a week in the life of a Brain injury

Transcription

THE MAGAZINE OF SHEPHERD CENTER | FALL 2008
{
a week in the life of a
Brain Injury Patient
at Shepherd Center
{
FEATURE
PROFILE
AND MORE:
Woman who sustained SCI in
violent attack gains strength
and hope during recovery.
Musician with quadriplegia writes
songs and performs, rekindles
relationship from years ago.
Shepherd Center athletes
compete in fencing and swimming
in Paralympic Games in Beijing.
Photo by Gary Meek
Letter from James Shepherd
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F SH E P H E R D C E N T E R
FALL
2008
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
[email protected]
www.shepherd.org/publications
Editor
Jane M. Sanders
Dear Friends,
The recent completion and opening of Shepherd Center’s Jane Woodruff Pavilion
and the Irene and George Woodruff Family Residence Center have given the hospital
state-of-the-art facilities. But they would not be truly complete without our excellent
staff of highly trained physicians, who adeptly treat the most acute medical situations
involving brain and spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain and other
neurological conditions.
Our physicians help lead the hospital’s staff in creating Shepherd Center’s uplifting
atmosphere and remarkable outcomes for patients. The strengths of these practitioners
lie in the combination of their excellent training at some of the nation’s top medical
schools – including Baylor, Duke, Emory, Johns Hopkins, the University of
Pennsylvania, Stanford and Vanderbilt – and years of experience in treating patients
and conducting research. Their varied expertise brings together many different aspects
of rehabilitation under one roof.
Leading the way for 32 years was Dr. David Apple, Shepherd’s first medical director.
Now medical director emeritus, Dr. Apple’s significant influence on the field of rehabilitative medicine continues as he oversees several research projects under way at Shepherd.
Dr. Donald Peck Leslie, who became Shepherd’s medical director in 2004, now leads
the medical staff with his incredible record of experience at both the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn., and at Shepherd, where he led the Acquired Brain Injury Program
for 10 years before taking his current leadership role.
Assisting Dr. Leslie is associate medical director Dr. Brock Bowman, who came to
Shepherd in 1998. Together, they lead a staff of eight full-time physicians who direct
the care of patients in the Spinal Cord Injury Program, Acquired Brain Injury Program, Shepherd Pathways, the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute and the
Dean Stroud Pain Institute at Shepherd Center.
The stellar qualifications of our physicians and the expertise of Shepherd’s staff in all
departments are reflected in the hospital’s consistent moves up – this year to No. 9 – in
the U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation.
As we move forward, our physicians will continue to offer their wealth of expertise in
caring for patients as they pursue their quest for advancing the treatment of people
with catastrophic injuries.
Warm regards,
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Design
Soloflight Design
Contributing Writers
Sara Baxter, John Christensen,
Alison Damerow, Cathy Holleman,
Dean Melcher, James Panter, Anne
Pearce, Bill Sanders, Scott Sikes, Julie
Washburn Souza
Contributing Photographers
Leita Cowart, Neil Dent, James E. Fitts,
Kristen Bartlett Grace, Kathy Grosch,
Dean Hesse, Gary Meek, Shelley
Mitchell
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., Brock
Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James
M. Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman,
John S. Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber*,
David H. Flint, Stephen B. Holleman*,
Michael L. Jones, Ph.D.*, Tammy
King*, Donald Peck Leslie, M.D., Bernie
Marcus, Joseph R. Moderow, 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
Spinal Column is published quarterly by
Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit
hospital specializing in the treatment
of people with spinal cord injury and
disease, acquired brain injury, multiple
sclerosis and other neuromuscular
disorders, and urological problems.
E-mail change of address information or
request to be removed from our mailing
list to [email protected], or
by mail to Shepherd Center, Attn: Spinal
Column Mailing List, 2020 Peachtree
Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309.
Please include mailing label. Spinal
Column accepts no advertising. Spinal
Column is a registered trademark of
Shepherd Center.
Spinal Column: The Magazine of Shepherd Center, a Catastrophic Care Hospital | Fall 2008
Illustration by Kerry McCaughan
Departments
2 Short Takes
22 Patient Profile: Greg Harry
23 Research: Cure-Centered Discovery
24 Shepherd Alums
26 Foundation Features
38 Loving Tributes
4
12
16
COVER STORY:
Seven Days
Photo by Gary Meek
A Week in the Life of Brain Injury Patient
Molly Welch at Shepherd Center
16
18
20
G
aining Strength: Mother and wife gains
strength and hope during rehabilitation
following violent attack.
ports for Everyone: Shepherd sponsors
S
12 sports teams for people with physical
disabilities – several of whom competed in
this year's Paralympics.
From Painful to Pleasant: Shepherd Pain Institute delivers successful results with a holistic approach to the treatment of pain.
Fifty & Growing: NeuroRecovery Network at Shepherd Center celebrates success with enrollment of its 50th patient.
About the cover:
Molly Welch, 21, of Alpharetta, Ga., was returning to her college
campus when she sustained a severe brain injury in a head-on
collision that left her in a minimally conscious state for weeks. Now,
after months of rehabilitation, she continues to improve.
Illustration by Kerry McCaughan, Based on a Photo by Gary Meek
If you would like to make a gift to support the work you have
read about, please contact the Shepherd Center Foundation
at 404-350-7305 or visit shepherd.org.
{
Shepherd Snapshots: A Look at News and Other Notes
{{
New Physician Joins Multiple
Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center
Dr. Sherrill Loring recently joined the medical
staff at Shepherd Center as a neurologist seeing
patients and conducting research in the Andrew
C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute. Previously,
she was an associate professor of neurology at the
University of Florida.
“The MS team is very excited about the addition
of Dr. Loring,” says Dr. Ben Thrower, medical director of the MS Institute. “Her experience, knowlDr. Sherrill Loring recently edge and dedication will allow us to serve people
joined the medical staff at with MS and their families even more effectively.”
Shepherd Center
Dr. Loring earned her medical degree from the
Medical University of South Carolina. She then completed an internship and
residency at the Medical College of Georgia, where she was later a clinical
assistant professor of neurology. She also worked as the chief of neurology
at University Hospital in Augusta, Ga., and later directed the MS Clinic at
Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., before taking the position at the University of Florida.
Dr. Loring is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the
American Medical Association.
Shepherd Center Voted Among
Atlanta’s Best Places to Work
The staff at Shepherd has known it for years:
Shepherd Center is a great place to work. And this
past summer, the rest of Atlanta learned it, too.
Shepherd Center ranked in the
Atlanta Magazine top 40 “Best
Places to Work in Atlanta.”
To be considered in the running, Shepherd Center had to
complete a workplace profile,
and Shepherd employees
had to respond to an electronic survey. More than 250
employees responded to the
survey, placing Shepherd
Center at number 11 out of
40 places to work in the city.
The article is available online at:
www.atlantamagazine.com/article.aspx?id=23900.
Shepherd Center Hosts Conference on Religious Service
and Worship Experience for People with Disabilities
A recent one-day conference at Shepherd Center focused on how religious communities can
make their houses of worship even more accessible to people with disabilities. Presenters went
beyond discussions about eliminating physical barriers and talked about creating services and programs in which all members can easily participate.
The conference, called “That All May Worship: Beyond the Ramp,” was sponsored by Shepherd,
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and the Interfaith Disability Connection (IDC), which is
managed by the Atlanta-based nonprofit Bobby Dodd Institute. The IDC works to connect the
disability community with congregational leadership and to promote understanding of the unique
accessibility and inclusivity challenges faced by people with disabilities.
Leaders in religion and disability education spoke to a crowd of about 150 in the Center's
Callaway Auditorium. The keynote speakers were Rabbi Lynne Landsberg, the Rev. Al Mead
and Ginny Thornburgh.
“Clergy and lay leaders in both religious and disability communities, advocates and friends all
came together to take part in this conference on community, acceptance and inclusion,” says Wayne
McMillan, president and CEO of the Bobby Dodd Institute. “Attendees gained the knowledge,
resources and motivation to make positive changes in their religious communities.”
For more information, visit www.interfaithdisability.org or contact IDC at [email protected]
or 678-365-0073.
2 S p i na l c o l u mn
www. sh e p h e r d . o r g
Marriage to a quad leads
wife to write a humor book
Among the top 10 companies for workers with
disabilities are business giants IBM, PepsiCo and
General Motors, along with several healthcare-related
organizations, according to a list published recently
by DiversityInc magazine.
All of the companies on the list have these things in
common: specific programs to recruit employees with
disabilities; the opportunity to work from home and/
or telecommute; job sharing; and employee-resource
groups for people with disabilities. Eighty percent of
them offer alternative career tracks for people with
long-term family-care issues. The full article is available online at: www.diversityinc.com/public/3573.cfm.
Photo Courtesy of Tim Evatt
Former Shepherd Center patient
Tim Evatt and his wife Rhonda
Crozier Evatt firmly believe God
brought them together after helping
them through seemingly overwhelming obstacles in their lives.
After almost four years of marriage,
the couple still feel like newlyweds,
they say. Humor has always been a big
part of their relationship. They love to
laugh together about everything – even
the challenges they face with Tim’s
quadriplegia. It was this spirit of fun
and laughter that inspired Rhonda to
Humor has been a big part of Tim
and Rhonda Evatt’s relationship
write her newly published book “101
throughout their almost-four years
Reasons to Marry a Quadriplegic.”
of marriage. They love to laugh
“You only have to iron the front
together about everything – even
of their clothes,” Rhonda writes in
the challenges they face with Tim’s
quadriplegia. This spirit of fun and
a section of the book titled “Every
laughter inspired Rhonda to write
Woman’s Dream,” which details all
her newly published book “101
the perks she experiences.
Reasons to Marry a Quadriplegic.”
“I’ll never have a deer carcass in my
backyard, I get to hide all the Halloween candy for myself and, of course, I win
all the pillow fights,” Rhonda says, quoting a few of the reasons in her book.
Rhonda and Tim, of Pendleton, S.C., met through eHarmony.com. Tim
had been a quadriplegic for 22 years after a fall from a tree. Rhonda had been
a single mother for 12 years. Both were looking for a serious, meaningful relationship and were praying for their ideal mates.
Tim revealed his condition to Rhonda during their email exchanges. He
asked if she could ever love a man in a wheelchair. After soul-searching and
prayer, Rhonda replied that she had many requirements for a husband and
father, but standing was not one of them. “God’s love knows no boundaries.
Neither does mine,” Rhonda remembers writing.
The couple talked for three months before they finally met in person. It
was love at first sight for both of them.
They were married after dating for a year and a half. Married life was an
adjustment for everyone, but laughter helped the process.
For years, the couple had running jokes of Rhonda’s reasons she married
Tim. Rhonda never intended to write them down, but while recovering
from a serious fall last year, she decided to write her book. It’s filled with her
reasons for marrying a quadriplegic along with humorous stories from their
marriage. Tim wrote the forward in the book. They hope it brings smiles to
the faces of all who read it.
“101 Reasons to Marry a Quadriplegic” can be ordered from most bookstores or Amazon.com. — Julie Washburn Souza
U.S. Business Giants Among
Top 10 Companies for
Workers with Disabilities
The DiversityInc top 10 companies for workers
with disabilities are:
Photo by Dean Hesse
1. IBM
6.Sodexo
2. Eastman Kodak Co. 7.Starwood Hotels 3. PepsiCo& Resorts Worldwide
4. Kaiser Permanente 8.General Motors
5.Health Care
9.Deloitte
Service Corp.
10.Novartis
Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Above: Companies rated among the best for employees with
disabilities offer telecommuting, job sharing and employeeresource groups for people with disabilities. Shown are Kim
Smith, front, and fellow employees at IDI in Atlanta.
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Illustration by Kerry McCaughan Based on a Photo by Gary Meek
{COVER STORY {
Photographs by Gary Meek, Text by Jane M. Sanders
A week in the
Life of Brain
Injury Patient
Molly Welch at
Shepherd Center
John and Mary Welch don’t know what caused their daughter’s car to cross the median of a four-lane Alabama highway and
collide with an oncoming truck. But because she had turned on her
digital audio recorder before the crash, they have an audio recording of the aftermath of the accident in which other motorists, as well
as emergency personnel, worked to free the 21-year-old Auburn
University student from her car.
Molly Welch, 21, of Alpharetta, Ga., was returning to Auburn after
spending a weekend at home with her family in early February 2008. Once
rescue workers removed Molly from her vehicle, she was taken to East
Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Ala., for trauma care. Doctors determined Molly had sustained a severe brain injury, as well as other injuries.
She remained in the ICU for three weeks in a minimally conscious state.
On Feb. 28, Molly was transferred to Shepherd Center’s ICU. Then
she spent several weeks as a minimally conscious patient in Shepherd’s
Pre-Rehabilitation and Education Program (PREP). After that period
of therapy and family training, Molly was sent home for a month
until she began to emerge from this low level of cognitive activity. She
returned for acute rehabilitation in Shepherd’s Acquired Brain Injury
(ABI) Unit, then continued her therapy as an outpatient at Shepherd
Pathways for many weeks.
While at Shepherd, ABI patients undergo an intense routine of daily
therapy, including occupational, physical, speech and recreational therapy.
They also receive neuropsychological testing and counseling, and participate in classes that teach patients and family members about their injury
and how to manage their day-to-day care after leaving the hospital.
While individual patients’ functional goals vary, Shepherd Center’s
ultimate goal is to return patients to their communities to live as independently as possible. This photo essay chronicles a week near the end
of Molly’s inpatient rehab – an important point in her journey toward
restoring her hope for the future.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 5
“The people here are just so dedicated… giving so much of
themselves. It shows in all the patients that come here, and
that’s why Shepherd has such as awesome reputation.”
— Mary Welch, mother of ABI patient Molly Welch
< physical Therapy
As Molly Welch uses a walker to make her way down a
quiet hallway at Shepherd Center, Mary Welch encourages her daughter: “You are doing great. You’re walking.
You go, girl.” Molly looks straight ahead and responds to
her physical therapist’s instructions with determination as
she allows a slight grin at her mother’s praise. Everyone,
including Molly, is hopeful today by Molly’s progress in
learning to walk again. Physical therapist Rim Hendi and
physical therapy assistant Guy Cooper are amazed at the
progress Molly has made in just one week.
Later in the session, after physical therapy on a mat,
recreational therapist Lora Harvey, who assisted physical
therapist Amee Reiss, says: “We’re working to get Molly
out of her chair more to help her get her balance. She
was unable to respond to us on her first day. Now, there’s
a huge difference. She follows commands, participates in
therapy and works very hard. She has a great personality
and is doing so well.”
Molly says she is working very hard in therapy because
she really wants to go home soon. In fact, she is counting
the days until her discharge.
peech Therapy >
S
Initially, Molly and speech therapist Emma Quinn
established a “yes/no” communication system, allowing
Molly to show her therapy team she understood what
was going on around her. Soon, she began speaking, and
a whole new side of Molly emerged. She participated in
tests to evaluate her memory, organization and reasoning
skills. Molly struggled with sequencing and remembering
daily events, as well as analyzing problems with good
judgment. Here, she works on improved vocal quality,
meanwhile improving: her memory; insight into her
strengths and weaknesses; and ability to simultaneously
attend to different concepts.
<
occupational Therapy
In occupational therapy with therapist Ruth Ann
DeFazio, Molly learns how to do various daily
activities, such as dressing and feeding herself. On
this day, Ruth Ann, left, and occupational therapist
intern Amy Studin Glade work with Molly on
trunk stabilization while she sits on the edge of a
mat and practices taking her socks off and putting
them back on. The therapists also assess Molly’s
upper-extremity range of motion, check her wrist
range of motion and test her vision using an eye
chart. “Molly is making significant functional
progress,” Ruth Ann says. “She is motivated,
cooperative and eager to do whatever she can to
increase her independence.”
“The last month has been totally
awesome. It’s been very inspiring
because Molly came from being
home in a minimally conscious state
to interacting verbally and feeding
herself with her left hand. She’s
walking with assistance. It’s just miraculous. There’s nothing I can say
to explain how a parent feels when
all these things come to fruition.
It’s something you don’t anticipate,
and when it happens, you’re just so
elated. Every little bit of progress
she makes… is very, very affirming.”
fa l l 2 0 0 8 7
<
“I have a lot of faith – faith
in God and faith in the
people here at Shepherd
Center. I trust that they
are doing their best for
my daughter, and that’s
a big relief as a parent.”
Art
Therapy
Recreational therapist Ashley Haynes leads art therapy
sessions with Molly and other patients. On this day,
Molly paints and decorates a picture frame. During
the session, Molly focuses on fine-motor and eye/hand
coordination, attention and visual perceptual skills, as
well as having fun. Molly makes her own decisions when
designing her frame, giving her a form of independence
and a chance to be creative.
< Molly's nurse
Molly and her family built a close relationship with ABI Unit nurse
Monica Parra during Molly’s inpatient stay at Shepherd Center. One
common bond Monica shared with John and Mary Welch was parenting
special needs children. Molly’s older sister has severe cerebral palsy.
Monica explains her approach to nursing for Molly and all her
patients. “I have two special needs children, and I look at my patients as
if they were my own children,” Monica says. “I do my best in caring for
them.” She felt especially close to Molly and her family because of their
common experience, she adds.
The support of Molly’s family not only encouraged Monica as a nurse,
she says, but also played a significant role in Molly’s emergence from a
minimally conscious state and her subsequent progress in rehabilitation.
John adds: “Monica looks beyond Molly’s medical needs and tunes in
to who she is as a person and what her needs are. So she’s very insightful.
Molly can express what she’s looking for, and Monica picks up on it.”
Molly's family support >
Throughout her experience, Molly has had incredible support from her family – parents John and Mary Welch, as
well as a brother and two sisters.
“Molly is just such a fighter,” Mary says of her daughter’s determination to get better. “We knew already that
she was, but we weren’t really anticipating this kind of
spirit. And I know that it has to be a lot of Shepherd’s
influence on how she feels about herself because she’s
really honest with us. She’ll say, ‘I’m sad. I’m sad that I’m
different. I’m sad that I’m in a wheelchair. But the people
that deal with her on a daily basis are able to take that
and acknowledge that it’s a real feeling, but then ask her,
‘OK, now what are you going to do with that kind of
energy?’ And, her dad and brother and sisters and I try to
encourage her to do her best, to keep working hard and
not give up. Her spirit is so strong about trying to be the
best she can be that she just oozes a spirit of confidence.
We’re just so grateful. She’s our new hero.”
Molly expresses appreciation for her family’s love and
attentiveness during her rehabilitation. “They are here
every morning and every evening,” she says.
A week before Molly’s discharge from Shepherd
Center, Mary anticipates that Molly will “blossom” even
more during her outpatient therapy at Shepherd Pathways. She is eager to get her home to be with family and
friends, while also connecting with a new community of
people at Pathways. “Shepherd does a wonderful job of
transferring people from one setting to another so that
when we get to Pathways, we will have already toured the
facility, met the staff, and we will feel comfortable about it
before Molly gets into the program. Once she gets there, I
know she’s going to do great.”
“Shepherd is really committed to treating the whole person, and that
has freed us up from having to worry because they make sure Molly
has what she needs physically, mentally, emotionally – all the therapies
that are critical to her healing. There aren’t any gaps, so we can sit
back and spend time with Molly and watch the miracles happen.”
— John Welch, father of ABI patient Molly Welch
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“This experience has made me a whole lot more appreciative of life, of Molly’s life, of our family as a unit, and it
also makes me extremely empathetic about other families
that go through this experience.”
music Therapy >
Music therapist Thomas Miller
introduces Molly and other patients to a
variety of music styles – blues, rock and
pop. To begin the session, Molly plays an
electronic drum set and sings the chorus
to “Ride Sally Ride.” Then Thomas
instructs Molly in playing a different
drum rhythm for “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
Next, Molly and her fellow patients do
some wheelchair dancing; Thomas asks
the patients to show him some moves.
Then Thomas instructs his students in
conducting an André Bocelli piece. All
of this activity is therapeutic – physically
and mentally for the patients.
< Molly's physician
“The staff and Molly’s physician, Dr. (Darryl)
Kaelin, who I can’t say enough good things
about, are very realistic about Molly’s prognosis,” says Molly’s mother, Mary Welch.
“This situation is a perfect example of
when you bring together a determined
patient, a supportive, loving family, and a
knowledgeable medical, nursing and therapy
staff,” says Dr. Kaelin, medical director of the
ABI Program. “Together, you can do great
things. Despite a severe brain injury, Molly
has proven that miracles happen at Shepherd
every day, although sometimes at God’s pace,
not ours. Molly will continue to improve over
the next several months.”
1 0 S p i na l c o l u mn
<
Recreational Therapy
Toward the end of Molly’s inpatient rehab, she
and recreational therapist Ashley Haynes go
on an outing to a nearby store. The excursion
gives Molly an opportunity to work on wheelchair mobility on unlevel surfaces, overall endurance, safety awareness, sequencing, following directions, memory and problem solving.
Molly struggles with organizing her thoughts
and remaining on task, so she follows a shopping list that Ashley provides. “The more we
complete tasks in the community, the more
comfortable Molly becomes,” Ashley says. “On
her first group outing, she experienced a bit of
stigma. Now, she is more focused on the task
and not her disability.”
<
To learn more
To find out more about Molly Welch’s brain injury rehabilitation
experience at Shepherd Center, go to www.shepherd.org/welch
to view a slide show and video clips.
following up <
Spinal Column featured “Seven Days” in the life of spinal cord injured
patient Ed Leatherman in the summer 2008 edition. If you missed it,
the magazine is available in PDF format at the Shepherd Center web
site at www.shepherd.org/publications. Additional video clips and a
slide show are available at www.shepherd.org/leatherman.
At the right, Ed Leatherman receives medication from nurse Erica
Garofalo, a member of Shepherd Center’s team of dedicated nurses.
Erica and other nurses play an important role in Ed’s rehabilitation
program. In addition to the routine duties of looking after the health
of patients, Shepherd nurses go above and beyond every day to assist
spinal cord injured patients. For instance, Erica accompanied Ed on
a fishing and hunting trip outside the Center in case any medical
emergencies arose during the outing.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 1 1
gaining
Strength
[
[
Wife of a soldier and mother returns to a healthy
lifestyle and new hopes for the future after sustaining
a spinal cord injury in a violent attack by burglars.
By John Christensen, Photos by Kristen Bartlett Grace
When Dawn Weiss was preparing to leave Shepherd Center in
the summer of 2007, she insisted on being fitted for a power wheelchair. Although she had once been, in her own words, “a huge
workout freak,” Dawn doubted she would ever have the strength
to propel a manual chair.
But in the year since she left Shepherd, she has used the chair exactly
once. “I use my manual chair all the time,” she says. “I do laps around
the neighborhood, and I’m gaining strength all the time.”
Indeed, the only time the power chair gets used is when the family goes for a ride around the neighborhood. Daughters Kayla, 10, and
Destyni, 7, ride their bikes. Dawn takes either her manual chair or her
scooter, and husband Mike, who doesn’t have a bike, uses the power chair.
This snapshot of classic Americana – with an Americans with Disabilities Act twist – speaks volumes about the progress Dawn and her
family have made since she was injured. And it hasn’t just been physical.
Until the spring of 2007, Dawn, 31, was the wife of a career soldier
whose deployments during their 12 years of marriage had taken him to
places like Alaska and Spain. Mike, 33, was stationed at Fort Eustis in
Newport News, Va., but was with his transportation unit in Kuwait.
Dawn, meanwhile, was training for a triathlon and studying to be
a radiology technician, as well as caring for the children. She was fit,
lean and proud, and as a symbol of her independence drove her Mustang convertible with the top down.
But when she and the children went to check on a house they were
watching for a friend in May, they had a terrifying encounter with
four young burglars. Dawn was shot several times, breaking both arms,
fracturing two vertebrae in her neck and leaving her paralyzed from
the chest down.
After being treated in Norfolk, Va., she was admitted to Shepherd
Center for three months of rehabilitation, and her spirits lifted
immediately.
“The first night, I called my mom,” she recalls. “I was so happy and
overwhelmed by the staff. Not that they weren’t nice where I’d been
before, but I was overjoyed to be at Shepherd.”
Former Shepherd Center spinal
cord injury patient Dawn Weiss
focuses on strength training in
the gym built by her father, a
building contractor, in her family’s
home in Ocala, Fla. Dawn spends
two or three hours a day there,
building her strength, often with
her husband’s assistance and
encouragement.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 1 3
“My mind was set on working as hard as I could to be as indepenAt Shepherd, she could swim only two laps. Now, she says: “I
dent as I could. And the staff was so awesome. They were always there
swim 30 or 45 minutes. I don’t even count the laps any more.”
to answer questions and talk to me when I was down or had flashEach week, she sets a new task and stays with it until she acbacks or things I was dealing with. The nurses were just there to talk
complishes it. She can now dress herself and cook. She can brush
with me. Little things like that make you feel so important.”
her teeth and open a bottle of water, something that defied her for
But Mike, who received a “compassionate reassignment” to Fort
weeks. She can also straighten and brush her hair, an accomplishMcPherson in Atlanta, arrived in a state of shock.
ment of which she is especially proud.
“It all goes back to ignorance,” Mike says. “If you don’t know a lot
“When I left Shepherd, a therapist worked with me on straightabout something, looking at it from the outside in, it seems hopeening my hair,” Dawn says. “But I would get so frustrated because
less. You see people’s despair, and it was amazing how well Shepherd
I couldn’t squeeze the straightener. I didn’t have the strength in my
Center teaches the family how to cope with it and teaches patients to
hands, and I started to feel like ‘Why try?’
live new lives.”
“But when we got home,
While Dawn underwent
I started working on it,
physical, occupational and
and now I’m able to do it.
recreational therapy, Mike
I guess anybody else would
learned to coach and assist her,
think nothing of it, but it
and the experience changed
was a huge thing for me.
him so profoundly he wants
I was like a kid in a candy
to become a physical therapist
store. Little things like that
when he leaves the Army.
even my girls wouldn’t have
“A whole new world opened
noticed before. But now
up,” he says. “The whole thing
they smile and they’re so
was a learning experience.
happy, and they want to tell
I learned so many things I
others that Mommy can
didn’t know – how a person
straighten her hair now.
can go from being straight“I’ve always told them
up paralyzed to start gaining
what my father taught me:
strength and getting feeling
If you put your mind to
back. It was phenomenal.”
it and work really hard at
Treatment completed, they
doing something, it’s OK
went to Ocala, Fla., to stay
if you don’t succeed. But if
with Dawn’s parents. Dawn’s
you failed and you didn’t
father, a building contracput 100 percent into it,
tor, built a gym in the garage
that’s not OK.”
that included a weight bench,
These little victories are of
weights, an exercise bicycle
more than passing imporand a machine that enables
tance because she may soon
her to stand up, like the ones
be on her own again. Mike’s
at Shepherd.
unit is on active duty at
She spends two or three
Ft. Eustis, and he could be
— Mike Weiss, husband of patient Dawn Weiss
hours a day in the gym. “I do
redeployed at any time.
different exercises and stretch“If he’s sent to Iraq, we
ing and pushups – girlie pushups – and I’ve gotten so much stronger,”
may stay here or get our own house near my family in case I need
she says. “At Shepherd, I was barely able to do two girlie pushups.
anything,” Dawn says. “But if he’s just going for a few weeks, we’ll
Now I’m up to 81 without stopping.”
probably go back to Virginia. I’ll have the girls to help me, but I
“She’s come a long way,” Mike says. “She’s up to 60 pounds on the
hope to have everything to where I can take care of myself. I can do
bench press, and she was doing 90 before she was shot. And she’s domy own catheters now, so I'm over halfway there.”
ing 20 pounds on the (dumbbell) flys. The other night, she lay on her
Still on her to-do list earlier this year were learning to get in and
belly and pushed over to her side. I had to place pillows around her so
out of the bathtub, getting into bed, putting her wheelchair in her car
she wouldn’t get pressure sores, but before she couldn’t do anything.”
and putting gas in the car. She also hopes to build up her strength so
She also has overcome her fear of swimming without flotation
she can use leg braces.
devices or Mike supporting her, and Dawn swims two or three times a
Their situation was eased considerably by an unexpected event this
week to maintain good cardiovascular fitness and strength.
past spring. Thanks to a letter Mike sent to the “Live with Regis and
“… it was amazing how well Shepherd
Center teaches the family how to
cope… and teaches patients to live
new lives.”
Previous Page: Dawn Weiss has returned to driving her Mustang convertible, which is now outfitted with hand controls. Above: Dawn Weiss and
her family enjoy riding around their neighborhood on bikes and scooters. Dawn, who was injured in spring 2007, is strong enough now to push
herself in a manual wheelchair.
Kelly” TV show, Dawn was one of four women featured on the program on the Friday before Mother's Day. The whole family was flown
to New York and told they were going to be given a week-long cruise,
but were shocked when they were also handed a check for $100,000.
“It was a complete surprise,” says Dawn, who sat in stunned silence
while the audience applauded. They’ve spent some of the money on a
modified van and tuition for Dawn’s schooling, and are saving the rest
toward building a home.
“Kelly told me during a commercial break that I should write a
book about my experiences,” Dawn says. “So I’m going to see if I can
find a publisher.”
Dawn and Mike have discovered that the experiences of the past
year and a half have reawakened them to the importance of family.
“My priorities have really changed,” Dawn says. “I’m still strongheaded and strong-willed, but I’m not as fast-paced as I was. I was
going to school and the gym a lot and didn’t spend as much time with
the kids as I should have. Now I choose to be slower-paced and do
more activities with the family.”
And when her spirits have flagged, Mike has been there to pick her
up. In some cases, literally. He braces her at awkward moments when
she is learning a new skill, and when they went to Disney World, he
picked her up and put her on rides that weren’t wheelchair accessible.
When she thought she’d never be able to go to the beach again, Mike
took her to Daytona Beach.
“Going to work or school, getting the kids ready for bed, getting
ready for the next day’s work,” Mike says, “you don’t realize how much
of a gap there is in your life in the normal, daily routine until something like this happens.
“I realized I wasn’t spending a lot of time with my family, and it
made me feel so left out. It sucks to have to learn it this way, but you
take what you have to learn and grow. We’re so much closer than we
ever were. There’s such a bond between us…. I can’t believe I didn't see
this sooner.
“We’ll see how it changes when I’m back on normal duty, but I’m not
going to put work first any more. Being at Shepherd Center gave us a
whole new vision of how life was going to be. Life gave us lemons, and
we’re making sweet lemonade.”
fa l l 2 0 0 8 1 5
es
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Left: Rafael Ibarra of
Atlanta is a member
of Shepherd Center’s
handcycling and wheelchair
racing teams. He won
gold and bronze medals
in wheelchair racing in the
1988 Paralympics
in Seoul.
Above: Shepherd
Center’s quad rugby team,
the Shepherd Smash, is
one of 12 sports teams
the hospital sponsors
for people with physical
disabilities.
Sports For
EVERYONE
Shepherd Center sponsors 12 sports teams for people with physical disabilities.
Matt Edens, sports teams coordinator at Shepherd Center,
doesn’t have to look at a list. In one breath, he can reel off all 12
sports teams Shepherd sponsors for people with physical disabilities – probably alphabetically, if that’s what you want.
“Quad rugby, wheelchair racing, swimming, men’s and women’s
basketball, power soccer, water skiing, fencing, softball, riflery, bass
fishing and hand cycling,” he recites. “That’s 12, right?”
Twelve it is. If you can think of a sport that Shepherd doesn’t
offer, that its patients might want, Matt sets out to make it happen.
In fact, Shepherd Center has the largest sports program for people
with physical disabilities in North America.
“This past year, we started a women’s basketball team and softball,” Matt notes. “Shepherd continues to be a leader in providing
disabled sports, especially newly formed or recognized ones.”
Providing a sports outlet for Shepherd patients serves multiple
purposes. For some, it helps them set long-term goals. For just
about everyone, the training required for any sport aids in their
rehabilitation and wellness.
by Bill Sanders
“What we do with our athletes ranges from those with a
love of sports and want to lead a healthy and active lifestyle to
those who want to make it to the Paralympics to everything in
between,” Matt explains.
Membership on a Shepherd sports team is open to athletes with
any type of a physical disability, as long as the disability falls within
the guidelines of the sport.
Athletes compete in local, regional, national and international
competitions. Regular practice sessions offer expert instruction, as
well as camaraderie and peer support.
More than 100 athletes participate in Shepherd’s team practices.
These athletes have won national and international competitions,
with several athletes holding world records. In addition, more than
20 athletes from Shepherd teams have qualified to represent the
United States in their sports during the past several Paralympic
Games, and several have won medals. Five athletes – fencers Mark
Calhoun, Benjy Williams and Nate Klein, swimmers Alice Lue
and Paralympic gold-medalist Curtis Lovejoy, and assistant quad
rugby coach Marty Fierson – competed at the games in Beijing in
September. (See sidebar article.)
Shepherd Center Athletes Compete in 2008 Paralympics
For Curtis, now 51, the Paralympics was another chance to
compete at the international level. In 2006, he won the men’s foil,
C category, at the World Wheelchair Fencing Championships in
Torino, Italy. Then two months later, he captured a gold medal
(150-meter individual medley) and two bronze medals (50-meter
and 100-meter freestyle) at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa.
Those medals, however, are only a small part of Curtis’ collection. By 2006, he held 11 world records, 14 American records and
14 Pan-American records in swimming. In that year alone, he won
18 gold, four silver and six bronze medals in swimming, setting one
new world record (a 4:21 time in the 150-meter individual medley).
Though he did not medal in Beijing, Curtis, who now has 12
world records, loved the experience and vowed to compete again
in the World Championships in 2010 and 2012.
“Not only is Curtis a tremendous swimmer, he is a role model for
our patients,” Matt says. “He has a great attitude and offers peer
support on a regular basis. His work ethic is not matched by anyone. Every day he is in the pool or in the ProMotion gym for hours.
“Shepherd Center and I are proud that Shepherd athletes
represented our country in the Paralympics,” Matt adds. “All five
have dedicated themselves to this goal and were ready to face
the challenges of the 2008 Paralympics.” — Bill Sanders
ek
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Another record-setting Shepherd athlete is wheelchair racer and
handcyclist Rafael Ibarra of Atlanta. He represented the United
States in wheelchair racing at the Paralympics in Seoul in 1988,
where he won a gold medal in the 800-meter competition and
bronze medals in both the 4 X 100-meter relay and the marathon.
“The sports programs at Shepherd help me maintain my overall
fitness level, which translates to feeling better, performing at my
peak on my job and, most importantly, keeping up with my very
active 10-year-old son, Evan,” Rafael says. “The sports teams give
me an outlet and an opportunity to travel and compete in both
wheelchair racing and handbiking competitions. I would say that
the Shepherd sports program is an integral part of my life.”
For some Shepherd athletes, staying physically
active doesn’t involve competition. Sports can just
help people return to the things they love to
do, Matt adds.
Right: Shepherd Center
athlete and Paralympic
For more information about becoming
gold medalist Curtis Lovejoy
an athlete, or to sponsor the sports team
of Atlanta practices in the
program, call Matt at 404-367-1287 or
hospital’s pool in July. He was
focused on earning his 13th
email him at [email protected].
Right: Benjy Williams,
left, of Bethlehem, Ga.,
and Mark Calhoun, of
Bremen, Ga., pause
during a summertime
fencing team practice at
Shepherd Center. Both
competed in their first
Paralympic Games in
September.
Ph
oto
Shepherd Center had five more reasons to be proud this
September as four athletes and one coach from its sports teams
competed in the 2008 Paralympics Games in Beijing, China.
Benjy Williams, of Bethlehem, Ga., and Mark Calhoun, of
Bremen, Ga., competed in fencing events while world-record
holder and gold medalist Curtis Lovejoy of Atlanta competed
in swimming along with Alice Luo of Marietta, Ga. Meanwhile,
Shepherd’s assistant quad rugby coach Marty Fierson of Eagle
Sports Chairs served as an assistant coach for the USA quad
rugby team, which won a gold medal in Beijing. For complete
results, see http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/.
Neither Benjy nor Mark had competed before at this level,
though both have been training and competing worldwide this
year.“I expect it to be very tough because the international fencers practice very hard, and they are good,” Benjy said before
the Paralympics.
Mark has been fencing for several years under Shepherd’s current fencing coach, Julio Diaz. “Benjy learned fencing a few years
back at Shepherd’s All Sports Camp,” says Shepherd sports
teams coordinator Matt Edens. “He was introduced to it, joined
the team and just a short time later was a Paralympian. It takes
hard work and determination. All of these athletes competed
throughout the year and were chosen for their respective teams.”
world record in swimming in the
Paralympic Games in Beijing
in September 2008
fa l l 2 0 0 8 1 7
Shepherd Pain Institute
delivers successful results
with a holistic approach to
the treatment of pain.
Photo by Gary Meek
By John Christensen
from
Painful to
Pleasant
When Judy Martin of Atlanta made her first visit to
the Dean Stroud Pain Institute at Shepherd Center, she
was no stranger to pain. The 70-year-old housewife had
lived with chronic pain for six years following a surgery
to fuse three spinal vertebrae. The debilitating pain she
experienced limited her ability to perform ordinary daily
tasks and prevented her from participating in many of the
activities she enjoys.
“I was on pain medication all the time,” Judy says. “It wasn’t
just that it hurt at night; if I sat for a long time, it hurt….
“I couldn’t even bend over to put on shoes,” she adds. “The
quality of my life went downhill fast. I was an avid tennis
player, and when the doctor said I had to quit playing, I was
beside myself.”
Before visiting the Shepherd Pain Institute (SPI), Judy had
tried a variety of treatments and therapies. But none delivered
the results she needed, which led her to seek treatment with
Dr. Bert Blackwell, the medical director at SPI.
Using the latest imaging technology, Dr. Blackwell
identified the source of Judy’s pain and diagnosed facet joint
syndrome. It is an arthritic condition that leads to the deterioration of the facet joints, which stabilize the spine and limit
excessive motion. Facet joint syndrome occurs when the joints
become stressed and damaged, which can occur from everyday
wear and tear, injury or degeneration of intervertebral discs. As
the condition progresses, the joints become swollen and stiff,
resulting in pain in different areas of the body, depending on
which joints are affected.
Judy’s treatment began with a facet joint block injection.
The fluoroscope-guided procedure delivers a combination of
numbing anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroid medication
directly to the joint through a thin needle. Following the successful block, Judy experienced immediate relief.
“We learned to look at the whole person. The buzzword now is
‘multidisciplinary.’ If you’re not looking at the whole person, the
results are not as good, and research shows that.” — Dr. Bert Blackwell
“Dr. Blackwell is absolutely one of my favorites because he’s not
one who starts you with a shot,” Maxine explains. “I like that he tried
acupuncture and looks at different ways to treat you. He’s open to
other possibilities.”
Dr. Blackwell explains: “That was part of our fellowship training.
We learned to look at the whole person. The buzzword now is ‘multidisciplinary.’ If you’re not looking at the whole person, the results are
not as good, and research shows that.”
That is why medical massage and yoga are also found in what Dr.
Blackwell calls “our toolbox.” Maxine says of her yoga therapy: “It is
one of the best things I’ve ever gotten into. I go to classes three times a
week and do some at home, too.
“I’m really at a good place,” she says. “I still have a little pain, but
overall my life is so good. And I’m so glad we have the knowledge and
treatments that we have now instead of 100 years ago.”
For more information, see www.shepherdpaininstitute.org.
Photo by Leita Cowart
“I felt pretty darn good right away," Judy says. “I was so pleased, I
could have skipped out of there.”
Dr. Blackwell and Dr. Erik Shaw at the Pain Institute treat more
than a dozen kinds of pain, including arthritis, back and neck pain,
spinal stenosis, myofascial pain syndrome, sciatica and cancer-related pain. Clinical psychologist Urszula Klich, Ph.D., and physical
therapist Chris Nesbitt are also part of the treatment team.
“One of the things I really like about pain medicine,” Dr. Blackwell
says, “is that we can help cancer patients. Most people think that
because they’ve got cancer, it’s supposed to hurt, but that’s not true.”
Treatment at the Institute begins with diagnosis and moves to
intervention and rehabilitation. Treatments range from epidural
injections, nerve blocks and trigger-point injections to radiofrequency treatments and implantation of spinal cord stimulators or
intrathecal pumps.
“Many things we see are not curable, but they are treatable,” Dr.
Blackwell says. “We start with the least invasive treatment possible
and move forward with a treatment plan specifically designed for
each individual.”
Treating pain involves what Dr. Blackwell calls “the art of medicine.” What may appear to be a pinched nerve, for example, may
not respond to a nerve block or local anesthetic. So then he explores
other options for treatment.
The staff at Shepherd Pain Institute uses a team approach, which
includes doctors, nurses, physical therapists and the patient. Also
part of the team are a psychologist, who treats the psychological
coping aspects of chronic pain, and a case manager, who guides
patients through the treatment process to ensure that each patient
receives the best possible care.
In Judy Martin’s case, Dr. Blackwell referred her to the clinic’s
physical therapist, Chris Nesbitt, who created an at-home exercise
regimen designed for Judy’s long-term improvement.
“I enjoyed working with Chris tremendously,” Judy says. “He was
very knowledgeable and so friendly, and I saw how he treated others,
too. I’m so glad I went there.”
So is Maxine Parrish, 70, an Atlanta artist and gardener who has
degenerative disc disease, a weakening of the vertebral discs that act
as cushions between the vertebrae.
“I was having a good bit of pain working in the garden, and I
couldn’t hold a brush to paint,” Maxine says.
Maxine was treated with an injection that offers pain relief for six
to nine months. Her treatment plan, which also included acupuncture, did not end there, though. She has participated in therapeutic
yoga for more than a year.
Previous Page: Shepherd Pain Institute medical director Dr. Bert
Blackwell discusses pain treatment procedures with patient Judy Martin
of Atlanta. Above: Drs. Bert Blackwell, left, and Erik Shaw diagnose and
treat more than a dozen kinds of pain in the Shepherd Pain Institute.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 1 9
fifty&
GROWING
NeuroRecovery Network at Shepherd Center
celebrates success. By Cathy Holleman
After a bad fall from a stunt she was doing before gymnastics
practice left Clara Brown mostly paralyzed below her shoulders, the
spunky 12-year-old from Falmouth, Maine, always believed she would
walk again one day.
What surprised her was how quickly her belief would turn into reality:
Within two months of her accident, she was starting to walk and run on her
own. Clara believes the therapy she received as a participant in the
NeuroRecovery Network (NRN) at Shepherd Center made the difference
in her rapid recovery.
“Shortly after starting the NRN program, I noticed a big improvement
in my balance, and I regained more movement in my legs,” Clara recalls. “I
knew I would walk again when I started my treatment at Shepherd, but I
didn’t realize I’d make this much progress in such a short amount of time.”
After going home for a few weeks to finish seventh grade, Clara returned
to Shepherd for more NRN therapy to improve her gait pattern and stamina
enough so she might be able to compete in cross country running and track
at her middle school. It’s a big goal, but she thinks she will achieve it and is
grateful to the NRN program and staff for helping her.
Clara is one of a growing number of people who have achieved successful results through the NRN, which, among other things, provides a special
outpatient locomotor training program for people with spinal
cord injuries. Shepherd joined the NRN in January 2006, and
the program has been on a steady increase ever since. In May
2008, the Center celebrated the enrollment of its 50th NRN
participant, and it continues to treat a full schedule of seven
individuals every weekday.
“We’ve seen very positive results with nearly every person
we’ve worked with,” says Sarah Morrison, a physical therapist
and program director for Shepherd’s Spinal Cord Injury Program. “NRN participants are progressing more quickly in their
recoveries, and more of them are relearning to walk on their own
or with fewer assistive devices.”
The NRN is a partnership of the Christopher and Dana
Reeve Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and seven of the nation’s leading rehabilitation centers, including Shepherd Center. The network is using locomotor training to help people with motor-incomplete spinal cord
injuries regain functional recovery and improve their overall
health. Locomotor training involves repetitive stepping exercises
with body-weight support on a moving treadmill. Most people
undergo an average of 40 NRN therapy sessions.
“Outcome scores for many NRN participants show substantial improvements in balance and walking,” says Leslie VanHiel,
clinical supervisor of locomotor training at Shepherd. “This
training also provides a vigorous cardiovascular workout that
increases strength, stamina and physical condition. Even when
walking skills aren’t regained, participants often are better able
to perform daily tasks such as sitting with better balance and
getting in and out of bed.”
Charlene Caswell of Harriman, Tenn., believes the NRN
program played a key role in her successful recovery following a
C6 spinal cord injury in early 2006. When she arrived at Shepherd, Charlene was unable to move below her shoulders, and
her blood pressure was high. Following inpatient treatment, she
completed a rigorous regimen of outpatient therapy and NRN
locomotor training.
“This therapy improved my stamina, lowered my blood pressure and restarted movement in my arms and legs,” Charlene
explains. “Locomotor training was great because it felt normal to
be up and moving again, and it made me want to work hard to
get better.” By the time she left the program, Charlene no longer
needed a wheelchair. Today she walks without assistance most of
the time and only uses a cane in unfamiliar places.
“People have achieved tremendous results through the NRN,”
Sarah says. “We’re very pleased with the growth and development
of this program, which is advancing the field of spinal cord injury
rehabilitation.”
For more information, see www.shepherd.org/NRN.
Above: Within two months of her accident, Clara Brown, 12, of
Falmouth, Maine, was starting to walk and run on her own. She
and her family believe the therapy she received as a participant in
the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN) at Shepherd Center made the
difference in her rapid recovery.
{
Q&A
{
ask the Doc
Shepherd Center physicians answer medical questions from patients and family members.
Q: W
hat is the difference between a complete and an
incomplete spinal cord injury?
Q: W
hat are some of the newer medications available to
treat multiple sclerosis?
A: T
o understand the difference between a complete and an
incomplete spinal cord injury, we need to use the impairment scale of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA),
an organization to which many Shepherd clinicians belong. ASIA A = complete. No sensory or motor function is
preserved in the sacral segments (S4-S5, the lowest nerve
segments). ASIA B = incomplete. Sensory, but not motor function is preserved below the neurological level and
includes the sacral segments. ASIA C = incomplete. Motor
function is preserved below the neurological level, and more
than half of the key muscles below the neurological level
have a muscle grade of 0, 1 or 2. ASIA D = incomplete. Motor function is preserved below the neurological level, and
at least half of the key muscles below the neurological level
have a muscle grade of 3, 4 or 5. ASIA E = normal. Sensory
and motor functions are normal. — Dr. Donald Peck Leslie
A: T
he past 15 years have seen significant advances in our
ability to slow the progression of MS. There are several
currently approved therapies, including Avonex, Betaseron,
rebif, Copaxone, Novantrone and Tysabri. While these
drugs are effective for many, potentially better options are
on the horizon. Several different oral medications are in
testing. Cladribine, FTY 720, Fingolimod, BG00012, and
laquinamod all offer the possibility that people with MS
may not have to use injectable medications in the future.
Some of our IV therapies in research would offer significant
convenience as well. Rituximab, ocrelizumab and
alemtuzumab are given at most twice a year by IV infusion.
Finally, several vaccines are in testing. These therapies
actually use natural immune responses to tone down the
immune attack seen with MS. — Dr. Ben Thrower
Q: W
hat is the recovery timeframe after an acquired
brain injury?
A: T
raumatic brain injury can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. Individuals with milder forms of brain injury
generally recover from most of their symptoms within
one month and usually all of their symptoms within three
months. Those with persistent symptoms would be classified as having more complex forms of traumatic brain injury. As a rule, moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries
heal in three phases. Physical recovery, including strength
and balance, show most of their recovery in the first three
to six months. The majority of cognitive (thinking) recovery
happens in six to nine months, but some improvements
may be seen for up to 18 months. Language deficits are
the slowest to improve. Communication skills may continue
to improve for 12 to 18 months after brain injury. Of course,
these are general guidelines. Every individual shows recovery at his or her own rate. — Dr. Darryl Kaelin
Submit your questions for “Ask-the-Doc”
to Spinal Column editor Jane Sanders
at [email protected] or via
fax at 404-350-3145.
contributors
Dr. Darryl
Kaelin, medical
director of the
Acquired Brain
Injury Program at
Shepherd Center
Dr. Donald Peck
Leslie, medical
director of
Shepherd
Center
Dr. Ben Thrower,
medical director
of the Andrew C.
Carlos Multiple
Sclerosis Institute
at Shepherd Center
fa l l 2 0 0 8 2 1
{{
{
By Bill Sanders
Quad writes and performs
music as he draws upon a
blossoming romance.
ons him. The girlfriend beside him encourages him. And the
hope that his best days are ahead of him inspires him.
Greg’s tale of injury, rehabilitation and then getting on with life
isn’t textbook. The 44-year-old Marietta, Ga., resident injured his
spinal cord at the C4 level in 1991 when he fell off his deck and hit
his head on an air conditioning unit. For 15 years before the injury,
Greg had been working the Atlanta area as a professional guitarist.
He spent five months at Shepherd Center rehabilitating from
his injury and learning about life in a wheelchair. But to say he left
Shepherd and picked up where he left off on his career in music
would be untrue.
“The people at Shepherd were great and got me through it,” Greg
says. “But I didn’t learn a thing musically for five years (after being injured). I met a group of guys with the band Van Gough and I started
learning how to program music my way. I sing into a computer and
I’ve learned to play the harmonica. Now, we go and play at an ‘open
mic’ night at a place called Brewster’s three Tuesdays out of four.”
“Make that four out of four,” says Greg’s girlfriend and caretaker,
Tracey Holt. “OK, usually four out of four,” Greg admits.
With a thin, straw-like rod, Greg strokes the keys on his computer keyboard, programming sounds and writing songs. And with
a C-clamp holder attached to a tray on his wheelchair, he plays the
harmonica.
“I used to wear it around my neck, but I could only do that for so
long,” Greg explains. “Now I can play it without getting tired.”
Greg’s musical style is somewhat bluesy, somewhat southern rock.
He writes gospel music and, sometimes, pure folk. He cites the Blues
Travelers, Mick Jagger and Robert Plant as some of his favorite
musicians – all accomplished harmonica players.
Greg recorded four CDs – the last one five years ago. That kind
of long layoff hasn’t been good for him, he says, and he plans to
remedy it soon, especially since he has more to sing about now than
he has in a while.
Greg and Tracey had been friends when they were younger. But she
left Georgia in 1987, and the two lost touch. Mutual friends helped
them reconnect in 2007 – after more than 20 years.
“We’re in a loving relationship now,” Greg says.
“I love him more than anything,” Tracey quickly adds.
That love has helped him recover from an 18-month-long battle to
heal from a pressure sore. Tracey, now Greg’s vigilant caregiver, keeps
a watchful eye to prevent a recurrence. She encourages him to stay
actively engaged with songwriting and performing.
“Learning to create music again is more fulfilling than I could have
ever imagined,” Greg says. “Losing my independence and the ability
to create what I could do was the hardest part of being injured…. But
I have my faith in God, and that has helped me get through this.”
He calls the past year his most eventful since being injured – challenging because of the skin problems, but fulfilling because Tracey
returned to his life.
Tracey gushes when talking about Greg: “He knows so much about
music. He knows the words to every song there is – every one of them.”
In addition to the blessing of Tracey in his life, Greg notes that he has
recovered more movement in his right arm than most C4 quadriplegics.
“I can drive my chair with my arm about 50 percent of the time,”
Greg says. “And I have better lung capacity than most C4s, and that
gives my voice more power. I can go to Brewster’s and sing four or five
songs every week. In that way, I’m very blessed.”
The music studio in the back of Greg Harry’s home beck-
Above: Former Shepherd Center spinal cord injury patient Greg Harry of
Marietta, Ga., writes songs and plays the harmonica in his music studio at
home. His musical style is somewhat bluesy, somewhat southern rock.
{ Research {
The Next Frontier
{
By Sara Baxter
For the first time since he was a
toddler, 30-year-old Don Pollard of Atlanta
has a real chance to breathe on his own.
Don is one of eight spinal cord injury or
disease patients at Shepherd Center who
participated in a clinical study testing the
effectiveness of an implanted medical device
Dr. Keith Tansey
that stimulates breathing in ventilator-dependent people. The device, called a diaphragm pacing stimulation (DPS)
system, has “already given me a lot more independence and a lot more
confidence,” Don says.
Don’s response is the kind of result that Shepherd wants to replicate
in its research program for spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Already,
clinical research at Shepherd represents a wellspring of new potential
therapies. Indeed, the Center is consistently sought out by outside
scientific researchers developing next-generation treatments.
Now, Shepherd wants to build on its clinical research activity for
SCI patients by being the point of origin for new studies.
“In addition to being the place where other researchers’ ideas are
carried out, we also want to be the place where important new ideas are
created,” says Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D., Shepherd’s director of spinal
cord injury research. “We’ll take what we’ve learned in animal studies
and apply it to humans.”
One area of great interest to Dr. Tansey and others at Shepherd is
neural plasticity – mechanisms by which the nervous system learns to
adapt to new conditions, including injury.
“After a nervous system injury, the remaining nerve cells and neuronal circuits have to adapt and adjust how they function with each
other to recover abilities that were lost with the injury,” Dr. Tansey
explains. “We can use training, medication and electrical stimulation
to shape or direct this learning process. We’re retraining, if not yet
repairing, the nervous system, which means we’re working to get better
functioning out of what remains.”
The approach is in keeping with the trend that began at Shepherd
several years ago – initially leading the field in care research to now
pursuing restorative therapies that could lead to functional recovery.
Locomotor training, in which patients are suspended over a treadmill
while a therapist or robotic device moves their legs to simulate walking,
is one example. In transmitting sensory information to the spinal cord
on stepping, joint positions and weight distribution, the locomotor experience can “retrain” the spinal cord and remaining connections within
the brain in gait and stepping movements.
Photos by Leita Cowart
Research in Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Program ventures into
promising new territory – cure-centered discovery.
Above: Don Pollard of Atlanta is one of eight spinal cord injury patients
at Shepherd Center who participated in a clinical study testing the
effectiveness of an implanted medical device that stimulates breathing in
ventilator-dependent people. He’s pictured here with associate medical
director Dr. Brock Bowman and researcher Michelle Nemeth.
While locomotor training has helped people with incomplete injuries, such retraining isn’t enough for patients with complete injuries.
So, Dr. Tansey wants to determine whether direct electrical stimulation or drugs can activate stepping in animal models of complete
injury. If so, such therapy could help people with complete injuries
recover certain functions. The same could be true for tetraplegics, who
have paralysis in both their upper and lower bodies.
“If you ask tetraplegic patients what they want most, they will
likely tell you that they wish to regain use of their arms and hands,”
Dr. Tansey notes. “Neural plasticity may well help accomplish this, but
not a lot of study has been done in this area.”
Collaboration with other institutions is key to achieving Shepherd’s
goals. Dr. Tansey, who joined Shepherd in March 2008 from the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, also conducts
animal studies at Emory University in Atlanta, and his work there has
great significance for his Shepherd-based studies. Projects are also in
the works with the Georgia Institute of Technology and the
University of Georgia.
“With Shepherd’s expanded research focus, we are poised to have a
better tie to the basic science research community,” Dr. Tansey adds.
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{{{SHEPHERDALUMS{
By sara baxter
Jeremy and Kate Baker
Jeremy Baker remembers those first days
and weeks after falling 14 feet from a ladder.
Paralyzed from the waist down while putting up roof rafters, the 27-year-old Waterford,
Maine, resident was taken to Central Maine
Medical Center. Jeremy was the youngest
patient in the ward by about 30 years, and he
began to feel depressed, he recalls.
That changed after Jeremy was transferred
to Shepherd Center and began meeting other
patients. “I had a change of heart, being around
people my own age,” he recalls. “I saw I wasn’t
the only one in this position. I learned a lot that
I don’t think I would’ve learned elsewhere. And
when I left Shepherd, I felt a lot more confident.”
After eight weeks at Shepherd, Jeremy
returned home. And about a month later, on
Sept. 1, 2007, he married his girlfriend, Kate,
as he had been planning to do.
Unable to return to his job as a land surveyor for commercial properties, Jeremy has since
focused on adjusting to life in a wheelchair. He
learned how to sit ski this past winter and has
spent a lot of time riding a snowmobile. And
though he’s enjoying learning new activities
and adapting old ones, he admits he’s “still trying to figure stuff out.”
This fall, Jeremy will start classes at Central
Maine Community College, where he thinks
he’ll pursue something in the engineering
field. He’ll start by taking classes in computer-aided design. “I really like to build things,”
Jeremy says. “I think I’d like to be a civil
engineer, helping to design and build roads and
subdivisions.”
Not many people would choose to spend
vacation time doing rehabilitation. But anytime Amy Ewing, of Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.,
has a break from her studies at Adelphi University, she heads south to Shepherd Center.
“It’s good for me both mentally and physically,” Amy says. “I get an emotional boost
when I come back to Shepherd. They give
me the positive energy I need.”
Amy first
came to Shepherd in 2005
after sustaining an
incomplete C-5
spinal cord injury
in a diving accident. She spent
several months in
Amy Ewing
the day program
and returns for both regular therapy and the
more rigorous Beyond Therapy program. “I
use the resources at Shepherd as much as I
can,” she says. “There’s always something I
can work on.”
While her outgoing personality and upbeat attitude have earned her many friends,
one companion stands out – her service
dog, Rebel. Trained to help with simple
tasks such as pushing elevator buttons and
turning off lights, Rebel accompanies Amy
everywhere. He can even pull the covers up
for her.
Rebel is also the “big dog on campus” at
Adelphi, where Amy is a junior studying
political science and environmental studies.
Amy commutes to Adelphi from her family’s
home, and she hopes to someday play a role
in shaping environmental policy.
And when she’s not in school or at
Shepherd, Amy has two passions: sailing
on nearby Long Island Sound and watching the New York Mets with her father.
When Vincent Marotta awakened from
a six-week coma and saw his girlfriend,
Dwan, standing over him, he made a lifechanging decision. He would ask her to
marry him.
A few weeks later, while recovering at
Shepherd Center, he proposed. They’ve
now been married for three years.
It’s been quite a journey for Vincent, of
Signal Mountain, Tenn., since he sustained
a brain injury in a car accident in 2003.
The wheel and axle flew off an 18-wheeler,
crushing Vincent’s car and turning it into
what he calls “an instant convertible.” He
spent one month in Shepherd as an inpatient and received outpatient therapy for
another six months.
“I had to learn how to walk again and do
everyday things, like eating and dressing
myself,” Vincent says. He credits the staff
at Shepherd with pushing him to relearn
basic activities.
While the brain injury prevented Vincent from returning to his job as a branch
manager for Enterprise Car Rental, he
found something else to do with his time.
He dusted off a children’s book manuscript he’d written several years earlier and
made it a goal to get it published. Called
Vincent and Dwan Marotta
“The Rhino Express,” the book tells the
story of several wild animals in Africa that
pool their individual strengths to solve a
problem. He worked for a little more than
a year to find a publisher, and he says the
book has been a success.
These days, Vincent is a self-titled “house
husband,” keeping up with the cooking and
other household chores while wife Dwan
works as a nurse. “She’s a great source of support for me,” Vincent says. “I know I made
the right decision to marry her.”
*Vincent’s book, “The Rhino Express,” is available for $11
online at www.trafford.com or amazon.com.
More than a year
after a highway accident, Mike Patrick
is back in the kitchen.
And for that, many
people are happy.
“I love to cook,”
Mike says. “I can
cook anything. In
fact, I really should’ve
Mike Patrick
been a chef.”
Mike was working as a driver delivering
auto parts when a semi-trailer truck collided with his delivery truck in March 2007.
The accident left him with a T-9 spinal cord
injury, as well as a brain injury, and he spent
several weeks in Atlanta’s Grady Memorial
Hospital before moving to Shepherd Center.
“I’m lucky to be alive,” he says.
It was during his months of recovery at
Shepherd that Mike made a dish of beef stroganoff for his therapy team. The aroma of the
dish, he recalls, “had people running to the
kitchen.” He prepared more dishes for Shepherd staff as he continued his rehabilitation.
“Shepherd gave me everything I needed
to recover,” he says. “With their therapy, plus
sheer determination and a positive attitude, I
worked hard to get as much strength back as
possible.” Mike also credits his two teenage
sons, Michael and Ryan, for keeping him going during his rehabilitation. His recovery is
progressing well: Though still in a wheelchair,
he has been able to walk short distances with
the aid of a walker.
Today, Mike lives in an apartment near
Shepherd, where he continues to work his
magic in the kitchen. He’s teaching one of
his caregivers, who comes from Jamaica,
how to cook southern dishes. And he also
prepares meals for Michael and Ryan. “Their
favorite dish is ham, biscuits and hash
browns,” he says.
Roger Ramsey remembers perfectly the moment he first heard about Shepherd Center.
It was April 2005, and he and his wife,
Charlene Ramsey, had been in a car accident in Tennessee. The couple was returning
home to Perrysburg, Ohio, from a trip to
Florida. Charlene was airlifted to Erlanger
Medical Center in Chattanooga.
After Roger received the news that Charlene was a quadriplegic and would be on a
ventilator the rest of her life, he asked the doctor what resources were available. That’s when
the doctor told him about Shepherd Center.
“Shepherd was a ‘house of God,’” Roger says.
“We were so blessed to be there. We wouldn’t
be where we are today without them.”
Charlene was at Shepherd for two months.
It was there that Roger learned to care for his
wife, and after a bad experience with a caregiver, he has been doing it exclusively for the
past three years. “I do everything myself,” he
says. “I’m her doctor, nurse and physical therapist.” Always looking out for his wife, Roger
also tracks the latest advances in research and
treatment for quadriplegics.
Charlene and Roger Ramsey
Nowadays, Charlene enjoys listening to
books on tape and spending time with her
two grandchildren. They also travel between
homes in Perrysburg, Pine Island, Fla., and
Middle Bass Island on Lake Erie. Roger
has made sure each home is outfitted with
the equipment Charlene needs. “We still do
everything we used to do – travel, go out to
dinner, socialize with friends,” Roger says.
“We just do things in moderation.”
Hannah Saucier, of Rutherfordton, N.C.,
is a typical 13-year-old girl. She loves listening to music, playing on the computer and
going to the mall with her friends to buy
clothes. She’s outgoing, energetic and a real
achiever. And the fact that she’s been in a
Hannah Saucier
wheelchair for the past year hasn’t slowed her
down at all.
After a diving accident in June 2007 left
her paralyzed from the waist down, Hannah
came to Shepherd Center, where she spent
four months in inpatient and day program
therapy. In November, she returned home
and resumed seventh grade at Thomas
Jefferson Classical Academy.
“I got adjusted quickly and had no
problems going back,” Hannah says, adding
that supportive friends helped her make the
transition (and continue to help her whenever she needs it). In the spring, she was able
to join her class on a trip to Washington,
D.C. – something she and her family weren’t
sure she’d be able to do.
Her favorite subject in school is math, and
her proficiency in the subject is clear: She’s a
grade level ahead of her classmates. Hannah
also loves to paint pottery – something she
says she does almost once a week – and now
has an impressive collection of her own creation of plates and mugs. She keeps active by
swimming and playing on the Nintendo Wii,
and her favorite games are jet skiing, tennis,
bowling, snowboarding and pool.
Hannah started eighth grade this fall.
While her studies are sure to keep her busy
– she’s in a ninth grade math class – she says
she’d like to add a new skill to her list: joining
the debate team.
What’s New?
We want to stay current on any personal
or professional news in your life. Send
us an update and a photo (we’ll return it
to you): Jane Sanders, Spinal Column
Magazine, 2020 Peachtree Rd., N.W.,
Atlanta, GA, 30309. You can also e-mail
us at [email protected].
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FOUNDATION
Features
Volunteer Profile:
Ted Harrison
Photo by Gary Meek
By Julie Washburn Souza
The life of successful father and businessman Ted Harrison of Atlanta dramatically changed in 2003 when he suffered a right-side stroke while driving. Ted remembers little about the accident, but was told later that he hit four cars after his stroke
and was treated at Northside Hospital before being transferred to Shepherd Center’s
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Unit for rehabilitation.
After leaving Shepherd Center, Ted received outpatient therapy at Shepherd
Pathways for several months. He suffered from severe memory and speech problems.
During his time at Pathways, Ted had to learn to communicate again and to cope
with the effects of his injury.
“I was extremely angry for a long time, which I know now is typical with this type
of injury,” Ted says. “I was disoriented and didn’t understand what had happened. I
came from running a company with 160 employees to being in a place where I didn’t
know anybody and being told what to do by people I didn’t know.”
Ted still has short-term memory problems and considers his recovery ongoing,
but is now living a happy, normal life. Now, years after the accident, he still remembers the difficulty of his initial recovery. Less than two years after his discharge
from Pathways, Ted started volunteering at the facility to share his experience and
encourage others going through the same ordeal.
Ted goes to Pathways two days a week to offer support to many of the recovering patients there. He sits in on some of the patient classes at the facility and
visits during lunch to be a friend and mentor and to speak with anyone in need
of encouragement. He has made some lasting
friends through volunteering and enjoys providing patients and caregivers with additional hope
I think it means more
through his experience, he says.
when it comes from
“I tell people that brain injuries take time to
heal,”
Ted says. “I know they’ve heard it before,
someone who’s
but I think it means more when it comes from
been there and is
someone who’s been there and is still recoverstill recovering.
ing. It helps me just as much as it helps them.
I know I get more out of it than I give to it. I
— Ted Harrison
need this, too.”
Ted also goes to Spring Creek, a Shepherd
Center supported living home for ABI patients. He enjoys spending time with the
patients there, sharing his experiences and playing card games.
Shepherd Center’s new volunteer manager, Jackie Gehner, appreciates all the work
Less than two years after his discharge from
volunteers like Ted do. Even after patients are discharged from Shepherd Center, it is
Shepherd Pathways, former brain injury patient
important for them to get support from former patients, she notes.
Ted Harrison of Atlanta started volunteering at the
“It’s great to have volunteers at Pathways who can provide support during patients’
facility to share his experience and encourage
transitions
back into the real world,” Jackie says.
others going through the same ordeal.
Brain Injury Survivors Volunteer in
By Julie Washburn Souza
Each week, brain injury survivors offer hope, support and
encouragement to Shepherd Center patients and families through
the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program sponsored by the Brain Injury
Association of Georgia (BIAG).
Volunteers with the program are people who have recovered from
a brain injury – and sometimes their family members or caregivers –
who want to provide a source of hope to the newly injured.
Program founder Ann Boriskie sustained a brain injury after a
severe car accident in 1998, but she wasn’t diagnosed with a brain
injury until a year later. Apart from multiple, serious physical injuries
and depression, Ann found she had trouble remembering things
and had difficulty doing simple tasks, such as driving and dialing a
telephone number. Before the accident, she had lived a busy, active
life, but much of that had changed. She could no longer do all of the
things she did before the accident, and she was grieving over the loss
of her former life.
Ann remembers feeling completely alone through her diagnosis
and recovery. She heard about the American Stroke Association’s Peer
Visitor Program and wanted to do something similar to help people
with brain injuries. “When I went through this, I had no one,” Ann
says. “It became my mission to help others going through the same
ordeal. It’s what kept me going.”
Ann modeled the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program after the
American Stroke Association’s peer program for stroke patients and
their families. The brain injury program was launched in 2006, and
Ann became the official coordinator for it in 2007.
Trained volunteers, who have recovered from brain injuries and are
now living productive lives, visit patients at Shepherd Center and other
metro Atlanta hospitals. They lend a sympathetic ear, offer hope and
encouragement, and help patients and caregivers with any questions.
The volunteers model how other survivors have recovered and have
learned to cope with remaining difficulties from their injuries. They also
distribute packets of information and helpful resources.
“It’s very common for caregivers and patients to become discouraged
and depressed,” Ann says. “We’re there to show people that we have
been through similar tragedies and that we have gotten better and are
leading good lives. We can provide real-life success stories.”
Peer visitors with the program speak to patients and families
shortly after their injuries. They also lend support to people who are
struggling with the long-term effects of a brain injury.
Photo by Jane M. Sanders
Peer Visitor Program
Above: Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program
volunteers, including Dee Houchins, left, and
Diane Quimby, visit brain injury patients and
their families at Shepherd Center and Shepherd Pathways and provide
them with packets of helpful information and resources. Inset: Former
brain injury patient Ann Boriskie modeled the Brain Injury Association of
Georgia’s Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program after the American Stroke
Association’s peer program for stroke patients and their families.
Diane Quimby is a long-time volunteer with the program. She
sustained a brain injury in 2004 in a car accident and was a patient at
both Shepherd Center and Shepherd Pathways. Her recovery continues,
and she and her family wish the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program had
existed after her injury.
“I have found that patients and families just need the opportunity
to hope,” Diane says. “I think the greatest thing the Brain Injury Peer
Visitor Program does is give people hope. People tell you that you’ll get
better, but when you meet someone who has traveled that road already,
it means so much more.”
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FOUNDATION
Employee
Giving
Programs
Employees at Atlanta area businesses give to Shepherd Center.
By James Panter
Each year, Shepherd Center
staff members and volunteers
demonstrate their devotion
to the hospital’s mission by
generously donating through
employee giving programs.
Similarly, throughout metro
Atlanta, employees of several
organizations show this
same devotion by regularly
donating money from their
hard-earned paychecks to
help Shepherd provide the
best possible rehabilitation
environment for patients.
“We have been fortunate to receive
support from employees of Shepherd Center and
a number of different companies through payroll deductions,” says Shepherd
Center Foundation Vice President and Executive Director Scott H. Sikes. “For
example, over the past 10 years, the employees of ERB Industries Inc. have given
$395,986 to the Foundation in small increments from their paychecks. These
funds have benefited virtually every area of the hospital and helped patients and
their families in many ways.”
Georgia Tech graduate Bill Erb founded ERB Industries Inc., a safety equipment and apparel manufacturing company, in 1956. He and his wife Florrie,
longtime friends of the Shepherd family, set up an employee giving program – via
weekly payroll deduction – in 1998 to support the Center’s work. On May 22 of
this year, 75 of the Woodstock, Ga., company’s 110 employees toured Shepherd
Center to see the “fruits of their labors” and attend a luncheon.
“About 10 years ago, ERB Industries was giving to a Chicago charity, and they
wanted to start giving on a more local level,” says Bonnie Hardage, Shepherd
Center Foundation’s director of major gifts. “They’ve given to almost every program that we’ve needed funds for through the years, and particularly the Injury
Prevention Fund – a program to educate school-age children – because it aligns
so much with the work they do. During their tour, we were happy to show them
our major campus expansion and received great feedback. They saw how their
contributions are helping.”
In December 2007, ERB employee contributions began supporting the Dean
Stroud Pain Institute at Shepherd (www.shepherdpaininstitute.org), to honor Bill
Erb’s grandson, Robert “Dean” Stroud. The Institute helps individuals experiencing chronic pain problems, and ERB Industries has placed a link to Shepherd
Center on its corporate Web site (www.e-erb.com). Sheila Eads, chief execuwww. sh e p h e r d . o r g
Photo by Alison Damerow
Photos by Gary Meek
FOUNDATION
“This is a way for our employees to give back to nonprofit
organizations in their communities.” — Cindy Theiler
tive officer of ERB Industries, is a member of the Shepherd Center
Foundation’s Advisory Board, a group of community leaders who are
advocates and educators in the community.
“Our company has been employee-owned since 1997,” Sheila says.
“We took a tour of the Center in 1998 when we started our program
and on our 10th anniversary (in 2008) took a second tour. ERB Industries also supports a program where we give 50 cents to Shepherd
Center for every order we receive. Our company is like a family, and
we identify with the family approach of Shepherd Center.”
Another supporter is Georgia Power’s Club of Hearts program,
which donated more than $8,000 in 2007 to the Foundation to cap
an annual fall drive.
“We have pledge forms and online pledging,” says Cindy Theiler,
Club of Hearts program manager. “Employees can donate by payroll
deduction or by check. We have rallies around metro Atlanta and
sponsor awareness days. Georgia Power’s motto has been for many
years ‘to be a citizen wherever we serve.’ This is a way for our employees to give back to nonprofit organizations in their communities.”
In addition to their vital work, Shepherd Center employees also
donate to support the hospital’s programs through ShepherdCares,
says Midge Tracy, director of Volunteer Services.
“It is an employee initiative to raise funds for different programs or
needs at the Center,” she explains. “Last year, our employees donated
$60,000 to help pay for two suites in the Family Residence Center.
Now we have two large posters, signed by employees who donated, to
hang in the suites. It was amazing the number of people who said: ‘I
want people to know that I gave. I want people to know that I care.’”
About 600 Shepherd Center employees participate in Shepherd
Cares; donations of $50,000 to $60,000 annually support programs
for patients and families. Each year, the ShepherdCares Committee
selects a program to support. Funds raised in the 2009 ShepherdCares
initiative will go toward the refurbishment of patient rooms in the
Shepherd Building and off-site family housing units.
“Our employees have always been very generous,” Midge says. “The
level of pride that they feel when they’re able to give back to the place
where they work, the place that gives so much to them, is beyond
measure. I’ve been impressed by the giving spirit of all of our employees and am proud to be one of them.”
Above Left: ERB Industries Inc. employees, who have contributed to
Shepherd Center since 1998, toured the hospital this past spring. Their
donations now go to the Shepherd Pain Institute. Above, Top Right:
Shepherd Center housing program manager Randy Padgett shows an
Irene and George Woodruff Family Residence Center suite to new resident
Marita Wagner of Greenville, S.C. Above, Bottom Right: Shepherd
Center employees gave $60,000 that helped cover the costs of building
two suites in the Family Residence Center, which opened in July 2008.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 2 9
FOUNDATION
Seasonal
Socializing
By James Panter
Fall and winter activity and support programs bring seasons of fun and fellowship.
make a corridor, and the patients walk a path to little stations where
they have to do something therapeutic. Last year, we had a ‘Harry
Potter’ theme, so they used a bow and arrow at my station to shoot
monster spiders, and patients with no hand function used a blow dart.”
It is a feast for the imagination. Last year, one group arrived as the
Scooby Doo Gang, and the Foundation staff appeared as a Shepherd
shuttle bus. “About three years ago, patients made paper costumes to
look like vertebrae, tied together with rope, and eight of them moved
around in their wheelchairs as a spinal cord,” Gary recalls.
Peer support opportunities abound for patients, who help cook
dinners and use funds provided to them to buy gifts for friends to
open at a “Secret Santa” gathering, Cathi explains. “Fun Fridays”
every other week may include a bus trip to the movies, the Georgia
Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta or a restaurant, or the teenagers may stay in
for a carnival or game day.
Always buzzing with activity is Shepherd’s Therapeutic Recreation
Department – the largest in the United States. Clinical supervisor
Kelly Edens and a 35-person staff work with acquired brain injury
(ABI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, and specialists develop
activity programs, such as outdoors events, sports and aquatics.
Shepherd Center File Photo
Staff members in therapeutic recreation, chaplaincy and counseling services are gearing up to deliver fun activities and holidaythemed events for patients to enjoy this fall and winter.
Counselor Cheryl Linden notes the importance of these programs
in drawing patients and families closer together.
“The impact is usually profound,” she says. “Some activities are
normal things that our folks did prior to their injuries, and any time
they can do something that is ‘back to normal,’ it is always helpful. When patients see they can still do things with their families,
it gives them an emotional and mental boost. These events provide
breaks from the routine and some fun, which is important when
dealing with a life-changing event.”
CEO and President Dr. Gary Ulicny notes, “Activities like this
build camaraderie and allow celebration of what should be a festive
time of year.”
Perhaps the greatest display of creativity – from employees and
patients alike – occurs in October, when the Center hosts its annual
Halloween Haunted House.
“We get the teenagers involved,” says physical therapist Cathi
Dugger. “They help plan it and make costumes. We put up tarps to
FOUNDATION
camping or hunting trip each month. Patients are required to go on at
least one outing per week; four or five outings are scheduled weekly.
Complementing these programs is the Shepherd Center
Chaplaincy Program, where chaplains Alan Roof and Ken Grosch
provide guidance and resources for patients and families in coping
with issues and observing traditions. Although most patients are
Previous Page, Left: The “Harry Potter” theme of the 2007 Halloween
Haunted House at Shepherd Center inspired costumes related to
the popular book and movie character. Previous Page, Right: The
Shepherd Center Therapeutic Recreation Department sponsors the
annual Shepherd Shoot-Out Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in
the fall. This Page, Left: The Shepherd Center Chaplaincy Program
sponsors weekly interdenominational worship services and adds
special holiday music to the gatherings in November and December.
This Page, Right: Always buzzing with activity is Shepherd’s
Therapeutic Recreation Department – the largest in the United States.
One of the department’s activities scheduled for the fall is the annual
All-Sports Camp held in Warm Springs, Ga.
Shepherd Center File Photo
“W hen patients see they can still do things
with their families, it gives them an emotional and mental boost. These events
provide breaks from the routine and some
fun, which is important when dealing with
a life-changing event.” — Cheryl Linden
from Christian backgrounds, the chaplains arrange for patient visits
by rabbis and lighting of menorahs, and contact leaders for other
ministry needs.
“Every Sunday, we have an amazing service with 20 to 60 folks,”
Alan says. “In early December, we usually invite an outside concert
or choral group to perform so people can enjoy some holiday music.”
A motivational speaker usually addresses a Thanksgiving gathering, with lunch and dessert provided. Holiday services are held at the
Center, Pathways outpatient facility and the residential living unit
for ABI patients.
“For people who are active in their churches, Ken and I can become their pastors for a while,” Alan adds. “A lot of folks are a long
way from home, and we fill a role to remind them that God is with
them on their journey.”
For staff members, “the annual holiday party serves to build
relationships that would not occur in the work environment,” says
Chairman of the Board and co-founder James Shepherd. “People
get to know each other outside the clinical arena. As we have grown,
this has taken on a greater importance because many never get to
interact with their peers in other departments.”
Photo by Kathy Grosch
“We recently added an adaptive dancing program, which we hold
a couple of times a year for inpatients and day program patients,”
Kelly says. “It is dancing by two people in wheelchairs, or by an ablebodied person and a person in a wheelchair, and an instructor comes
in to give a two-hour lesson for patients.”
Scheduled for the fall and winter are a scuba diving trip; outdoor
expo with demonstrations of adaptive equipment for all-terrain
vehicles, hunting, fishing and other pursuits; an All-Sports Camp
(Oct. 17-19), held in Warm Springs, Ga., featuring instruction
from elite wheelchair athletes in sports such as track, hand-cycling,
swimming, tennis and golf; the Shepherd Shoot-Out Wheelchair
Basketball Tournament (Nov. 7-9); an Artists’ Market (Nov. 12); a
snow skiing trip (February 2009) and the Shepherd Classic Quad
Rugby Tournament (Feb. 6-8, 2009).
Thirteen adaptive sports teams represent Shepherd, and tournaments test their skills against other teams. The first Wednesday of
every month features scuba diving in the pool, and inpatients go on a
fa l l 2 0 0 8 3 1
FOUNDATION
As the autumn leaves start turning
beautiful shades of red, gold and
orange, many people start planning their Christmas shopping and
pondering their holiday card lists.
Many of our friends and supporters plan to give a personal
and special gift to their friends
and family – the gift of hope for
Shepherd Center’s patients – by
making a “Holiday Tribute” gift to
Shepherd Center Foundation in
honor of their family and associates. The Foundation sends personalized cards with our donors’
own greetings to their holiday
card lists. In addition, their
friends and families are included
in Spinal Column magazine’s
annual “Holiday Tribute” listing.
Long-time Shepherd Center
supporters Joan Woodall and
Jeanne and A.B. Martin have a
tradition of sharing their spirit of
philanthropy by making “Holiday
Tributes” for their friends and
associates.
Shapiro Capital Management
and People First Consulting are
among the businesses that have
chosen to honor their customers
by making gifts to the Foundation
to help Shepherd in its mission to
restore patients’ lives with hope,
dignity and independence.
For information about Shepherd’s
“Holiday Tribute” program, contact
Dean Melcher at 404-350-7306 or
[email protected].
Photo by Gary Meek
A Special Gift
for the Holidays
Shepherd Center Auxiliary Announces
Pecans Fundraiser and Other News
The Shepherd Center Auxiliary’s annual holiday fundraiser, Pecans on Peachtree, runs from Nov. 10 to Dec. 24. This
is the 25th year for the fundraiser, which has raised more
than $1.2 million for patient-related programs and Auxiliary
operations since 1982.
Georgia pecan farmers report that this year’s pecan crop
appears to be even better than last year’s. Plus, all of the
fundraiser’s mouth-watering pecan varieties – including dark
chocolate pecan delights and the three-tin “Holiday Tower of
Delight” – will again be available.
The Auxiliary is busy signing up volunteers to work the
sales tables inside Shepherd Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
weekdays and to host “Pecan Parties” in their homes or businesses. If you would like to volunteer,
receive a brochure or place an order, call 404-367-1322 or go to www.pecansonpeachtree.org.
In other Auxiliary news: Diane Ashkouti was installed as the 2008-09 Auxiliary president in
April. She has been a member of the Auxiliary since 1994 and has held several positions on the
board since that time. Both Diane and her husband, Albert, are life members of the Auxiliary,
and their daughter, Ashley, is a volunteer.
Also, the Auxiliary is proud to be the benefactor of the $60,000 renovation of the Livingston
Gym floor and the lobby area outside the gym. This work was funded by the proceeds of the
Auxiliary’s 2007 Pecans on Peachtree fundraiser. The gym is one of the most-used areas of the
hospital. Many inpatients and outpatients, as well as volunteers, staff and community members, workout there daily or simply enjoy watching Shepherd Center sports teams in action as
they practice and compete in the gym. The lobby area serves as the entryway to the art therapy
room and provides a great viewing area of the Olympic-size swimming pool below. On most
weekdays, family members sit in chairs lined up against the glass wall watching their loved ones
doing their aquatic therapy, along with children having swim lessons and community members
doing water aerobics. — Midge Tracy
Top of Page: The Shepherd Center Auxiliary contributed $60,000 in proceeds from the 2007
Pecans on Peachtree fundraiser to pay for the recent renovation of Shepherd Center’s Livingston
Gym floor and adjacent lobby area. Here, patient Kelsey Tainsh of Winter Park, Fla., participates in
therapy with exercise specialist Josh Zottnick.
FOUNDATION
Last Chance to Get Your “Password” for Speakeasy
Junior Ball Promises to be a
Fun-Filled Night at “The Stork Club”
Get ready for a fun-filled night of great times, good friends and
terrific music. On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Junior Committee will host
“The Stork Club,” the annual Junior Ball held in conjunction with
The Legendary Party, Shepherd Center’s black-tie gala. Named after
the famed New York club opened by an ex-bootlegger, “The Stork
Club” promises to be a rip-roaring addition to The Legendary Party’s
“Speakeasy: Legend of the Jazz Age.”
Not only is this a great party on its own, the Junior Ball gives the
younger crowd a chance to sample The Legendary Party. The evening’s events also let these two groups of Shepherd supporters mingle
and compare dance moves.
This year’s bash will be at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead and will
feature Atlanta’s party and dance band, Atlanta Beat. The party starts
at 10 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m. with late-night buffets and a hosted bar.
Tickets are $75 per person and include all festivities. For more
information, contact Anne Pearce at 404-350-7302 or
[email protected]. — Dean Melcher and Anne Pearce
Above: Junior Ball 2008 Host Committee co-chairmen Rusty and Kimmy
Umphenour, far left and right, and 2008 Legendary Party chair-elect
Cyndae Arrendale, left, and chairman Sally Dorsey (on bar) invite guests
to “Speakeasy: Legend of the Jazz Age.”
Photo by Jim Fitts
The Legendary Party is one of Atlanta’s premier social events. Each
year, it revolves around a theme that represents a “legend” of our time.
The 2008 ball, scheduled for Nov. 1, is themed “Speakeasy: Legend
of the Jazz Age.”
The word “speakeasy” conjures great images and history. Most
people envision the roaring 1920s and the Hollywood glamour of the
1930s; Prohibition, Al Capone, mobsters and molls; jazz; and hidden
nightclubs selling bootleg whiskey and bathtub gin. Speakeasies were
exciting places, fraught with intrigue – and maybe a little danger.
Legendary Party chairman Sally Dorsey has spent the past year developing the ultimate party concept to both raise money for Shepherd
Center and pay tribute to one of Shepherd’s most beloved supporters,
Elizabeth Allen. This year’s event promises a little mystery and lot of
fun with a few surprises thrown in.
The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead will create a culinary masterpiece, and
the impeccable service of Atlanta’s finest hotel will make our attendees’ evening a night they will never forget. After dinner, the ballroom
will be hopping to a lively vintage music performance and dancing to
Doc Scantlin’s Imperial Palms Orchestra.
Tickets are $500 per person and can be ordered online at
www.shepherd.org. For information, call Cara Puckett at
404-350-7778 or [email protected]. — Dean Melcher
Above: Enjoying the late-night Junior Ball 2007 were, left to right, Sarah
Griffin, Megan McSwain and Reuben Mann.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 3 3
FOUNDATION
Junior Committee Approaching the Starting Gates
Returning members of Shepherd Center Foundation’s Junior
Committee reunited for a new fiscal year in September and swapped
Derby Day 2008 stories. They also met and mingled with new provisional members as everyone learned what’s in store for Derby Day 2009.
Since 1983, young Atlanta professionals (22 to 35 years old) have
worked hard and played hard to plan and implement the Southeast’s
best-known Kentucky Derby-themed party to raise money and awareness for Shepherd Center’s Therapeutic Recreation Program. The all-day
party features auctions, games, barbecue, beverages, great socializing and
two live bands.
Before the party planning got under way at the September meeting,
Junior Committee 2008 co-chairs Leah Humphries and Meredith Repp
handed the leadership reins to the 2009 co-chairs, Erin Jernigan and
Ryan Hoyt.
The 2009 steering committee also announced its goal to have 300
members in the Junior Committee before the group’s annual holiday party
in December. The committee is soliciting new members until November.
“The Junior Committee is a wonderful way for people to give back to
the Atlanta community while having a great time and forming friendships with like-minded individuals” says Anne Pearce, Shepherd Center
annual events manager. “Some members are new to Atlanta, moving here
after college or for a job transfer, and they are looking to meet new people.
“Some members are native Atlantans growing up just minutes away
from Shepherd Center. We even have a few second-generation members
whose parents were founding members of the Junior Committee.
Everyone comes together for one common interest – improving the lives
of Shepherd Center patients,” Anne adds.
For information about Derby Day and Junior Committee membership,
contact Anne Pearce at 404-350-7302 or
[email protected]. — Dean Melcher and Anne Pearce
Top of Page: Patrons at Derby Day 2008, a fundraiser organized by
Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee, enjoy a day of music, mint juleps
and watching the running of the 134th Kentucky Derby.
Shepherd Center’s 2008 Annual Report Available Online
Shepherd Center’s 2008 Annual Report is available both online and in printed format. The
report includes statistical information about Shepherd patients, financial information about
the hospital and information about philanthropic gifts to the Shepherd Center Foundation.
It also includes features on the completion of the Jane Woodruff Pavilion and the Irene
and George Woodruff Family Residence Center, the Center’s chaplaincy program, research
updates and volunteer groups at the hospital.
Also available both online and in print is a separate donor directory that lists individual and
organizational donors, as well as Bridge Builders and endowed funds.
To request copies, contact Dean Melcher at 404-350-7306 or dean_melcher@shepherd.
org. Also, you can download electronic copies in PDF format from our Web site at
www.shepherd.org/publications.
FOUNDATION
[ Notes from Scott Sikes [
Shepherd Center Foundation Executive Director
Planned Giving
Autumn traditionally is time for back-to-school and back-to-work. It’s
also the time when many recommit themselves to financial planning.
If you own a home or farm, you can give it away now “on paper”
to a charitable organization, continue to live in the home or use the
farm, and also take an income tax deduction this year. It is a charitable
giving technique called a “retained life estate.”
While you have the right to use the property as long as you live,
after your death, the charitable organization can sell the property and
use the proceeds to fund their charitable mission. Shepherd Center
Foundation would use the funds for research, medical care, rehabilitation, facility renovation and much more. Alternatively, the Foundation
can keep the property and rent it for income or use the property in
some other way.
In addition to this year’s income tax deduction, you’ll also remove
the property’s value from your taxable estate. Further, assuming this
property will continue to appreciate in value, you’ll remove the property’s appreciation from your taxable estate, too.
There are things you need to be aware of before you give away the
property. Here are some, but not all, considerations. The income tax
deduction you receive this year will be for the property’s “discounted
present value.” It’s a special IRS-approved calculation that essentially
says the older you are, the higher the income tax deduction; and, the
younger you are, the lower the income tax deduction. While you’re
alive, you must insure and maintain the property (which might in-
clude re-roofing or repairing plumbing) and pay property taxes. You’ll
have the same ongoing expenses as if you owned the property.
The typical retained life estate donor is a married couple living in
their home in one city with adult children who live in another city;
and the adult children do not want their parents’ home. For example,
the parents live in Charlotte, N.C., and the adult children all live in
Los Angeles, Calif. There is little chance the children will move back.
The example husband and wife are 70 years old; they bought their
home for $200,000; and their home’s estimated fair market value is
$400,000. Their income tax deduction this year will be $152,936. This
deduction may be applied up to 30 percent of their adjusted gross
income (AGI) this tax year. Any unused deduction remaining after the
year of the gift is carried over and applied up to 30 percent of their
AGI for up to five additional years.
Of course, this article doesn’t constitute legal, tax or other professional advice. Please discuss your situation with experienced estate
planners, and call me at 404-350-7305 or Ty Tippett, senior director
of planned giving, at 404-350-7308.
— Scott H. Sikes, MBA, CFRE, CFP®
Vice President & Executive Director, Shepherd Center Foundation
“Shepherd Center Foundation
would use the funds for research,
medical care, rehabilitation, facility
renovation and much more.
Alternatively, the Foundation can
keep the property and rent it for
income or use the property in
some other way.” — Scott Sikes
fa l l 2 0 0 8 3 5
Shepherd Center Leaders Inducted
into Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame
Alana Shepherd, co-founder of Shepherd Center, and Dr. David Apple, medical
director emeritus, will be inducted this fall into the National Spinal Cord Injury
Association (NSCIA) 2008 SCI Hall of Fame, along with Shepherd Center benefactors
Billi and Bernie Marcus.
Formed by NSCIA in 2005, the SCI Hall of Fame was created to celebrate and honor
individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to quality of life and
advancements toward a better future for people with spinal cord injuries.
Alana will be recognized in the category of grassroots organizer. Dr. Apple will be
recognized in the direct provider category, and Billi and Bernie Marcus will be honored
in the benefactor category. Previously inducted into the SCI Hall of Fame were cofounder and Board chairman James Shepherd in 2006 and Shepherd Center advocacy
director Mark Johnson in 2007.
Shepherd File Photo
Photo by Gary Meek
Photo by Gary Meek
FOUNDATION
Shepherd Center
and Skimore Tours
Offer Annual Adaptive
Skiing Trip
Shepherd Center and Skimore Tours have planned a trip to Breckenridge,
Colo., this winter for adaptive snow skiing for beginners to advanced skiers with
physical disabilities.
The trip, scheduled for Jan. 29 through Feb. 3, 2009, includes private adaptive
skiing lessons, airfare, lift tickets, equipment, transfers and hotel accommodations.
People of all abilities are welcome, as well as their families and friends. Advance
registration is required. The price varies depending on the airfare cost.
For more information, go to www.skimoretours.com or contact Shepherd Center
sports specialist Chris Ravotti at 404-350-7797 or [email protected]
Above: Shepherd Center and Skimore Tours have planned a trip to Breckenridge,
Colo., this winter for adaptive snow skiing.
Troubled By Spasticity?
Do you suffer from spasticity (muscle jerking,
spasm or increased muscle tone) due to spinal
cord injury? If you do, you should know about
this clinical research study. Spasticity due to
spinal cord injury can cause symptoms such as
stiffness of arms and legs, atrophy (breakdown
of the muscles), fibrosis (thickening and scarring
of tissue) and contracting of muscles, including
difficulty moving the arms and legs.
If you are unhappy with your current anti-spasticity therapy or are not currently on anti-spasticity medication, call to learn more about this
clinical study. Eligible participants will receive
study-related examinations and study medication at no cost. Participants will also be compensated for time and travel.
Call to learn more
about this clinical
research study for
people with spasticity due to spinal
cord injury. Contact
Michelle Nemeth in
Shepherd Center’s
Clinical Research
Department at
404-350-7688.
No Barriers:
Rehab Can’t Keep
Shepherd Patient
from Proposing
Photo by Alison Damerow
Love was in the
air at Shepherd
Center back in May
when patient James
Howard proposed
to Anne Hall, his
girlfriend of seven
years.
James was still
an inpatient at
Shepherd Center
undergoing rehaAbove: Love was in the
bilitation for a spiair at Shepherd Center
back in May when patient
nal cord injury that
James Howard proposed
paralyzed him from
to Anne Hall, his girlfriend
the chest down in
of seven years.
February. So taking
Anne out for a romantic dinner wasn’t possible.
Instead, with the help of Shepherd volunteer
Lois Puckett, James brought the romantic dinner to Anne at Shepherd Center.
The two dined on the seventh floor terrace
at Shepherd, overlooking the lights of Atlanta,
while a pianist played. Family members served
the couple champagne and their favorite foods
from area restaurants. Later, a plane flew by
with a special message: Will you marry me,
Anne? The couple’s English bulldog was on
hand to help present Anne with the ring.
Anne, of course, said yes. She was totally surprised and knew nothing of the planned evening
despite the fact that most of the nurses on James’
floor knew about the upcoming proposal.
The couple has not yet decided on a date.
They plan to return home to Virginia after
James completes therapy. — Alison Damerow
Photos by Gary Meek
FOUNDATION
2008 Beijing
Paralympics Sponsors
Shepherd Center salutes the following corporate sponsors and
partners of the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team and the Worldwide
Partners of the International Paralympic Committee.
Adecco
Allstate
Amino VITAL
Atos Origin
AT & TThe Coca-Cola Company
General Electric
General Motors
The Hartford
Hilton Hotels
The Home Depot
Johnson & Johnson
NikeOtto Bock Healthcare
Panasonic
Samsung
United Airlines
VISA
For a listing of the Beijing Paralympic Games sponsors, see:
http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/sponsors/
Above: Shepherd
Center athlete and
Paralympic gold medalist
Curtis Lovejoy of Atlanta
practices in the hospital’s
pool in July. He was
focused on earning his
13th world record in
swimming in the Paralympic Games in Beijing
in September 2008.
Left: Paralympic
fencers Mark Calhoun
and Benjy Williams
spar during practice at
Shepherd Center this
past summer.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 3 7
{LOVING TRIBUTES {
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 May 1,
2008 and July 31, 2008.
Lee Hawkins Britt’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Ricky M. Britt
Brian “BB” Brown Prudential CARES Volunteer Grant
Prudential Foundation
Honorariums
Karl Bevins
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
Lee Bryan
Ms. Patricia R. Johnston
Steven Burse’s Recovery
Ms. Christine Brichta
Eula Carlos’ 80th Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Gilmer, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Elizabeth M. Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Carithers, Jr.
Jim Caswell’s 78th Birthday
From his oldest friend
Alana Shepherd
Dr. David Apple, Jr.
Thomas Land Publishers, Inc.
Jim Choomack’s Recovery
Ms. Catherine Choomack
Anita and Charlie Augello
Mr. Joel M. Burns
Betsy Baker’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Alan M. Smith
Above: In May 2008, Shepherd
Center marked the enrollment of
its 50th NeuroRecovery Network
participant. To celebrate, staff
and former patients gathered for
a reunion at Shepherd in July.
Brant Davis’ Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Bussey C. Bonner, Jr.
Dean Coleman’s 75th Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dreyfuss
Brian Desko’s Recovery
Andy Cook
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn W. Cook
Mary and Mike Balsamides’
50th Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. George L. Betros
Emily Cook’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard S. Goldstein
Maricela and Ryan Barnett’s Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Hanzman
Gloria and Edwin Cowart’s Marriage
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Ryan Barnett’s Recovery
Mr. Peter May
Rusty Begnaud
Mr. Lucas Dore
Patty Duncan – “Great job on
the ASIA meeting”
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Linda Epstien’s Recovery
Carolyn Ewing’s Birthday
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
Zana Cox – “Great job on the
ASIA meeting”
Jill North’s Father
A B Combs Elementary School
Alton Craft
Mr. and Mrs. Winston Bentley
Cindy and Bill Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Tamara McDonald
Clifford Clarke Glover
Batson-Cook Foundation, Inc.
Above: Shepherd Center’s Marcus Community Bridge Program
organized a “Day at the Lake” event for former patients at Lake
Tobesofkee near Macon, Ga., this past summer. Left to right are
Shepherd Center Bridge Program staff member Jennifer Breeding,
former spinal cord injury patient Anthony Calhoun of Cordele, Ga.,
and Bridge staff member Shelley Mitchell.
Debbie Griffiths’ Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Feinberg
Anne Hall and James
Howard’s Engagement
Ms. Nancy E. Wellons
Walter J. Hoyt Family
Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Hoyt, Jr.
William D. Hoyt family
Lesley Hudson’s Birthday
Mrs. Barbara St. John
Lesley Hudson, Whitney
Johnson and Caitlin Johnson – “Great job on the ASIA meeting”
Leah and Nick Humphries – “Mighty efforts on Derby Day”
Mr. and Mrs. C. Richard Hoskinson
Jason Kerr
Mr. David A. Bosen
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Sechrest
Ada Lamon’s Recovery
Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Philip S. Beeson, Sr.
Douglas Lindauer
Ms. Veronica Sheehan
Jami Hanzman’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Noah Bronstein
Jerry Lindauer – Happy
Father’s Day
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Lindauer
Cam Harrison
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Nicklaus
Billi and Bernie Marcus’ Birthdays
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin C. Shrager
Kim Harrison’s Friendship
Mr. Dan Chase
Mary A. McClendon
Anonymous
Caroline Hazel’s Birthday
Dr. and Mrs. John C. Knox
Dean Melcher – “Great Derby Day”
Bryan Hewins’ Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Barnwell
Beverly and John Mitchell
Mrs. Mary W. Breitenbach
Mrs. Henry A. Huettner
Arnold Holzer, Jr. – “Thinking
of You”
Brian Mock
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kurtz
{LOVING TRIBUTES {
Sarah Morrison – SCI vision of excellence
Michelle Nemeth – “Another step up the ladder”
Martin Ouzts’ Recovery
Anne Woolsey Pearce’s 30th Birthday
Ms. Caroline Abney
Mr. and Mrs. Jay Biber
Mr. and Mrs. Randall R. Bryan
Ms. Marnite B. Calder
Ms. Allison Escott
Mr. and Mrs. Wade Fowler
Mr. Henry Gurley
Mr. Daniel Henning
Mr. and Mrs. Travis Kirkland
Mr. Dean Melcher
Mr. and Mrs. Spencer L. Moore
Ms. Elizabeth R. Pearce
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Pearce III
Ms. Neville S. Pearson
Mr. and Mrs. Humberto Perez
Ms. Cara D. Puckett
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Puckett
Mrs. Virginia Roe
Ms. Daryn Schwartz
Ms. Helene M. Schwartz
Mr. and Mrs. Haygood P. Seawell, Sr.
Ms. Meredith Smith
Mrs. Eadie Tant
Mr. and Mrs. J. Tyler Tippett
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Tucker
Mr. and Mrs. Mark M. Whitney
Ms. Lindsay Williams
Mrs. Brittany G. Wilson
Mr. and Mrs. J. Blake Young, Jr.
Ms. Sarah E. Zullo
Sue Schoedinger’s Recovery
Ms. Patricia Suelmann
Happy Shaw’s Birthday
David Shea
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Nicklaus
Alana’s Birthday
Bickers Planning Solutions, LLC – Wishing Alana a Happy Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Shepherd Center Admissions Evaluators
Ms. Susan B. Sheehy and
Mr. John Sheehy
Mickey Shepherd’s Birthday
Bickers Planning Solutions, LLC
Beverly and Jack Shields
Mr. John R. Simmerman
Barry Sikes
Ms. Becky Geer
Ms. Margo L. Merchant
Elizabeth Smith’s Recovery
Russell Smith
GLM Aircraft
Robbie Svoboda
Mr. Rob Scott
Eadie Tant – “Good job on recording accuracy”
Brian Thomas
Chi Phi Fraternity at Cornell University
Janice Tilley – “Great job on the ASIA meeting”
Ty Tippett – 5th Year Anniversary
at Shepherd Center
Tommy Towles’ Birthday
Mrs. Oliver J. Keller, Jr.
Blake Wallace in Memory of his Grandmother, Charlotte Wallace
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Absher
Mr. and Mrs. Edward U. Babb
Ms. Elizabeth C. Banick
Ms. Evelyn S. Blakely
Ms. Hazel C. Brimi
Carrington Foods, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Dawson, M.D.
Mrs. Jane Dempster
Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Hall III
Mr. and Mrs. Joe S. Hammond
Mr. and Mrs. Francis X. Higgitt
Home Financial Services, Inc.
Ms. Dawn M. Huff
Dr. and Mrs. George M. Krisle III
Ms. Sherri P. Lee
Mrs. Dana L. McAlister
Ms. Kim McMillan
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McWilliams
Mr. Burt A. Medoff
Novinger, Ball & Zivi, P.C.
Peninsula Club Pirates
Ms. Susan Polk
Ms. Nancy Riddle
Mr. and Mrs. Preston Shepherd
Ms. Sarah Stowers
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Straight
Talahi Garden Club
Mr. Harry J. Thayer, Jr.
Mrs. Catherine M. Van Meter
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Wright
Mrs. Sara B. Yoakley
Phillip Watters’ Recovery
Pine Street Elementary School
Caroline Wells’ Birthday
Ms. Sandra Wells
Thom Whiten’s 65th Birthday
Sue and Neil Williams’ 50th Anniversary
Ms. Marnite B. Calder
Perry Ann Williams
Shelly Williams’ Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Hampton
Carol and Bruce Wilson
Mr. and Mrs. Vance C. Miller
Dancy H. Wynne
Sara Zullo – “Congratulations
on getting into grad school.”
Photo by Gary Meek
Deanne Jackson and Julian
Mohr’s Wedding
Anne W. Pearce
Amanda Perla’s Recovery
Mr. Frank Castro
Curtis L. Phillips’ Recovery
Mr. Douglas L. Batson – Men and Women of 22nd AF, Logistics Division, Dobbins ARB
Nancy A. Phillips
Mr. Andy Reiter
Jamie Redmond’s Recovery
Wilson Boiler Service, Inc.
Meredith Repp – Efforts on
Derby Day
Above: Three young spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who became friends during their inpatient stays
at Shepherd Center celebrate the recent SCI Day Program graduation of Traci Pauls, front and center,
of Blackville, S.C. Patients Ashleigh Amerson, left, of Gordon, Ga., and Jessica Burrell, right, of Owego,
N.Y., are joined by their therapy team members, back row left to right, Cindy Hartley, Marianne Dunn,
Cheryl Linden and Cathi Dugger.
fa l l 2 0 0 8 3 9
{LOVING TRIBUTES {
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 May 1,
2008 and July 31, 2008.
Ernest H. Abernethy, Jr.
Blind Ambition Management, Ltd.
Mr. John W. Stern
Mr. Burke W. Whitman
Lena Anderson
Ms. Susan N. Wells
Walker Atrice III
Mrs. Perry Ann Williams
Dorothy Powers “Do” Black
Harold Bowman
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Gordon C. Bynum, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Lanier II
Joan Wood Freeman Cargill
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bloebaum
Ryburn C. “Pete” Clay
Douglas Cook
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn W. Cook
George B. Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Kirkwood M. Callahan
Anne Coggins DeBorde
Mr. and Mrs. George S. Williams
Ralph Degen
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Ronnie Bailey
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pruitt
Max I. Benator
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Cohen
Gerald Edwin Bernal
Mr. Richard F. Bernal
Caroline P. Bagwell
Mr. and Mrs. Calvin E. Anthony
Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Barton
Mr. and Mrs. Ray W. Barton
The Beaty Family – David, Kelly,
Matthew, Marshall and Daniel
Mrs. Barbara Bobo
Campbell & Campbell, Attorneys
at Law
Mrs. Carl Caudell
Mr. and Mrs. William P. Chandler
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Chisenhall
Walter Bilsky
Mr. and Mrs. James Begley
Mr. and Mrs. Russell S. Goldman
Dr. and Mrs. David Palay
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan H. Popky
Above: Shepherd Center’s Marcus Community Bridge Program
organized a “Discover SCUBA” event for former patients this
past spring in Dunnellon, Fla. Assisting with the event were staff
members from Divers@Sea. Pictured is former brain injury patient
Matthew Hoover, center.
Memorials
Mr. and Mrs. Alan D. Chunka
Mrs. Dianne Colston
Community Bank & Trust
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Corley
Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Crawford
Mrs. Leah Cueva
Mr. and Mrs. David Dunwoody
Mr. and Mrs. Neal Dunwoody
Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Gasaway
Mr. and Mrs. Joe B. Gibbs
Ms. Leah Glazier
Mr. and Mrs. Leon C. Greeson
Mr. and Mrs. Max G. Harrell
Ms. Elizabeth Hinesley
Mr. Dave Hollenbeck
The Hollow Log
Mr. and Mrs. David Irvin
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Kirby
Mr. and Mrs. William S. Loyd
Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Matthews
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald E. McDaniel
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Morgan
Noteworthy Publications, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Nuckolls
Ms. Deanie M. Sellers
Sherwood Clinical
Ms. Michelle Smallwood
Mrs. Emily S. Stromquist
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Swanson
Mr. and Mrs. George D. Telford
Ms. Jan Walker
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Watkins
Ms. Linda H. Wingate
Mr. and Mrs. Keith York
Above: Shepherd Center’s Marcus
Community Bridge Program organized
a “Day at the Lake” event for former
patients at Lake Oconee in north
Georgia this past summer. Pictured
are former spinal cord injury patient
Jeremy Peebles, center, of Auburn,
Ga., and his mother Patricia and
cousin Thomas Smith.
Frank S. Goodman
Mr. and Mrs. Julian LeCraw, Sr.
Mr. Gene Vance
The Reverend and Mrs. Kenneth A. Walker
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Wolf
Elizabeth S. Green
Mr. and Mrs. Hansford Sams, Jr.
Gus Hoyt
Travers Green
Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Griffin, Sr.
Marty Hughes
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Margaret Hassell Griffin
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry M. Hux
Nat C. Hughs, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bloebaum
Martha Gunn
Ms. Faye B. Isaacs
Hugh M. Inman
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Amason, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Baker
Mrs. William L. Bartlett
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Bondurant, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Cleveland
Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Cook, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Davidson
Mr. and Mrs. Scott M. Dayan
First Communities Family and
Rob Johnston, Ed Romano,
Kandi Coleman
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Harris
Mr. and Mrs. Walter S. Hay
Mrs. George A. Horkan, Jr.
Mr. Charles D. Hurt, Jr.
Mrs. McChesney H. Jeffries
Kay Kirkpatrick, Glenda Harmeling,
Linda Boatner and Pooh Head
Mr. and Mrs. John O. Mitchell
Ms. Mary A. Mitchell
Ms. Mary Anne Pait
Mrs. and Mrs. Edward Patz
Peachtree Hills Place, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Langdon Quinn
Mrs. Jane D. Scruggs
Betty Jane Hamling
Frances Hargrett
Mrs. James B. Ramage
Cannon Harmon, Jr.
Mrs. and Mr. Karol A. Neufeld
Daniel T. Hooks
Mrs. Joan Pendley
Dr. William Harvey Howell
Akin & Tate, PC
Ms. Cathy L. Croninger
Ms. Margaret Croninger
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Dunaway
Dr. and Mrs. Don Evans
Mrs. Kathy N. Greene
Mr. William Y. Harvey
Ms. Janet C. Neel
Dr. and Mrs. George M. Perrine
Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Pope, Sr.
Mrs. Doris H. Shelton
Mrs. Meme W. Smith
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Larry A. Taylor
Ms. Nancy B. Thomas
Mr. and Mrs. Mark C. West
Mr. and Mrs. Roy H. Zellars
Allen S. Jackson
Ollie Keller
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Duggan
Terry D. Kerr
Ms. Carol J. Altone
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Crow
Dana and Kristin Gibson
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Lofton
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Moore
Nat Sherman Inc.
Jackie Pray
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Shelton
Mrs. Carol Smith
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Steele
Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Trotter
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Turman
Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke W. Williams, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne York
Miriam Nunnally
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
Mrs. Joy Butterfield
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Cowart
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Evonne O’Neal
Ms. Donna Neff
Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons
{LOVING TRIBUTES {
Dr. Robert Fleming Parham
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Stephenson
Iwee Patterson
Vivian Rae
Ms. Kris Bleiler
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond B. Couture, Jr.
Dixie Crane Service, Inc.
Ms. Josephine H. Ferris
Ms. Gail L. Graczyk
Edward P. Kenny
Ms. Margaret A. Lofving
Phoenix Crane Rental – Augusta
Phoenix Crane Rental Company
Mr. and Mrs. R. Joseph Pollock
Ms. Angela P. Raney
The Golden Oldies Line Dance Class
Irving “Sonny” Shlesinger
Bobbi Ann Kirkland
Ms. Martha D. Nelson
Robby Redding
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Searcy
John Simbas
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Fleming
Keven Kirkpatrick
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. King
Henry L. Reid
Grace Hunter Kohn
Mr. and Mrs. Louie A. Pittman, Jr.
Dr. Todd Reynolds
David & Jennifer Kahn Family Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Kincaid
Marcella Spangler
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen G. Abernathy
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen H. McCracken
Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Valentine, Jr.
Charles M. Lokey
Pen Lybrook
Ms. Phyllis Brooks
Marshall “Bud” Mantler
Mike McElwaney
Mr. and Mrs. Buck Murphy
Boice McGrew
Mrs. Charles H. Peterson
Dee McKeever
Martha McKinney
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Thompson, Jr.
Mrs. Lou Miricle
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Hugh G. Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Paul H. Timmers
Joseph North
Ronald Rice, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Russ Lott
Dorothy Richter
Miriam Rittenbaum
David & Jennifer Kahn Family Foundation
Harrison Rogers, Jr., M.D.
Ivon C. Rolader
Robert Louis Rosenkranz
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Cohen
Sallie Sellers
Mr. John M. Tinley
Qaiser Shamsy
Deloitte
Root Learning, Inc.
John J. Shea
William E. Speaks
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Bachman
Mrs. Robert J. Brindell, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry T. Earley
Mrs. Louis H. Felder
Mr. and Mrs. Wesley D. Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert R. McCartney
Mr. Joseph L. Oprisch
Saint Patricia Circle
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Mrs. J. Lucian Smith
Ms. Anastasia P. Truman
Mrs. Mary Frances Woodside
Betty Spiegelman – Beloved Mother and Grandmother
Ms. Jody Steinberg
Above: Some Atlanta Falcons
football players visited Shepherd
Center patients in late May. Left
to right are Brandon Miller and
Montavious Stanley with patient
Brittany Thompson of Norcross, Ga.
Joey Waters
Country Garden Florist, Inc.
Doris and Lowell Wheeler
Mrs. Janis W. Gravely
Milton H. “Jay” Woodside
Mrs. Winston Wiant
Margaret Yates
Mr. Homer S. Mullins
Church Yearly
Mrs. Thornton Kennedy
Mr. Albert Lawton
Ruth R. Stewart
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Woodside, Jr.
John Henry Stokes
Mrs. Martha T. Haymaker
John M. “Buddy” Taulman
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Sarah E. Thorpe
Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Carter
Mr. and Mrs. David H. Flint
fa l l 2 0 0 8 4 1
“Friends of Robbie” Embark on Mission
to Raise $100,000 for Shepherd Center
When Shepherd Center spinal cord injury patient Robbie Svoboda’s friends
learned he was undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital, many asked how they
could help. Calling themselves “Friends of Robbie,” the group decided to use the
opportunity to raise funds and awareness for Shepherd.
An anonymous donor stepped forward with a challenge: If they could raise
$50,000, he will match their donation to make the total $100,000. The funds will
be directed to Shepherd Center’s Campus Renovation Fund to renovate the second
floor therapy gym, which will be named in Robbie’s honor.
Robbie, who lives in Atlanta, is deeply moved by his friends’ effort. “The idea
of giving back to Shepherd Center in my name – I don't mean to sound vain – is
awesome,” he says. “I would love to be able to give back to Shepherd for everything
they have done for me and for the amazing advances they are continuing to have in
treating catastrophic injuries.”
For more information, visit the Shepherd Center website at www.shepherd.org
and click on “Donate Now” or contact Dean Melcher at 404-350-7306 or
[email protected].
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
Address Service Requested

a week in the life of a Brain injury

Transcription

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