Most hours in a Fiscal Year: James Curtis
5,000 hours: James Curtis
3,000 hours: Bisi Alabi and tom Bahin
2,000 hours: Bill Pritchard
1,500 hours: John Caldwell, Brian lucas and Doyle Mote
1,000 hours: Fred Black.
500 hours: Jami hanzman, neal irby and Barry Phillips
250 hours: Pam Glustrom, Yoonjung Jang, Alix Marmulstein,
Anne Muller-wise, Chuck nicolaysen, Pat reeve,
Fred roberts and wes varda
100 hours: Bruce Allen, laura Allen, Chris Corrow,
Benjamin Dimmel, David eckstein, holly kelly,
kris lorenz, Carol Malia, David Munford,
Alice Patterson and Doug worful
Shepherd Center Auxiliary Celebrates its Fundraising Season
with the Presentation of a Check to Shepherd Center
1. Juli owens, left, and
heather Flint attend the
annual meeting.
2. Maureen escott
presents Scott Sikes
with a check for
Shepherd Center.
1.
The Shepherd Center Auxiliary celebrated its 2012-2013
fundraising season with the presentation of a check
for $420,904 to Scott Sikes, executive director of the
Shepherd Center Foundation, at the Auxiliary’s annual
meeting and luncheon on April 18 in the hospital’s
Callaway Auditorium.
Auxiliary President Maureen Escott presented
long-time Auxiliary member Bart Marks with the
Peggy Schwall Spirit of Excellence Award. Bart
volunteered more than 3,000 hours in the past 10
years, helping patients at special sporting, art and
horticultural events for the Therapeutic Recreation
Department, staffing the Welcome Desk for the
hospital, performing clerical tasks for the Auxiliary
and Volunteer Services Department, and assisting
patients with their lunchtime meals. He
also served as Auxiliary treasurer from
2.
2005 to 2007.
Beverly Mitchell, one of the founders of
the Auxiliary, was awarded Honorary Life
Board Membership for her outstanding
commitment and support of the Auxiliary.
Service hour awards were given to Marla
Bennett, Lynne Elander, Linda Stephens,
Brenda Wiggins, Gloria Stone, Mary Kay
Howard, Bart Marks, Sandy Unruh, Lois
Puckett, Carol Olsen, Cathy Williams and Stephen
Lore.
Warren Cleary, a former Shepherd Center patient,
was the featured speaker, along with his parents,
Henley and Jerry Cleary. Warren spoke of the time he
spent at the hospital and how much he learned from
his physical therapists. He, along with his parents,
expressed their gratitude for the support of everyone
at the hospital and thanked all of the Auxiliary
members for their support of the patients through the
Patient Aid Fund.
The highlight of the luncheon was the election and
installation of the Auxiliary and Peach Corps officers
for 2012-13. The Auxiliary officers are: Linda Stephens,
president; Heather Flint, president-elect; Lynne Elander,
treasurer; Carol Adams, corresponding secretary; and
Ginny Wolf, recording secretary. The Peach Corps cochairs are Crystal Baker and Tracy Reidenbach.
Cyndae Arrendale and Heather Flint, co-chairs of
the event, did a remarkable job decorating the tables
with spring bouquets donated by Pike’s Nursery.
Springer Mountain Farms donated the delicious
chicken for the meal, which was catered by Carole
Parks Catering. Christine Van Metter provided the
musical entertainment during lunch. It was a fabulous
event, and everyone had a great time. q midge tracy
Angel Luncheon Celebrates Shepherd
Center Donors and Volunteers
At the Shepherd Center Foundation’s Angel
Luncheon on April 24, more than 300 donors
and volunteer fundraisers were honored for their
generosity and dedication to Shepherd Center’s
patients and families.
This special event is Shepherd Center’s opportunity
to acknowledge and thank the faithful donors whose
gifts fund programs like therapeutic recreation, the
SHARE Military Initiative, housing and transportation,
animal-assisted therapy and assistive technology, as
well as hospital construction and renovation.
Several previous recipients of the Angel of the Year
award joined in this year’s celebration. They included
Cookie Aftergut, Ruth Anthony, BB Brown, Beverly
Mitchell, Lois Puckett, Emory Schwall, Claire Smith,
Jennings Watkins and Jane Woodruff.
The luncheon also served as an opportunity
to recognize Betty and Billy Hulse and Beth and
Tommy Holder as Shepherd Center’s Angels of the
Year. After Billy Hulse sustained a spinal cord injury
two years ago, he and his beloved wife, Betty, and
dear friends, Beth and Tommy Holder, wanted to
do something to say “thank you” for the incredible
care and support they received at Shepherd
Center. During their hospital stay, they learned how
to return to life after a spinal cord injury and were
trained to face many of the challenges upon
returning home. Their “new normal” life is an
amazement and inspiration to all who love them.
In talking with Shepherd Center co-founder
and Chairman of the Board James Shepherd,
the couples learned about the establishment of
the Spinal Cord Injury Lab (SCIL) at Shepherd
Center under the leadership of Keith Tansey, M.D.,
Ph.D. Through Dr. Tansey’s research, Shepherd is
expanding its efforts in finding advanced treatments
for people with spinal cord injuries. Billy and Betty
became passionate about Dr. Tansey and his goals.
Because of this interest and their gratitude toward
Shepherd, a $1,000,000 campaign was initiated in
October 2011 in the Hulses’ honor.
To date, 110 donors, all close friends of the Hulses,
have given $1,157,528 to support Shepherd Center’s
Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. These funds
will support research personnel, key equipment needs
and pilot research studies. The SCIL will now be
known as the Hulse Spinal Cord Injury Research Lab.
Patients and their families will be forever
grateful for discoveries made and treatments
developed because of this campaign and its
expression of friendship, love and appreciation for
Betty and Billy. q Lauren tucker
1.
2.
3.
5.
PhotoS BY leSlie JohnSon
4.
1. Betty hulse and Beth
holder, 2012 Angels of the
Year, with Chairman of the
Board James Shepherd.
2. Co-founder Alana
Shepherd with Beverly
Mitchell, a 2000 Angel
of the Year. 3. trustee
Marnite Calder with
Medical Director Donald
Peck leslie, M.D. 4.
Cindy and Bill voyles
with lois Puckett, the
2002 Angel of the Year.
5. Betty hulse, and Beth
and tommy holder, along
with Billy hulse (not
pictured) were named
2012 Angels of the Year.
Board Members Get Shepherd Center News
Updates at Annual Joint Board Meeting
new Shepherd Center
Foundation trustees
are, left to right, toby
regal, James Calise
and Millard Choate.
Guests attending the May 21 annual joint board
meeting of the Shepherd Center Board of Directors,
the Shepherd Center Foundation Board of Trustees
and the Advisory Board were introduced to
Shepherd’s service dogs from Canine Companions.
After undergoing two and half years of training,
Frosty and Bentley now come to Shepherd Center
three to five days a week. They know 40 different
commands and demonstrated a few of them at
the meeting.
Also on the program was Medical Director Donald
P. Leslie, M.D., who gave a presentation on Vanderbilt
University’s prototype lower-limb exoskeleton.
Researchers designed the wearable device to assist
users in standing and walking. At 26.5 pounds, it is
one of the lightest-weight
devices of its kind. It does not
require a backpack to house
components, nor does it
require the user to have
components installed under
their shoes. No external
instrumentation is required
for control of the device. It
uses powered hip and knee
joints, and the device’s
compact design enables a
user to sit in a wheelchair or
a standard armchair.
In other news reported at the Joint Board Meeting,
Mark Johnson, Shepherd Center’s director of
advocacy, gave a presentatation titled “Taking it
Personally,” which celebrated 25 years of advocacy at
Shepherd Center. Via a pre-recorded video message,
CEO Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., recognized Eleanor Smith,
founder of Atlanta-based Concrete Change, for her
hard work and commitment to advocacy for people
with disabilities.
Also, Sarah Morrison, vice president of clinical
services, spoke about Shepherd’s recently launched
RESCUE Program, which provides home alert
labels and education for people with physical and/
or cognitive limitations who find themselves in
emergency situations.
In other updates:
The Shepherd Center Advisory Board announced
its new members. They are Frank Bishop, Bob
Cunningham, Debbie Goot, William Hoyt, Dee King,
John Rooker, Jane Ulicny and Rebecca Webb.
New Advisory Board ex officio members are
Hunter Amos, Crystal Baker, Shannon Hinson, Kay
Quigley, Linda Stephens, Tracy Reidenbach and
Trey Weatherly.
The Shepherd Center Foundation Board of
Trustees also announced new members. They are
James Calise, Millard Choate, Toby Regal and
Valery Voyles. q ansley martin
The Legendary Party 2012 Plans to
Celebrate America and Support Shepherd
Center’s SHARE Military Initiative
left to right are legendary
Party Chairman-elect
karen Spiegel, honorees
Donald P. leslie, M.D.,
and Faye and lewis
Manderson, and Party
Chairman kay Quigley.
This year, The Legendary Party is celebrating
America and the wonderful things it offers.
Chairman Kay Quigley wants everyone to
experience the magnificence of “American
Splendor” and to take the time to appreciate the
United States “from sea to shining sea.”
The Legendary Party will be held on
Saturday, Nov. 3, at The Ritz-Carlton,
Buckhead. Honorees at the event will be
Lewis and Faye Manderson, who have
been wonderful friends and supporters
of Shepherd Center, and Medical Director
Donald P. Leslie, M.D.
For years, The Legendary Party has
raised money for Shepherd Center
patient programs, many of which largely
depend upon donor funds. This year,
the recipient of funds raised at The
Legendary Party is the SHARE Military Initiative, a
comprehensive rehabilitation program that focuses
on assessment and treatment for service men
and women who have sustained a traumatic brain
injury in combat or the line of duty. Shepherd
Center provides clients with therapy, housing,
transportation and community transition services.
The Legendary Party is Shepherd Center’s largest
fundraiser of the year, and the generous support of
event Patrons and Sponsors makes it possible to
continue SHARE and other programs.
We hope you join us for what is going to be an
inspiring evening, where you will be immersed in the
true spirit of “American Splendor.”
For more information on The Legendary Party,
please visit www.TheLegendaryParty.com or call
Florina Newcomb at 404-350-7302. q florina newcomb
Shepherd Center Society & The Junior Committee
Present: The Tailgate
Auburn Vs. Clemson
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Having A Good Time For A Great Cause!
Held in the parking lot across the street from Vine
City MARTA and the Georgia Dome, The Tailgate
brings more than 2,000 fans together to eat good
food, listen to good music and have a good time
for a great cause!
For the second year, SCS, and now the Junior
Committee, are working hard to make this event
the best fan experience out there! Once again, the
food trucks are participating, two big bars will meet
everyone’s drink expectations, and some great
bands will entertain everyone until game time.
All proceeds from The Tailgate go to Shepherd
Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, a comprehensive
rehabilitation program of assessment and treatment
for service men and women who have sustained
a traumatic brain injury and/or PTSD in the
Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.
Tickets start at $65. The Tailgate tickets include
food, drinks and live music throughout the day.
To purchase tickets or learn more, please visit
www.scs-atl.com. q florina newcomb
Shepherd Center Cup Golf Tournament:
Play a Round for a Great Cause
Plans are already in place for this fall’s Shepherd
Center Cup golf tournament and Tee-Off Party.
Event Chairman Hunter Amos has formed a great
committee, and they are already hard at work
securing sponsors and fantastic auction items.
The tournament kicks off with the Tee-Off Party
on Sunday, Oct. 7. Golfers, sponsors and guests
will enjoy live and silent auctions, and great food
from Avenue Catering in the lovely home of Linda
and Tom Morris.
The auction committee is working hard this
summer, securing more amazing auction items
for this year’s event, which is a must for golfers
and non-golfers alike. Tickets for the Tee-Off
Party are provided with tournament sponsorships
and also can be purchased in September.
On Monday, Oct. 8, the event continues at
Cherokee Country Club. Golfers will tee off at
12:30 p.m. after enjoying a lunch on the green.
Following play, a great feast and an awards
presentation will take place.
In its 28-year history, the golf tournament has
raised more than $1 million to benefit Shepherd
Center’s annual fund, which supports vital patient
programs ranging from assistive technology and
family housing to the SHARE Military Initiative.
For sponsorship information, please contact
Cara Puckett at [email protected] or
404-350-7778. Or, visit the new event website at
www.ShepherdCenterCup.com. q Cara puckett
Golfers enjoy an
october day during the
Shepherd Center Cup
tournament in 2011.
New Members Join Foundation Board
After serving on the Advisory Board, Jim Calise
and Toby Regal each began their first term on the
Shepherd Center Foundation’s Board of Trustees
beginning April 1.
A graduate of Middlebury College with an MBA
from Emory University, Jim has an extensive
background in the staffing and finance industry.
He is vice president and chief financial officer for
Thompson Technologies, an IT staffing firm.
Jim first became acquainted with Shepherd
Center as a member of the Junior Committee in
1995, chairing the Committee’s signature Derby
Day event in 2003. He has volunteered with the
Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race and
the Shepherd Center Cup Golf Tournament, and is
a Charter Member of the Shepherd Center Society.
Most recently, Jim served as chair of the Advisory
Board, where he has been a member since 2009. His
extensive involvement at Shepherd Center is an asset
to the Board of Trustees.
Toby brings a patient’s perspective to his new
role as Trustee. Following a procedure to remove
a brain tumor, Toby was admitted to Shepherd
Center, which he credits with restoring his life.
After completing rehabilitation, Toby got involved
at Shepherd through his service on the Shepherd
Center Cup Golf Tournament Committee, as well as
the Advisory Board.
A native of Boston, Mass., and a graduate
of Northeastern University, Toby has extensive
experience in the group retirement plan industry.
He founded The Regal Group, which specializes
in helping businesses select, implement, enhance
and maintain their 401(k) plans. Toby and his wife,
Kelly, have two young sons who attend Trinity
School. q Lauren tucker
Jim Calise
toby regal
Golf Tournament Raises Money for SHARE Military Initiative
The Rotary Club of Brookhaven hosted the 2nd
Annual “Service Above Self” Invitational golf
tournament benefiting Shepherd Center’s SHARE
Military Initiative. About $136,000 was raised from
the event thanks to generous contributions from the
following sponsors:
General Sponsor
Cunningham Associates Heating
and Air Conditioning, Inc.
Major Sponsors
Choate Construction
Magellan Health Services
Mingledorff’s Distributors
Norton Insurance
Captain Sponsors
Applied Software
Belk
Combine Services, Inc.
Coventry
Evert Weatherby Houff, Attorneys at Law
The Family Mortgage Team/LeaderOne
Fidelity Bank
Ford & Harrison
Fran Dramis
Indian Hills Country Club
J.W. Outfitters
Northern Trust
Peachtree Planning Corp.
Projection Creative
Shepherd Center
A. S. Turner & Sons
UBS
Mr. Thomas C. Weller, Jr.
Windham Brannon, P.C.
ZWJ Investment Counsel
h
HONORARIUMS
Honorees are listed first in bold print followed by the
names of those making gifts in their honor. This list
reflects gifts made to Shepherd Center between
Feb. 1, 2012 and April 30, 2012.
ruth d. anthony
Ms. Tammy S. Clark
verona hildebrant
Mr. and Mrs. Loren Hildebrant
david f. apple’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Mr. and Mrs. John Stephenson
melissa and scott hinchman
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman, Jr.
david f. apple, m.d.
Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Rayburn
susan arnovitz and
david saltz wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
elizabeth l. Bell’s Bat mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Joel Rosenfeld
Berry-Tidwell wedding guests
Mr. Thomas Berry
donna d. Boldt
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Deeks
anel camdzic and
lauren garcia’s engagement
Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Foreman
Boya camdzic
Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Foreman
george r. cary, m.d. – superb
fundraiser
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
chance and JT
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Williams
margaret and ike cobb
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman, Jr.
James a. curtis
Mrs. Allyson Berger-Duran
charles l. davidson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Davidson III
sharon draluck’s recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Draluck
mark gernazian, race across
america
Mr. Philip Cheek
Lafferty Animal Clinic
robert c. goddard
Post Properties, Inc.
emily B. grigsby
Mr. Stuart Schwarszchild
Jami hanzman
Mr. Scott R. Bell
Ms. Kimsey Silverboard
caroline g. hazel’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. McDaniel
Joan s. henry
Mrs. Sue Ann Epstein
1. Peer supporters
painted faces for children
attending the annual
Spring Fling for patients
and their families. 2.-4.
Members of the Society
of American Musicians
and the Georgia Magic
Club perform for patients
at Shepherd Center
monthly. 5. Former patient
lori Sneed presented
Shepherd Center with a
$10,000 donation earlier
this year on behalf of her
father, Shorty Sneed,
who won the Chubb
Charity golf tournament
in Birmingham.
1.
Beth and Tommy holder
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Balkcom, Jr.
Betty and Billy hulse
Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Argenbright, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Armfield, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Balkcom, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas N. Benham
Five Mile Club
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner W. Garrard
Mr. and Mrs. Holcombe T. Green, Jr.
Mr. Randall Hatcher
Mr. and Mrs. Bahman Irvani
Mr. and Mrs. Mason H. Lampton
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Lanigan
Mr. James C. Lanigan
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis M. Love
Mr. Gene W. Milner and
Dr. Rhonda D. Milner
Murphy Oil Corporation
Post Properties, Inc.
She’s Wired
W & F Restaurant Partners
Mr. and Mrs. William B. Wiggins, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Woodruff
2.
alexandra ingersoll
Mr. Mattias Ingersoll
iron maiden days
Mr. Ian Noble
Joe Jarrard – in honor of his military
service in iraq and afghanistan
Mr. and Mrs. William K. McDaniel
Todd Kelley
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Terlato
Judy and harvey Klein
Ms. Caprice Corbett
Karen rembold and
Jim Kozarek – merry christmas
Dr. and Mr. John A. Kozarek
3.
4.
5.
edward leatherman’s 21st Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Vose E. Babcock
Ms. Mary Areca Babcock
Ms. Victoria J. Berken
Ms. Sara Beth Black
Taylor Black
Mr. and Mrs. David Cox
Ms. Leah Everhart
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Everhart
Ms. Elaine Groves
Mr. and Mrs. M. Lewis Hall
Mr. Howard S. Hawkins
Mr. Leonard Klingen and
Ms. Mary Munn
Ms. Pamela L. Krans
Mr. Steven Leatherman
Ms. Suzan Leatherman
Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Leggett
Mr. Gavin Lindahl
HONORARIUMS
Ms. Elizabeth Lloyd
Mr. Douglas Mackle
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCammon
Mr. and Mrs. William L. Morrison
Organizing SOULutions
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Pearce
Mr. Alexander Pell
Mr. and Mrs. St. Julien P. Rosemond, Jr.
Ms. Audrey Ross
Mr. Edward Sawyer
Ms. Nancy W. Stroh
Dr. Robert Thomas
Mr. David M. Turner
Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. White, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Wiseheart
in honor of all the family & friends
of edward leatherman
Ms. Charlotte Leatherman
mcKee nunnally
Mr. and Mrs. Holcombe T. Green, Jr.
mcKee nunnally – superb fundraiser
dean propst – former chancellor,
university of georgia
Dr. and Mrs. Albert A. Rayle, Jr.
In honor of all soldiers who have
served, especially those who have
died or were wounded
LTC (R) Hans Meinhardt
Captain John D’Aloia
Mr. and Mrs. John Nommay
Jamie reynolds
Mr. James G. Strickland
dr. Bruce stein’s recovery
Mrs. Elinor A. Breman
Dr. and Mrs. Craig E. Weil
Joe saliceti and Team shepherd
Mrs. Denise Eaton
Mr. James Kurz
Jeanie and Buzzy stevenson
Ms. Marnite B. Calder
nicola say
Ms. Lauren King
leonard Taylor
Mr. Reagan Wolfe
emory a. schwall’s Birthday
Mrs. Ernest S. Tharpe
Mrs. Mary Frances Woodside
Team shepherd’s race across
america fundraiser
Mr. Christopher Swift
alana shepherd
Mrs. Lee G. Offen
wesley a. varda
Mr. M. Bruce Chadwick
anne preston shepherd’s Birth
Mrs. John O. Mitchell
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. Zachary M. Wilson
dr. and mrs. william david varner, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Mason H. Lampton
stephanie von Kuhn’s recovery
Mr. Chris Parker and Ms. Hala Von Kuhn
harold shepherd’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Bickers Consulting Group, LLC
pam m. wakefield’s Birthday
Mrs. Overton Currie
sigma nu of georgia southern –
fundraising for share
Mr. D. Albert Brannen
Ms. Ann B. Fowler
Ms. Anne Gunn
Mr. Matthew Hilley
Mr. Steven Venning Kruger
Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Kruger III
Mrs. J. H. Mobley
Mr. Jason Roe
Mr. Joseph Sherwood
Mrs. Robin Small
Mr. and Mrs. Carl E. Swearingen
Mr. James M. Walters
wayne K. ware
Dr. Bruce Wilde
molly welch
Mr. Gerald Welch
Jane woodruff’s recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. D’Huyvetter
dan yates
Mr. and Mrs. E.G. Lassiter III
2.
1.
3.
1. Beyond therapy-tennessee
Pt Jenna Briggs holds Joseline
at a children’s rehabilitation
hospital in Guatemala City,
where Jenna traveled for a
medical mission trip this
spring. the trip was organized
by the Shalom Foundation of
Franklin, tenn., and involved
faculty and graduate students
from the occupational and
physical therapy departments
at Belmont university in
nashville. 2. - 3. Shepherd
Center’s Peach Corps volunteer
group, which involves families
in volunteer projects at the
hospital, held its annual Spring
Fling in April. volunteers
served patients and their
families at the event.
PeACh CorPS PhotoS BY leitA CowArt
h
laura and Karl anschutz
Ms. Esther L. Abisamra
Ms. Hope Abisamra
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Holleman
Mr. and Mrs. Werner Anschutz
Bernice s. apple
Mrs. Judith Ralston
roy a. dorsey
Mrs. Joan Woodall
eulalia T. driggs
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart
Mrs. Caroline W. Fowler
robert l. eidman
Mrs. Mary Eidman
alvan s. arnall
Mr. and Mrs. Peter B. Glass
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kollme
william g. elkins
Ms. Kandis Pinkstaff
vivian Bardwell
Mr. and Mrs. John Mason
margaret ellis
Bob Bensinger
Rockwell Boeing Retirees Club
robert e. eskew
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
william h. Benton
Katherine c. evans
Mrs. William E. Grabbe
gerald e. Bernal
Mr. Richard F. Bernal
donovan faulk
Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Shiver
margaret m. Bernal
Mr. Richard F. Bernal
cynthia a. ferguson
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
morris Berzett
Ray Patterson
Donnie and Daveen Stanford
mulford K. fisher
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Goot
furman Bisher
Mr. Robert H. Hogg III
dr. Jack K. Bleich
Mr. and Mrs. Victor L. Cohen
Kenneth e. Boring
patsy Bowers
Mr. and Mrs. Wade H. Hicks
Kathy cantwell
Mr. Jay Forlini
dana carr
Mr. and Mrs. Rick Carr
wilson causey
Ms. Sandra Dillard
Ms. Ann Downing
Mr. and Mrs. James Hettler
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Nelson
North Mississippi Medical Center
Swann Farms
french B. frazier
Mrs. William E. Grabbe
captain matthew freeman
Mr. and Mrs. Derek Dragon
david funk
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Funk
eve o. groton
Mr. and Mrs. Randolph L. Hutto
victor haber
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. Feinberg
steven hackett
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hackett
nicholas hardage
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Hardage
william e. courington
Mr. and Mrs. David Courington
rosa hatch
Foundation for Financial Planning, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Grant III
Mrs. Oliver J. Keller, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Peniston
Mrs. Elizabeth H. Smith
Upton Farms, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Luther J. Upton III
James c. dodgson
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Brown
Mr. John Herlihy
Mr. and Mrs. R. William Lee, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James Rice
Mr. and Mrs. David Tiedt
Former patients and
their family members
participate in various
activities during Adventure
Skills workshop 2012. the
popular event is held every
spring at lake Martin in
Jackson’s Gap, Ala. For
more information, see
shepherd.org/asw.
larsen c. gregory
Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr.
Kit clark
Ms. Myrtice Hunter
cile e. davidson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Davidson III
Deceased friends of Shepherd Center are
listed first in bold print followed by the names
of those making gifts in their memory. This
list reflects gifts made to Shepherd Center
between Feb. 1, 2012 and April 30, 2012.
Kathleen greggs
Mr. Michael Greggs
dorothy p. hamburger
Judge Phyllis Kravitch
Mrs. Bernice K. Mazo
Benjamin T. daugherty
m
peter g. gantsoudes
Mr. and Mrs. Reid Sherard
dawn s. clark
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Conner
Ms. Debra Lynn Strickland
percy T. curtis
Mr. Darrell Curtis
MEMORIALS
elizabeth hatzo
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald J. Adamek
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Haldeman
Mrs. Catherine C. McLendon
carl heidbreder
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kollme
m
MEMORIALS
colonel John w. hill
Jan J. Hayes
Mr. and Mrs. William E. Robinson
lewis holland
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Smith
ida e. horowitz
fred a. hoyt
Mrs. Sara J. Hoyt
paul m. “Big pun” Jones
Ms. Jessica Goodfellow
Mr. David S. Kennedy
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Sinclair
Stone, Higgs & Drexler
doug King
Ms. Virginia Powers
Kitz Corporation of America
Mr. Stephen J. Lorenz
Mr. Robert Reed
Mr. Kenneth M. Sarkis
Ms. Lisa Seeley
The Shaw Group
Ms. Catherine Stephens
Mr. Steve Thomas
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Underwood
Ms. Cheryl A. Verlander and Mr.
Charles N. Bracht
Mr. Karl Weger
Mr. and Mrs. Randall D. Wilhoit
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Williammee
Wilson Industries LP
pen lybrook
Ms. Phyllis Brooks
guyton B. mccall
John mcconnell
Mr. John E. Stegall
ernest e. landers
Ms. Bonnie T. Bolin
Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Brown
Mrs. Linda L. Ellis
Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Hudgins
Mr. Phillip G. Latimer
Mr. Joshua G. Levitt
Mr. and Mrs. C. J. McClellan
Mr. and Mrs. Miller Parnell
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Peek
Johnie c. mccullars
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Bremer
Mrs. Sharon Rotar
Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel G. Hewes
Mr. and Mrs. Wade Huie
Mr. Robert M. Kunes
Mr. Honore A. LeBrun III
Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Mitchell
Ms. Beverly S. Rodgers
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Schroder
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Shaffer, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Thompson
Ms. Evelyn S. Uhles
hank leon
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Henderson
william Barry phillips
John r. “rick” leone iii
AIV, LP
Ms. Kristi Anderson
Hal N. Arnold D.M.D.
Mr. Patrick Benavides
Beyer-Barber Company
Bonny Forge Employees
Bonny Forge Accounting, HR and IT
Departments
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Certain
Clark-Reliance Corporation
Ms. Elizabeth C. Clough
Mrs. Donna Davis
Dodson Global, Inc.
Ms. Susan P. Hicks
Audrey Piel
Ms. Myra Bernes
Dentistry at Kennesaw Point, PC
Ms. Betty F. Furst
Ms. Kathleen J. Huff
Mr. and Mrs. Joel C. Lobel
Mrs. Elaine M. Sarvis
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Mrs. Doris H. Shelton
Ms. Harriett H. Tewkesbury
John c. Kranyecz, Jr.
Ms. Michelle Stulack
the Shepherd Center
therapeutic recreation
Department held a Casino
night for patients and
their families this spring.
the event was sponsored
by Bank of north Georgia.
Bank executives,
managers and staff
volunteered as dealers
and servers for the event.
gloria porter
otis potter
Mrs. Charlie Corey
richard stropp
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Urken
dr. edwin c. pound
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Gibson
eunice “peach” Taylor
Ms. Georgia Lord
rondo prock
Mr. Bruce Prock
ruby Todd
Mr. and Mrs. Don Scarbrough
felicia ramacciotti
Mr. and Mrs. Andy Gillenson
Mrs. Robert J. Howard
Shepherd Center
The Shepherd Center Auxiliary
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy
Mr. and Mrs. Zachary M. Wilson
doreen Tunnell
norman reeves
Dr. Timothy C. Meyers, Jr.
Bill “cosby” reynolds
Mr. and Mrs. David B. Kahn
william m. robertson
Mrs. Lindsey Hopkins III
Bill roszel
luise m. shaw
ronald simpson
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Baldwin
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Chapman
Mrs. and Mr. Judy Grueneberg
Mr. and Mrs. M. Marshall Lewis
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Ridlehoover
Sierra/Affinity
Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Winkler
ronald h. simpson
Ms. Humberto Centeno
Mr. and Mrs. Del Chapman
sam s. singer
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Porter
paula smith
Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Begnaud
william e. speaks
Mrs. William E. Speaks
phinney Taylor
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
george ulicny
Dr. Mike Jones
Dr. and Mrs. Ron Seel
Brent walker
Mrs. Roberta Cook
Ms. Keela Ernst
Mrs. Kathryn Ferguson
Ms. Mary E. Mahon and
Mr. Philip J. Flores
Gaddis & Lanier, LLC
Mr. Andrew G. Gibson
Ms. Linda N. Goode
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hardman
Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Howard
Mr. and Mrs. David Husack
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Merback
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Miller
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Toth
Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Tutt
Mr. and Mrs. William Walker
dorothy watkins
Mr. Jennings E. Watkins
frank e. white
Mr. Tom White
Benjamin h. williams
charles willingham’s mother
stanley d. willis
Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Willis
h i d d e n va l l e y f a r m s
nashville, tennessee
Please
Please join
join the
the Shepherd
Shepherd Center
Center Society
Society on
on Saturday,
Saturday,
September
8,
at
7
p.m.
for
an
evening
of
award-winning
September 8, 7:00pm for an evening of award-winning
Arlee
Arlee Bragg
Bragg barbecue,
barbecue, wine,
wine, beer
beer and
and dancing
dancing to
to the
the
musicfrom
of Sixwire
– all
music
Sixwire,
allon
onthe
thebeautiful
beautifulsetting
settingofof
Hidden
Hidden Valley
Valley Farms.
Farms.
To buy tickets and to get more information
To buy tickets and to get more information,
please visit shepherdCentersociety.com/nashville
please visitor
ShepherdCenterSociety.com/Nashville
call 615.656.3934.
or call 615.656.3934.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Atlanta, GA
Permit No. 1703
ADDreSS Service requeSteD
Scan this QR code with your smart phone or go to
ShepherdCenterMagazine.org to view more photos and content.
top Athletes compete in
Atlanta’s Wheelchair Division
of the Peachtree road race
Thousands of spectators turned out to watch this year’s
Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.
The annual 10K race was held July 4 and drew 78 wheelchair
athletes from eight countries.
This year, Tatyana McFadden of Champaign, Ill., won
the women’s open division with a first-place finishing time
of 23:53. She also won the 2010 and 2011 races. She will
compete in the Paralympic Games later this summer. In the
men’s open, Aaron Gordian of Mexico took the crown to win
with a finishing time of 19:52. At age 46, he became the oldest
person to ever win the race.
The 6.2-mile competition began on Lenox Road in the heart of
Buckhead, Atlanta’s shopping district, and followed Peachtree
Road for six miles before slicing through the heart of Midtown to
the finish line at 10th Street and Piedmont Park. The race is the
one of the largest and fastest wheelchair 10Ks in the country.
The top finishers in each division received peach-shaped
crystalline trophies in a ceremony at Piedmont Park, while cash
prizes totaling $35,000 were doled out at a post-race brunch at
Shepherd Center, which organizes the race. Numerous Shepherd
volunteers and staff members coordinated race logistics,
Photo BY louie FAvorite
including reviewing applications, orchestrating the start and finish,
monitoring the times and overseeing the needs of the athletes.
BB&T and Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee were
presenting sponsors, providing pre-and post-race brunches,
defraying travel and lodging expenses for racers, and awarding
cash prizes to winners.
For more information, see www.shepherd.org/peachtreeroadrace.
q Larry Bowie

FIGHTING the - Shepherd Center

Transcription

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