FIGHTING the - Shepherd Center
Transcription
FIGHTING the - Shepherd Center
fighting the good Fight also inside Teaching children To cope + smarT phone, smarT apps The winning vows + designed for women + a True reflecTion ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Summer 2012 Shepherd Center Magazine: Spinal Column® Summer 2012 Shepherd Center 2020 Peachtree Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30309 404-352-2020 [email protected] www.ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Design Soloflight Design Contributing Writers Sara Baxter, John Christensen, Amanda Crowe, Rachel Franco, Phillip Jordan, Ansley Martin, Florina Newcomb, Cara Puckett, Bill Sanders, Scott Sikes, Midge Tracy, Lauren Tucker Contributing Photographers Leita Cowart, Louie Favorite, Abby Greenawalt, Gary Heatherly, Ross Henderson, Leslie Johnson, Russell Klika, Ted Kostans, Kellye Lewis, Kelvin Ma, Gary Meek, Thomas Wells, Gray Whitley, Jeremy Wilburn Board of Directors James H. Shepherd, Jr., Chairman Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., President and CEO Emory A. Schwall, Vice President William C. Fowler, Treasurer Stephen B. Goot, Corporate Secretary Alana Shepherd, Recording Secretary Members Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson, David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., C. Duncan Beard†, Brock Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James M. Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman, Clark Dean, John S. Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber*, David H. Flint, Stephen B. Holleman*, Michael L. Jones, Ph.D.*, Tammy King*, Donald Peck Leslie, M.D., Douglas Lindauer, Sarah Morrison*, Julian B. Mohr, Charles T. Nunnally III, Sally D. Nunnally, Clyde Shepherd III, J. Harold Shepherd, Scott H. Sikes*, James E. Stephenson, James D. Thompson, Goodloe H. Yancey III† * † Ex Officio Emeritus Shepherd Center Magazine: Spinal Column is published quarterly by Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in the treatment of people with spinal cord injury, brain injury and multiple sclerosis. E-mail change of address information or request to be removed from our mailing list to magazine@ shepherd.org, or by mail to Shepherd Center, Attn: Shepherd Center Magazine Mailing List, 2020 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309. Please include mailing label. Shepherd Center Magazine accepts no advertising. Spinal Column is a registered trademark of Shepherd Center. about the cover: Army Sgt. Tom Boone sustained an SCI in 2010. Today, he is back on the job in the Special Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C. Photo by Russell Klika A Letter from JAmes shepherd Dear Friends, This summer, Shepherd Center’s campus renovation project comes to a close with the reopening of the updated third floor of the Shepherd Building. Patient rooms are larger and hard-wired for the latest technology. We have eliminated four-person suites in favor of mostly private rooms, a change that helps with infection control and the logistics of admissions. This floor has been updated only once since it originally opened in 1982, so it was time for the update, which was generously funded by our donors. The reopening of the third floor has expanded our total number of beds from 132 to 152, giving us a better opportunity to unplug the bottleneck that sometimes occurs in admitting inpatients for rehabilitation and/or medical services. The renovation also brings the opening of the Billy and Betty Hulse Spinal Cord Injury Research Lab in the former therapy gym on the third floor of the Shepherd Building. This space gives the lab a permanent home for neurorecovery research led by Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D., director of spinal cord injury research at Shepherd Center. The Hulse SCI Research Lab also provides state-of-the art therapeutic and research equipment. Funds for the lab were raised in record time – less than a year – by former spinal cord injury patient Billy Hulse and his wife Betty of Atlanta, along with their close friends, Tommy and Beth Holder, also of Atlanta. Donors requested – and we wholeheartedly agreed – that the lab be named in honor of Billy and Betty. Now that our renovation phase is completed, we will focus on sharpening all of the edges that distinguish Shepherd Center in the rehabilitation community. We expect to continue to improve patient outcomes through new, as well as tried-and-true, rehabilitation therapies and treatments. We will continue to support our excellent and dedicated staff through professional and educational opportunities that also contribute to improved patient outcomes. And we will sharpen our focus on innovative neurorecovery research that leads to the best and most effective treatments to improve functional outcomes in our brain and spinal cord injury patients. Finally, we remain committed to being a nimble healthcare organization that adapts to changes that will come with healthcare reform. At the same time, we will not waver from our commitment to excellent outcomes that help patients rebuild their lives with hope, independence and dignity. Warm regards, James H. Shepherd, Jr. Chairman of the Board Photo BY ABBY GreenAwAlt Editor Jane M. Sanders Spinal Column® Contents summer 2012 • shepherd Center features Departments 2 5 26 28 30 32 49 short takes Profile Medical Staff: Arthur Simon, M.D. research insights 6 12 Profile foundation features honorariums & memorials Two soldiers battle back from spinal cord injuries to return to duty. teaChing Children to Cope with liFeChanging injury A patient with seven children imparts life lessons to his family and draws strength from them during his recovery. Patient: William Flewellen heard shePherd alums Fighting the good Fight 14 a true reFleCtion 18 the winning VowS 20 deSigned For woMen 24 Young people with spinal cord injuries share their self-image struggles and triumphs. Former patient and his new wife win a national contest with the wedding vows she penned in just a few minutes. While female patients make up a small part of Shepherd Center’s patient population, the hospital goes the distance to help them adjust to life after injury. SMart phone, SMart appS Wireless RERC at Shepherd Center and Georgia Tech launches App Factory project to develop apps for people with disabilities. Gifts of Generosity shepherd Center magazine online If you would like to make a gift to support the work you have read about, please contact Scott H. Sikes at the Shepherd Center Foundation at 404-350-7305 or visit shepherd.org. Shepherd Center’s Spinal Column® magazine is available at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org. Go online to view stories, features, profiles and more with expanded photo galleries and additional content. S s hort takes injury Prevention ProgrAM exPAnDS in Metro AtlAntA MiDDle School “We were able to show measureable changes in the students’ attitudes about risky behaviors, which will hopefully lead to fewer brain injuries or spinal cord injuries,” says Bridget Bitterman, a case manager at Shepherd Center. In addition to expanding the program, the Shepherd adolescent treatment team and school faculty are tweaking the content to make an even larger impact. They are expanding the peer intervention component. Students will also hear from Ken Wilson, M.D., a trauma physician from Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, who will describe the physical impact of a spinal cord or brain injury just hours after an accident. “The additions to the curriculum for this year are very exciting and add another level of impact for the kids to something they already found fascinating last year,” McDowell says. Staff members at Shepherd Center will continue to enhance the injury prevention program – in particular with information they are gleaning from two recent patient and family focus groups. Herndon Murray, M.D., the adolescent team physician, conducted the focus groups to gain opinions on how best to reach adolescents and young adults to prevent catastrophic injuries. McDowell is encouraged by the impact the pilot program had. She says she is particularly pleased that students at Campbell Middle School seemed to fully grasp the dangers of two risky behaviors: texting while driving and diving head first into water. “Kids picked up on diving the most,” she says. “We stressed 20 behaviors and perceived risks, and all but two showed statistical differences from the beginning to the end. Diving into a pool or lake was one of the ones that changed the most.” For more information, contact McDowell at [email protected]. q Bill sanders Former Shepherd Center patients and staff spoke about injury prevention to students at a metro Atlanta school in May. 2 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Photo thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite Shepherd Center staff members will once again conduct a comprehensive injury prevention class at a metro Atlanta middle school in the fall. This time, armed with the results from a 2011 pilot program, the class will be further tailored to meet the needs and answer the questions of 400 seventh graders. “The pilot program had one teacher who ran the program within one class,” says Shari McDowell, director of Spinal Cord Injury Services at Shepherd Center. “This fall, we’ll have additional teachers teaching injury prevention at the school. The entire seventh grade will go through this program, which has been modified based on feedback from students last year.” Perhaps the most encouraging finding is that students in the pilot program, which was taught at Campbell Middle School in Smyrna, Ga., drastically changed their opinions on how easily they could be injured if they didn’t think first before taking risks. BEST HOSPITALS NATIONAL REHABILITATION 2012-13 ShePherD center rAnkS AMong toP 10 in u.S. neWS & WorlD rePort’S beSt hoSPitAlS Shepherd Center was again named one of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation in a U.S. News & World Report survey. The rankings are published online at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals and will be published in U.S. News’ annual guidebook, Best Hospitals 2013, which will be available in mid-August. Shepherd ranked No. 10 among dozens of hospitals that earned a spot in the magazine’s survey of rehabilitation hospitals. Shepherd Center first appeared on the list in 2000. Also, U.S. News & World Report announced that Shepherd Center ranked No. 2 in the Atlanta metro area in the magazine’s “Best Hospitals” metro area rankings for 2012-2013 and No. 3 in Georgia. These rankings were released simultaneously with the national rankings. Rankings for rehabilitation hospitals are based on nominations among physicians. Physicians are asked to name hospitals they consider the best in their specialty, regardless of location or expense. America’s Best Hospitals guide includes rankings of medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties. The ranked specialties are cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology, geriatrics, gynecology, heart and heart surgery, kidney disorders, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, psychiatry, pulmonology, rehabilitation, rheumatology and urology. “All of these hospitals are the kinds of medical centers that should be on your list when you need the best care,” says Avery Comarow, health rankings editor. “They are where other hospitals send the toughest cases.” q Larry Bowie ShePherD center ProMoteS long-tiMe StAFF MeMberS to leADerShiP PoSitionS Shepherd Center named Sarah Morrison, PT, to the newly created position of vice president of clinical services, effective May 1. Morrison is responsible for directing patient care, including Shepherd’s spinal cord injury, brain injury, chronic pain and multiple sclerosis programs. She previously served as director of Spinal Cord Injury Services, which serves more than 600 people from across the nation each year. She has been a vital part of the Shepherd Center staff since 1984, serving as a physical therapist, therapy manager and the intensive care unit program director. Shepherd Center recently created the position Morrison has taken because of the hospital’s continued growth. This summer, the Center completed a $5.5 million expansion and reconfiguration that will increase the number of beds to 152. “Sarah’s experience offers a wealth of skills and knowledge, and she is also a great motivator of people, which has prepared her for this integral leadership position,” says Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., Shepherd Center president and CEO. In other recent promotions: Shari McDowell, PT, who has served as Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Program manager for the past six years, was promoted to the position of director of Spinal Cord Injury Services, effective May 1. McDowell has been with Shepherd Center since 1992. “Shari’s strong leadership skills, dedication and impeccable work ethic have been vital to the success of the SCI Program,” Morrison says. “I look forward to her continued success as director.” Deborah Backus, PT, Ph.D., was named to the newly created position of director of multiple sclerosis research in the Andrew C. Carlos MS Institute at Shepherd Center. Formerly the associate director of SCI research, Dr. Backus began her career at Shepherd Center in 1989 as a physical therapist. She was previously involved in the development of the MS outpatient program. In this new position, she is developing a research program that encompasses the entire continuum of MS services. q Jane m. sanders SArAh MorriSon, Pt ShAri MCDowell, Pt DeBorAh BACkuS, Pt, Ph.D. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 3 S s hort takes get into the greAt outDoorS With uPcoMing therAPeutic recreAtion triPS The Shepherd Center Therapeutic Recreation Department is offering two upcoming trips that will allow former patients opportunities to enjoy challenging activities. On Sept. 22-29, Shepherd therapeutic recreation specialists, in partnership with Divers@Sea, will lead an adaptive diving trip to Bonaire. This all-inclusive trip includes round-trip airfare from Atlanta, hotel stay, boat dives and airport transfers. It is open to all skill levels and abilities, as well as family and friends of former patients. HSA certification is required. The registration deadline is July 31. For more information, contact Angela Pihera at [email protected] or 404-350-7786. Also, former patients, along with their families and friends, may want to make plans to snow ski with Shepherd Center’s Therapeutic Recreation Department and SkiMore Tours. A trip planned for March 1-6, 2013 to Steamboat Springs, Colo., will feature private adaptive ski instruction, equipment, lift tickets, accommodations and airport transfers. The trip is open to all skill levels and abilities. Book the trip early for discounts. For more information, contact Katie Murphy at 404-350-7465 or [email protected]. More information is also available online at shepherd.org/tr. q ShePherD center celebrAteS tWo big MileStoneS 4 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Because the grant has a research component, it laid the foundation for Shepherd’s research program, which has grown exponentially through the years. Aside from conducting research, as one of 14 Model System facilities, Shepherd Center is required to collect patient data, both during hospitalization and periodically throughout the patient’s lifetime. “We collect data every five years, but check in with patients in between to make sure their information is current,” Hudson explains. “It takes more time and effort to do that, but it dramatically increases our capture rate.” The Model System designation has given Shepherd Center national exposure, Hudson notes. The hospital’s involvement with the American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA), which is housed at Shepherd Center, also lends credibility to the hospital’s mission. ASIA celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. “Our relationship with ASIA has been a mutually beneficial situation,” says Hudson, who became ASIA’s executive director in 2006, when the ASIA office moved to Shepherd Center. “It’s given us recognition in a national and international arena.” q sara Baxter SCiMS staff members are lesley hudson, M.A., David Apple, M.D., Patricia Duncan and keith tansey, M.D., Ph.D. Photo At leFt BY louie FAvorite In October 1982, Lesley Hudson walked to the office of Shepherd Center Medical Director David Apple, M.D., and asked him if he had a minute to talk. He waved her in, and she delivered some big news: The U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) had selected Shepherd Center as a Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) of care. Along with it came a $1.25 million, five-year grant. “When I got the call, I couldn’t believe it,” recalls Hudson, who became the coproject director of the SCIMS, along with Dr. Apple, who is now medical director emeritus. “Since Shepherd Center was only seven years old at that point, I didn’t know what to expect when we applied.” Hudson’s words to Dr. Apple were, “This is the start of something big.” Since that day, Shepherd Center has been renewed as a SCIMS every five years and has remained continuously funded for the past 30 years. The latest grant, received in 2011, is for $2.5 million – the maximum any hospital can receive. “Being continuously funded has been huge,” Hudson says. “It has enabled us to make strides in therapeutic recreation, outreach and employment programs.” P staff profile INTERESTING FACTS: arThur simon, m.d., MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY With Arthur simon, m.d., mediCAL direCtor of reConstruCtive surGery intervieWeD by jAne M. SAnDerS Dr. Simon began practicing reconstructive surgery as a consulting physician at Shepherd Center 23 years ago when he opened his private practice in Atlanta. He provides consultation regarding patients with skin complications, performs surgery on Shepherd patients at the adjacent Piedmont Hospital and sees patients in clinics he holds twice a week at Shepherd. He is board certified in general and plastic surgery. Q: why did you decide to become a physician? A: My mother encouraged me to become a doctor or lawyer. Also, I was strong in math and science. So, to take my skills to a higher level, I chose medicine. In fact, I was the first person in my extended family to graduate from college. PhotoS thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite Q: why did you specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery? A: I always wanted to be a general surgeon. As a medical intern, the things I liked about surgery were the immediate results and gratification. The internal medicine physicians always had to order tests and wait for the results. Then as a resident, I applied to some competitive programs where I knew I could get lots of hands-on experience in surgery. At Cook County Hospital in Chicago, I did a plastic surgery rotation in a clinic where we operated on children with cleft lips and palates. I was enthralled to take babies who were missing palates and help make them look almost normal. It was an “aha” moment for me. I was the first graduate of the University of Illinois to complete a general surgery residency and then go on to complete a plastic surgery residency. In the fourth and fifth year of my general surgery residency, I got to do all kinds of surgeries, and it made me a better surgeon. I learned to make decisions quickly and how to handle complex cases. But I decided to go on to plastic surgery, not for the breast augmentations, facelifts and money, but because of the experience I had in correcting cleft and missing palates. Q: describe your role as medical director of reconstructive surgery at shepherd center. A: I am the go-to guy when complications arise with patients’ skin. I provide consultations for reconstructive surgery and staff a skin clinic at Shepherd Center twice week in which we see at least 40 patients. experience: Medical Director of Reconstructive Surgery, Shepherd Center, 23 years; also operates a private practice in Atlanta I have always considered my work at Shepherd Center to be the most rewarding part of my practice. When a patient has a large pressure sore, which can be fatal, my biggest joy is when I tell patients who are doing well at several months post-operation that I never want to see them again professionally. They laugh and always thank me for helping them. That’s the most rewarding part of the job. residencies: University of Illinois Medical Center and Medical College of Virginia inTernship: University of Health Science, Chicago Medical School Also, I consider it part of being a doctor and part of practicing at Shepherd Center that I treat every patient as I would treat them if they were my own family member. medical school: Chicago Medical School random facTs: For five years, when he was in high school and in college, Dr. Simon worked as a nurse’s aid in a Chicago hospital. It taught him to be respectful of nurses and patients and reinforced his interest in becoming a physician, he says. Shepherd Center is a remarkable, magic kingdom. People come here with their lives altered so much by injury. With help from their treatment team, they are able to overcome adversity and live productive lives. It is always inspiring to see this happen. The energy this hospital has makes me a better person. So, practicing medicine here is my way to give back. Q: what are some things you’ve learned from your interactions with shepherd center patients through the years? A: Never give up hope. That’s very important. I’ve seen patients using wheelchairs and then six months later, they have walked into my clinic. Dr. Simon has participated in several medical mission trips to Haiti, Kenya and the Philippines through the Christian Children’s Fund. Always have confidence in yourself. If you lose that confidence, you’re not going to progress with your life. I’ve seen some patients learn to discover the unexpected blessing of their injury. In time, the injury experience leads them down a different path to a more successful and meaningful life – perhaps even more so than if they had remained able-bodied. q In his free time, Dr. Simon enjoys writing and creating product lines to promote health and wellness. 5. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 5 fighting the good Fight [ Two soldiers baTTle back from spinal cord injuries To reTurn To duTy. by bill SAnDerS PhotoS oF toM boone by ruSSell klikA PhotoS oF MArcoS MADriD by Abby greenAWAlt ] When someone such as Tom Boone says rehabilitation for a spinal cord injury at Shepherd Center was one of the physically toughest, but most rewarding, things he’s ever done, it means something a little extra. Knowing his title and job helps to explain. It’s not Mr. Boone; it’s U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. First Class Tom Boone, 30, a Green Beret soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. Tom sustained a C-4 to -5 spinal cord injury (SCI) and was diagnosed with central cord syndrome, which limits function in the upper extremities more than the lower ones. He was injured in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident in September 2010 while attending a family reunion near Nashville, Tenn. There’s never a good time to flip an ATV and injure your spinal cord. But the timing seemed particularly cruel for Tom. He’d been married just six weeks when the injury happened. And he had just finished two years of Special Ops training and was about to deploy as a Green Beret. “It’s what I had trained for,” Tom says. “I wanted to get back to kicking down doors and shooting the bad guys. I think I still will get back to the front line and do the job I had trained for. “If it were not for Shepherd Center, I know I wouldn’t be having a conversation like this, even entertaining thoughts of being able to do things that physical,” he adds. “I’m still in awe at what all I saw and experienced at Shepherd Center.” Few can understand Tom’s motivation better than Marcos Madrid, 45, of Fairfax, Va., a retired Special Forces soldier and current civilian employee of the U.S. Army. As part of his requirement to stay 8 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org physically fit for his job, Marcos was mountain biking in July 2010 when he wrecked his bike and sustained a C-4 to -5 SCI. He, too, was diagnosed with central cord syndrome. Like Tom, Marcos underwent inpatient rehabilitation at Shepherd Center under the care of physiatrist Anna Elmers, M.D. Also like Tom, Marcos was scheduled to deploy for an overseas mission when he was injured. But as a 45-year-old, he’d already seen several overseas tours of duty as a Special Forces soldier. Today, Marcos is 95 percent recovered and has returned to work and to mountain biking. “Eventually, I will deploy and support those operations,” Marcos says. “I’ve been deployed before. I’ve been there, done that, but I want to go back. I may not be at 100 percent, so not all missions are going to be a good fit for me. But I think there will be a mission where I can serve in deployment again.” ToM’S ACCIDENT, Rescue and Rehabilitation For Tom, it felt as if his whole life was in front of him on Sept. 10, 2010. He had a beautiful new bride, and the rigorous, meticulous training required to become a Green Beret was behind him. His personal and professional life seemed set. Then, on a family reunion weekend in Nashville, Tom’s wife, Meredith Boone, went boating with part of the family while Tom went to ride ATVs with his uncle and cousins. “For some reason, I had a bad feeling about him going riding that day,” Meredith recalls. “I kept telling him to be careful and check in with me. When his Uncle Bobby called me, I thought he was joking at first. This couldn’t be real.” Tom was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The diagnosis wasn’t good – at least not at first. “I remember them telling me that I’d probably never walk again.” Tom says. “Then this doctor, (orthopedic surgeon) Dr. Clint Devin, who is some kind of superstar doctor, walks in, looks at the MRI and X-rays and said, ‘I think I can fix this guy.’” Tom had already improved his chances for recovery before he ever got to Vanderbilt. As a trained Army medic, he knew the importance of stabilizing a patient with a spinal cord injury, even if he was the patient. He instructed his cousin and uncle to get the emergency kit out of his truck and to put a neck brace on him and then not to move him. After surgery, Tom regained some sensation in his feet, and everyone believed it was a good sign. Two weeks later, he was taken by ambulance from Nashville to Shepherd Center. As thankful as the Boones are for what Dr. Devin and the Vanderbilt team did, what happened over the next couple of months at Shepherd Center left them almost speechless. “Rehabilitation was completely different from the physically taxing things I’ve done,” Tom says, “and I’ve done some things that not many would ever think about doing. The rehab was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, telling my body to do something and having it not do it, then relearning how to make it happen. “Everyone at Shepherd Center was awesome,” Tom says. “Even on days when I was being pig-headed and wanted to pout, that was not an option. I would throw a little temper tantrum and say I wasn’t going to do something that day, but my treatment team always won. It is because of them, that I can run, climb a rope, go to the shooting range and teach my 10 years of military experiences to young privates.” Meredith got to witness the spirit of Shepherd Center in a way that only spouses can. In some ways, the spouse gets to see so much more of what is going on around their loved one and in the rest of the hospital. Watching wasn’t always easy, Meredith recalls. But the outcome was typically good. “It was amazing,” she says of her Shepherd experience. “At first, you are in shock, then you wonder how all these people are all so happy. You feel like you’re the only one in the world this is happening to until you see this great community. “At Vanderbilt, they had him standing up before he left there, but his blood pressure was an issue, and he’d pass out,” Meredith recalls. “When he got to Shepherd Center, on the first or second day, they had him walking with a gait belt at the parallel bars. Then, I was the one about to pass out.” Meredith adds: “When we found out at Vanderbilt that Tom had central cord syndrome, it was heartbreaking. Tom is so strong-willed and self-reliant. Luckily for us, we had Shepherd Center to help. It was extremely hard for him to lose his independence, and when he started to recover, it was just as hard for me to give it back.” Dr. Elmers says there was never doubt in her mind that Tom would reach his rehabilitation goals. And she thinks his future goals are certainly attainable. “Patients who have gone through military training are often our best patients and have the best outcomes,” she says. “The training Tom had gone through, it’s obviously not easy. I know soldiers go through a lot in training camps, both physically and psychologically. Their attitudes and work ethic pay off in rehabilitation here.” u.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. First Class tom Boone, 30, is a Green Beret soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, n.C. he sustained an incomplete C-4 to -5 spinal cord injury in an Atv accident in 2010. he was diagnosed with central cord syndrome. today, he has returned to duty as a medic and instructor. MARCoS’ ACCIDENT, Rescue and Rehabilitation Imagine a tough, veteran Green Beret, and that describes Marcos, Dr. Elmers says. “What you see in movies about soldiers, Marcos is that kind of person,” she explains. “He has a dry wit, but was very serious about his rehabilitation. He’s the type of patient that we’ll remember 30 years from now.” The feeling is mutual. Marcos retired in 2009 after 20 years in the U.S. Army, the last 11 of which were in the Special Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 9 Marcos Madrid, 45, of Fairfax, va., is a retired Special Forces soldier and current civilian employee of the u.S. Army. Marcos was mountain biking in July 2010 when he wrecked his bike and sustained a C-4 to -5 SCi. he, too, was diagnosed with central cord syndrome. today, he is back at work for the Army. Forces. In 2009, he became a civilian employee in support of Special Ops. He was about to deploy to Afghanistan when he was injured. “I was doing some last-minute training before deploying and was riding my mountain bike on a trail I had ridden for eight years, the same route, with the same group,” Marcos recalls. “Somehow, I went over a log, and it drove my head into the ground. I knew it was bad from the moment it happened, but I also remember thinking I would 10 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org overcome it – and quickly. I couldn’t move anything, couldn’t tell where my arms were, what position they were in.” Marcos was second to last in his group of 12 bikers on the trails. Had he been last, he’s not sure how quickly he could have gotten help. As it was, he was able to get the attention of the last rider, who stopped to help his friend. “We were deep in the trail, so it took paramedics about an hour to get to me,” Marcos recalls. “They dragged me out on a back board, then to a Gator (all-terrain vehicle) and then to an ambulance. This whole time, I’m thinking it will go away. I will fight through it like everything else. I had just shocked my system. I thought I’d be running again the next day. It didn’t get any better in a few hours, and I started to realize that it was not looking good. That’s when depression hit.” Like Tom, Marcos had central cord syndrome. That meant nothing to Marcos, who just wanted to know whether he’d be walking and running again, and when. “Basically, it’s a crap shoot as to what comes back after the swelling goes down,” Marcos says. “I needed an answer. Was it 50-50? 75-25? But they didn’t know.” Twelve weeks later, Marcos left Shepherd Center with most of his questions answered. “When I got to Shepherd, I couldn’t move,” he recalls. “As far as I’m concerned, I couldn’t do anything. Within the first week, my therapists had me standing me up, even though I still couldn’t move. I was on a backboard, and they had me support myself. It was a good milestone. The following week, while I couldn’t control what I was doing, they had me walk in a harness. If I had laid in bed, which is what often happens at other hospitals, I might still be in bed.” Two Soldiers Back on Duty Marcos has one regret about joining the Special Forces – that he didn’t do it sooner. “Definitely I would do it again,” he says. “I wish I had done it earlier. I liked the full-on volunteer nature of enlisting. Everyone is there because they want to be there. No matter what you’re doing, everyone is there because they chose to, and that adds some peace of mind.” Tom, of course, wants nothing more than to have a shot at what Marcos had – 11 years in the Special Forces. “I had no intention of making it a career,” Tom says. “I went into the National Guard right out of high school. It was going to pay for college. While in the Indiana National Guard, I worked with some Green Berets. I thought they are a lot cooler than I am. I want to be one of these guys.” Both Marcos and Tom plan on continuing a career that involves deployments. “I believe I can do that,” Tom says. “Physically, I’m nowhere near the man I was, but I’m getting closer every day, and I do hope to get back to the frontline fight. I’m a stubborn guy. No one will tell me what I can’t do.” Dr. Elmers believes Tom can and will do that before too long. As for Marcos, he might have already gone back to Afghanistan and just isn’t saying so. “I think he thought he was going soon – against doctor’s orders,” Dr. Elmers adds. “But I know that’s where his heart is, too, so as his doctor, I’m fine with it.” q Share Military initiative provides hope and recovery for wounded Military personnel By Bill sanders Patients who have served the u.S. military have long been an important focus of the medical treatment and rehabilitation programs at Shepherd Center. But since early 2008, after philanthropist Bernie Marcus learned about the gap in care for military personnel with brain injuries, the hospital has served more than 124 service members through the ShAre Military initiative. Marcus funded the program initially, but after publicity about its success in helping wounded service members either return to the military or transition back to civilian life, ShAre (Shaping hope and recovery excellence) has garnered financial support locally, as well as nationally. “it truly is remarkable that we continue to see the generosity in support of wounded service members so these heroes can receive the much-needed private sector care they deserve until the military health care services ramp up,” says Susan Johnson, program director of Brain injury Services. though ShAre initially provided treatment for active-duty military personnel who sustained spinal cord and/or brain injuries either on the battlefield or stateside, the program – based on increasing need – has evolved, Johnson explains. now, it focuses on comprehensive treatment for military personnel who have sustained mild traumatic brain injury (mtBi) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PtSD) while serving in iraq or Afghanistan. “they have suffered from numerous blast injuries with subsequent PtSD and have often have been misdiagnosed or untreated, resulting in a number of other chronic issues,” Johnson says. ShAre participants undergo outpatient treatment in a 10- to 12-week program in which they are housed together in apartments close to Shepherd Center. Services provided run the gamut from physical, cognitive, behavioral and psychological treatment, including family and vocational counseling. Since its inception, ShAre has collected a lot of outcome data from the treatment program. the data indicate that clients are improving in cognition, depression, PtSD, headaches, pain and sleep, Johnson notes. once they transition back into the military or civilian life, clients are managed and followed by ShAre’s military services transition coordinator for up to a year – or more based on their individual needs. the ShAre leadership team has just developed an enhanced transition treatment program that measures the individual success of clients. this model is individualized using a goal attainment scale that the client determines for monitoring his/her success, Johnson explains. Clients can use outlined strategies to cope based on the ups and downs that may occur during their transition. the pilot program has shown a lot of merit, she adds. “right now, we know how many go back to work or return to active duty, but we want to learn more about their day-to-day development after they leave,” Johnson explains. “this new standardized measurement scale will help give us more objective data.” Meanwhile, fundraising continues for the ShAre Military initiative. triCare military insurance covers only some of the costs of treatment. So, funds donated to ShAre fill the gap. the program needs about $70,000 a month to sustain its current patient population of 10 to 12 soldiers at any given time, Johnson says. Donors continue to give generously to ShAre, and the program is well on its way to meeting its funding goal in the current fiscal year, she adds. ShAre expects to get a boost later this year from funds raised in the hospital’s largest fundraiser of the year – the legendary Party. it is scheduled for nov. 3, 2012 at the ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. ticket information for the gala event will be available soon at www.thelegendaryParty.com. For more information on ShAre, see Sidebar story and photos online 5. www.shepherd.org/share. at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 11 A patient with seven children imparts life lessons to his family and draws strength from them during his recovery. by bill SAnDerS 1. 12 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org To 12-year-old Sylvia Meredith, Shepherd Center was the perfect location for a superhero to do battle with his arch nemesis. Sylvia, and her six siblings, spent weeks in early 2012 living in Shepherd Center’s Woodruff Family Residence Center while their dad, Tim Meredith, 42, of Bristol, Tenn., underwent rehabilitation for a stroke. In a story Sylvia wrote during her dad’s rehabilitation, Batman became a patient at Shepherd Center after a car crash caused by The Joker. The Joker got so frustrated with Shepherd Center for doing such a thorough job in treating Batman that he set out to destroy the hospital. The Joker foiled his own plan, though, when he fell off the roof of the hospital. The Joker then underwent rehabilitation at Shepherd Center before going to prison. “I thought this would be a good way to say thank you to Shepherd Center and make them laugh,” says Sylvia, who sent her story to hospital cofounder Alana Shepherd. “I figured out a problem and a good solution to the problem. I tried to make Shepherd Center the hero.” The Meredith children, ranging in age from 8 months to 12, witnessed the heroics of the Shepherd Center staff on a daily basis. Alison Meredith, Tim’s wife, homeschools the children, and after consulting with Tim and counselors at Shepherd Center, she decided to relocate her family to Atlanta for the duration of Tim’s rehabilitation. Catherine Rogers, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist at Shepherd Center, says in this case, having the whole family participate in the daily therapeutic process was beneficial not only to Tim, but also to Alison and the children. “One thing we recommend for families is to keep as much structure and routine for children as possible,” Dr. Rogers says. “For the Merediths, with the kids being homeschooled, it would have been more disruptive for them to be apart from their parents when they were so used to being together during the days and evenings. “It’s amazing, given that they have seven children, how orderly things were and how well they did being on the Acquired Brain Injury Unit.” Alison knew the stay in Atlanta would be a PhotoS BY louie FAvorite AnD leitA CowArt disruptive time for the children. The question was, “Would it be more helpful, in the long run, to have the children with their dad?” “I asked three of my closest friends, ‘Am I nuts?’ before bringing the kids,” she says. “Everyone agreed with what I was thinking. So the kids were packed up and brought down to Atlanta. The kids learned in a real way that family matters, and you drop everything and do what it takes to love Dad.” Shortly after experiencing strokes caused by an iliac aneurysm, Tim’s chances of survival were poor, according to his doctors in Tennessee. But the Meredith family never lost hope, instead choosing to pray and then to focus on things they could control. Tim, who was discharged from Shepherd Center in late March, says he is proud of his children and thankful for how the hospital staff helped them understand and cope with his injury. “For Sylvia and Peter (age 10), this will be a defining part of their childhood,” Tim says. “It’s all been hard on them, but I think it would have been harder for them to stay at home. They got to come together around their dad and saw me take this journey. I think it strengthened them.” Dr. Rogers says that being at Shepherd Center was not only good for the kids, but helped in Tim’s recovery. “It made a big difference with his mood having the contact with his family,” she notes. “It helped emotionally, but also physically, because he was so motivated to do the work involved with therapy, in large part, because he was surrounded by his family.” Dr. Rogers adds that in some other cases, having children at the hospital every day might not be good for the patient. “It varies, depending largely on the patient’s condition,” she says. “In this case, it was really good because Tim felt like the same person to them. It’s harder for kids when the patient is very disinhibited or acting out verbally or physically. He didn’t have that kind of personality change sometimes caused by a brain injury.” The Merediths are back home now. Tim wants his children to understand that he may never be 100 percent recovered from his stroke. It’s a life lesson that children have to learn at some point. But he also wants them to know how grateful he is for his many blessings – mainly, his seven children and a loving, committed wife. q 1. 2. 1. Former patient tim Meredith and his family visit with neuropsychologist Catherine rogers, far right, outside Shepherd Center’s woodruff Family residence Center, where the family stayed while he underwent rehabilitation for a brain injury. 2. Amanda Shank and her children meet with Gale eckstein in Shepherd’s Family Services Department. Sidebar and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 13 14 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org 1. A True Reflection Young people with spinal cord injuries share their self-image struggles and triumphs. by john chriStenSen Her struggles began in the southwest Georgia town of Blakely, where the family lived when she was injured. Although Kelsey downplays those early years, her mother, Rhonda Sasser says: “She had a really hard time. She felt different, and her teacher didn’t understand why Kelsey would have to leave the room so much, why it took her so long in the bathroom and why she was sick so often.” Her “new normal” and the lack of understanding she encountered stressed everyone in the family, and things didn’t improve when they moved to Dothan, Ala. “The teacher left her alone,” Rhonda says, “and the kids followed suit.” But after moving to Atlanta in 2002, Kelsey met other young people like herself in Shepherd Center’s Outpatient Services Department and found she was usually accepted wherever she went in the city. “In school, it was no big deal,” Rhonda says. “I think the kids felt, ‘Oh, it’s just Kelsey.’ She becomes Kelsey, not the chair. It was easier for her and for us.” Nevertheless, Kelsey, her older sister, Lexa, and Rhonda herself participated in counseling to help them adjust to their new reality. “Before the accident,” Rhonda says, “Kelsey was sassy and very self-confident and independent. For a while after, it was difficult for her. Her self-esteem kelsey Sasser, 18, recently graduated from holy innocents episcopal School in Atlanta. Years after sustaining a spinal cord injury, she is now self-confident and outgoing. She enjoys photography and won a Critics’ Choice Award for her work in a competition in Atlanta. the photo depicts a damaged, but still beautiful Barbie. “Finding the beauty in negative places proves hard to some, but for others, when that nut is cracked, the true beauty shines through more powerful than before,” kelsey says. PhotoS BY GArY Meek When 18-year-old Kelsey Sasser was a freshman at Holy Innocents Episcopal School in Atlanta, her English teacher told the class “If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk.” Kelsey quipped, “Are you trying to make fun of me?” Her classmates laughed, but the teacher was horrified, thinking he’d offended her. He hadn’t. “That’s just the way I roll,” she says. Kelsey has been rolling since she was six years old, when she sustained a complete T-3 spinal cord injury in an auto accident. Now a recent high school graduate, she is a poised young woman whose stunning photograph of a smudged, onelegged Barbie doll won a photography contest. She also hit the bull’s-eye three times the first time she shot a 9-millimeter pistol, programs the family’s electronic devices and — English teachers take note — was voted by her classmates “Most Likely to Make You Laugh.” Kelsey describes herself: “I’m shy to a certain degree… a bit reserved until I know what’s going on. But once you get to know me, I might not be quiet ever.” However, adjusting her self-image to accommodate her disability, as many teen-agers discover, was not easy. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 15 1., 2. Former patient luke easterwood, 22, of rome, Ga., regained his selfconfidence in time after his injury. he recently graduated from Georgia Southern university and will be entering graduate school at the university of washington this fall. 3., 4. Former patient Schuyler Jenkins, 20, of ellenwood, Ga., right, returns to Shepherd Center to provide peer support to patients, including Brady Conaster, 19, of Cunningham, tenn., left. he keeps in touch with his former therapists, including Cheryl linden and Cathi Dugger. was not very good. But now she’s sassy again. She thinks, ‘Yes, I can do it.’” “Sometimes young people are embarrassed at having a disability,” says Kathy Mattox, a nurse in Outpatient Services, who has seen Kelsey in the clinic since 2005. “But we get them out in the community and teach them how to handle people who lack knowledge about people with disabilities. Kelsey grew up in that chair. Kelsey has a good self-image and is proud of her accomplishments. She is a wellrounded teenager and has a bright future.” Cheryl Linden, a counselor who works with Shepherd’s adolescent inpatients with spinal cord injury, says young people with disabilities worry about how they appear to others, whether they’ll be able to do what others do and whether others will want to be around them. They worry about getting around, about complications from bowel and bladder programs, and, naturally, they wonder about dating. One of the best predictors for a good self-image, Cheryl says, is strong support from family and friends. In fact, she says, “Some who are more independent physically have a harder time at home than those who are less independent, but are better emotionally because of that support.” Another indicator is personality. Everyone has different coping skills, and someone who is highly motivated before their injury may also be motivated to recover from it. “It’s not just about adjusting to a spinal cord injury,” Cheryl says. “It’s also about taking charge of your life again and how you put yourself out there and perceive yourself rather than how others see you. Others take their cues from you.” But what teen-agers seek most is conformity. 1. 2. 3. 4. 16 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org PhotoS BY JereMY wilBurn AnD leitA CowArt “Image is everything,” Cheryl says. “They want to be like everyone else; they don’t want to be seen as different. They want to fit in, whether that means having long hair or wearing your pants hanging down. They identify with the group.” She adds, “I can talk about those things, but I’m not a teen-ager and haven’t been for some time, and I don’t have a spinal cord injury.” Thus, the need exists for peer supporters – teenagers and young adults who have overcome the physical, emotional and psychological challenges of spinal cord injury and are living independently. Take Luke Easterwood, 22, of Rome, Ga., for example. Luke sustained a complete T-5 to -6 spinal cord injury in a motorized scooter accident in November 2008. But he graduated from Georgia Southern University this spring in just three years while also working as an intern at a university magazine. He will attend graduate school at the University of Washington this fall. Luke learned to care for himself so well that he bristles when someone holds the door for him. “I feel it’s almost like telling the other person I can’t do it for myself,” he says. “I don’t mind it if I’ve got a box in my lap or something, but I like being an activist and being empowered.” But he admits that his injury did change his self-image. “I can’t move around like I did,” he says. “And things like transferring from a bench to my chair are uncomfortable. But I also know it’s important not to worry, to be myself and not attached to the chair.” A book he read convinced him that it’s not enough to go only places that are accessible, “or you’re making yourself inaccessible. You’re putting yourself in a box if you don’t try to go,” he says. So he has gone to concerts and soccer games, and wears neon-green laces in his tennis shoes “to make people look at the laces instead of the chair.” Schuyler Jenkins, 20, a peer supporter from Ellenwood, Ga., sustained an incomplete C-4 to -5 spinal cord injury in an auto accident in November 2010. Although he is walking again, he still uses a wheelchair at times and says: “I’m pretty insecure. I was in tiptop shape for 19 years and could bench press 500 pounds. Now, I can barely lift 100, and I’m not able to do as much as I used to. But even though I’m battling, it’s still worth it to share something that would mean something to someone else.” Throughout his ordeal, Schuyler says, his friends were steadfast. “It’s like I’ve got eight mommies,” he says. Kelsey says her friends don’t see her as being in a wheelchair and “haven’t changed at all,” and that she has an active social life. And, yes, she says, she fits in. “Yeah, I stand out,” she says, “but not in a bad way. I’m the only one sitting down. But I’m pretty confident. Everyone has insecurities, but I have pretty high self-esteem. And if someone sees only my disability or has a prejudice against me, they haven’t spent enough time with me. They’d see otherwise.” q atlanta School Forms a Special Bond with Shepherd Center By John chrisTensen when rhonda Sasser looked for a high school for daughter kelsey, she called several private schools in the Atlanta area and asked if they would admit a child in a wheelchair. Most of them said no. But holy innocents episcopal School not only enrolled her, it also renovated bathrooms to make them accessible and installed push plates at the doors. “that was a big deal,” rhonda says. “they didn’t have to do that.” holy innocents makes it a habit to accommodate students and faculty with disabilities and make them feel welcome. in one case a few years ago, a third-grader was temporarily restricted to a wheelchair and unable to get to classrooms on the second floor. the third-grade classes were moved to first-floor classrooms until the student was able to walk again. in another ongoing case, a lower school chaplain has a disability, so students are brought to her for class. holy innocents students also volunteer regularly at Shepherd Center, doing such things as making courage cards, putting up holiday decorations, decorating trays and painting ceiling tiles. Some of their parents also volunteer at Shepherd. “Community service is something we value and try to instill,” says Associate headmaster rick Betts, “and we maintain a relationship with Shepherd Center, where the students can go and serve and build relationships. our community gets a lot out of it, and i know Shepherd Center appreciates what we do.” “our association with holy innocents is special,” says Dean Melcher, the Shepherd Center Foundation’s director of annual giving. “we’ve had a very long and deep relationship.” Aside from volunteer activities and individual donations, Betts estimates that fundraisers such as read-a-thons and fun runs have contributed an additional $30,000 to Shepherd Center in the 14 years he’s worked at the school. Janet Silvera, who teaches middle school science at holy innocents, was a patient in Shepherd Center’s Acquired Brain injury unit following a stroke in early 2010. At her request, the holy innocents Parents’ Association donated more than $14,000 from its 2011 Fun run to Shepherd Pathways, the hospital’s post-acute brain injury rehabilitation program. “holy innocents has a very strong family relationship among faculty, parents and students,” Janet says. “And a number of our students and parents have been patients at Shepherd Center. i really wanted to do something to give back because when i walk into that hospital, i get an overwhelming feeling of comfort and appreciation for the ongoing support that Shepherd provides for patients and their family. i am blessed to be able to teach again.” Former Shepherd Center patient Janet Silvera teaches at holy innocents episcopal School in Atlanta. Photo BY GArY Meek More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 17 The Winning Vows former patient and his new wife win a national contest with the wedding vows she penned in just a few minutes. by bill SAnDerS 18 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org PhotoS BY kellYe lewiS How long would it take you to write wedding vows so beautiful, eloquent and heartfelt that you’d feel comfortable enough to enter them into a national E! Network online contest? Surely, if you even mustered up the gumption to give it a try, you’d dwell on every word, rewrite every sentence a dozen times and, if you really wanted to take it seriously, you’d probably get all of your friends’ opinions on the draft version. Megan Robinson Huwe did exactly the opposite. Upon seeing a commercial for a contest that was pegged to the release of the February 2012 Rachel McAdams movie “The Vow,” Megan sat down, and in a few minutes, she wrote the vows she wanted to say to her fiancé, Peter Huwe, a former Shepherd Center patient who sustained a C-6 to -7 spinal cord injury in a diving accident in 2005. In an excerpt from her vows, Megan wrote: “I always knew that one very lucky girl would steal your heart and get to spend her life with you. I just never thought that girl would be me... I have always said, what you lack physically, you make up for 100 times over in character, perseverance and kindness. You are exactly what I always prayed for in a husband... It is so comforting to know that I will have a husband who can handle all the curve balls life has to throw…Thank you for changing my life.” That said, Megan put her entry into an envelope and mailed it, thinking nothing more about it or the $25,000 grand prize to be awarded to the contest winner. “It was really easy,” Megan recalls, a bit embarrassingly. “It took me about 15 minutes to write exactly how I feel. I may have missed a thing here or there, but it got my point across.” About a week after submitting her contest entry, the E! network called Megan to say she was a finalist. Eventually, after nearly two weeks of voting, she heard from the network again. “They called on Valentine’s Day to tell me we had won,” Megan says. “I was in shock. I called Peter, and he didn’t believe me. We’d come to terms with the fact that we hadn’t won that morning. We thought, while it would have been great to win, what meant most to us about the entire process was all of the love and support we received from our friends, our family and all of the people who rallied behind our story. Without that, the victory would not have been possible, and it made the win that much sweeter.” On June 30, the couple married in Mississippi, and E! Network picked up $25,000 of the tab. The prizes included Megan’s wedding dress and up to five bridesmaids dresses from Simone Carvalli, wedding bands from Parade, registry gifts from Bloomingdale’s and a honeymoon in Los Cabos. But long before the contest, Peter and Megan both felt like they had won the spousal lottery. Peter and Megan met in the chemistry department when they were students at Mississippi College. Paralyzed from the chest down, Peter was a little apprehensive about dating at first. But his wheelchair wasn’t the hindrance. “We started out as friends, “ Peter says. “We’d go out for coffee, occasionally lunch. It wasn’t until after I graduated from college and moved up to Philadelphia and started grad school that we started a romantic relationship.” What took him so long? “That was all her fault,” Peter says. “When I was in Mississippi, she was dating another guy. As soon as I found out they had split up, I escalated the relationship.” Megan likes the idea of sounding diplomatic when speaking of that previous dating relationship. But now that she’s married, there’s no fooling anyone. “From first time I met him, I knew some girl was going to be lucky, and secretly maybe I was hoping it would be me,” Megan says. The two now gush over one another with worldclass grace. “She’s a catch, a very special girl,” Peter says. “She has the sweetest personality. When she broke up with her boyfriend, I know there were tons of guys who wanted to date her. I was the lucky one.” Megan doesn’t see it that way, instead believing that she is the lucky one. “He’s very handsome, smart and outgoing,” she says. “You just feel good when you are around him. I don’t know one person who doesn’t like him. “We had a long talk about his injury before we started dating. He asked if it was something I could handle. Of course, I said yes. Now I think, ‘Who wouldn’t want to marry someone like Peter, someone who could handle what he’s handled and have such a great outlook on life?’” Peter hasn’t regained any sensation and only a little motor function since leaving Shepherd Center seven years ago. “My biceps work a little, and I have a little bit of finger extension,” he explains. “But I have no grip in my hands. There’s not much there. “But really, once I decided for myself that it was OK, and I got back to putting myself out there as a confident person, it became easy,” he adds. “Other people are attracted to that.” Megan certainly was. “I don’t really remember having thoughts about what it meant to be dating someone in a wheelchair,” she says. “I know this, it wasn’t the first thing I noticed about him. Not by a long shot.” q Megan robinson and former patient Peter huwe married on June 30 in Mississippi. the e! network paid for $25,000 of their wedding expenses after Megan wrote wedding vows that won her the grand prize in a national contest. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 19 Women desiGned for While female patients make up a small part of shepherd Center’s patient population, the hospital goes the distance to help them adjust to life after an injury. 1. 20 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org For Maria Rea, grocery shopping is an exercise in organization and tenacity. The 34-year-old teacher from Hazlehurst, Ga., places a hand basket on her lap and rolls her wheelchair around the grocery store, collecting what she needs for her family of four. When the basket is full, she rolls to the front of the store, where she’s placed a cart, and dumps everything in. She repeats this process until she has everything on her list. Jitka Virag, of Greenville, N.C., is equally skilled at improvising everyday tasks. She’s had to be. Nearly five years ago, Jitka was hit by a car while riding her bicycle to work at East Carolina University, where she is a professor. The accident left the mother of two with a T-4 complete spinal cord injury. Today, when making pasta for dinner (a family favorite), she methodically spoons the noodles from their cooking pot into a strainer placed over an empty pot. The practice saves her from lifting the heavy pot off the stove. Such are the strategies women learn during their rehabilitation at Shepherd Center to help them resume their lives as wives, mothers and employees. While the goals for male and female patients are the same at Shepherd Center – to regain as much independence as possible – female patients who have a spinal cord injury (SCI) or an acquired brain injury (ABI) often receive added assistance dealing with issues unique to them, from careers to child care, body image to sexuality. And homemaking. Therapy at Shepherd Center addresses everything a patient did before injury, and for many women that includes cooking, cleaning, shopping and doing laundry. “We take them out on outings, teach them how to maneuver around a grocery store, practice in the kitchen – even teach them how to get dressed and put on makeup,” says Minna Hong, a peer support coordinator at Shepherd Center. “Whatever they want to work on, we try to accommodate because practice makes perfect.” Injured 13 years ago in a car accident that left her a single mother to a 6-year-old son and 8-year-old Photo thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite by SArA bAxter PhotoS thiS PAGe BY GrAY whitleY daughter, Minna knows firsthand about being in a wheelchair and handling the challenges of raising children, working, and eventually for her, dating. That is why she freely shares her experience with others through peer support groups. Maria is one who benefited from such sharing. After sustaining a T-10 incomplete SCI in a February 2011 car accident, she spent seven months in Shepherd’s inpatient and day programs. One particularly helpful boost was when Shepherd taught her how to train her two children on new ways to manage day-to-day activities and tasks. Another was learning to drive an accessible vehicle: Maria now drives an accessible van (donated to Shepherd Center and then given to Maria) to the school where she works as a prekindergarten teacher. She plans to resume full-time teaching this fall. “I’d probably be sitting in the closet crying if it weren’t for Shepherd,” Maria says. “They played a huge role in my recovery.” Alyson Boyea Doherty, of Woburn, Mass., agrees. Eleven years ago, her car hydroplaned and hit a tree, leaving her with an acquired brain injury. Alyson, now 36, spent a month at Shepherd Center, relearning how to walk, talk and eat. She continued with outpatient rehabilitation at Shepherd Pathways. Her goal after leaving Shepherd was to have a “normal” life, she says. Though she has adjusted well, Alyson encounters some limitations. Daily tasks are sometimes a challenge because the accident damaged the system in her brain that controls cognitive processes. In 2005, she married her boyfriend, Jeff, who’d been with her before the accident, and the pair moved from Atlanta to Woburn. They now have a 3-year-old son, and Alyson is a stay-at-home mom. “Most day-to-day stuff is hard,” says Alyson, who tried to return to work as a bank teller, but was unable to. “So I try to stick to a routine as much as I can.” That means shopping for groceries, taking her son to and from preschool and working out. As a result of her injury, she has positional vertigo, which affects her balance and ability to walk a straight line. As a result, she has to remain extra vigilant when watching her son. Finding a way to maintain a positive attitude has been equally important. “Although it is very hard to stay positive while recovering, you have to, otherwise you will go insane feeling sorry for yourself,” says Alyson, adding that despite the extremely difficult times, the accident really strengthen the key relationships in her life, and for that she is grateful. Jitka has experienced her share of adjustments, too. An assistant professor of physiology at East Carolina University, Jitka studies the ways to repair damaged cardiac tissue after a heart attack. Part of her research includes performing microsurgery, and the university has sought to make her transition easier by providing support staff and lowering the work table in her lab. Jitka has also learned to juggle errands and tasks, such as taking her kids to swim or dance practice, and she credits her husband, Jani, for handling most duties in the home. While managing households and recalibrating logistics often take top priority, the women treated at Shepherd must surmount other challenges – like 2. 1. Former patient Maria rea of hazelhurst, Ga., learns to navigate a grocery store in a wheelchair as part of her therapy at Shepherd Center. 2., 3. Jitka virag of Greenville, n.C., returned to work as an assistant professor of physiology at east Carolina university. 3. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 21 body image. Maria doesn’t like to wear dresses anymore because she’s self-conscious about the appearance of her legs in the wheelchair. Alyson was concerned right after her accident that her smile was “crooked.” And while Jitka calls body image “low on her priority list,” she says she doesn’t like the fact that she’s no longer at eye level with people. Gaining some measures of control are beneficial. One of the first things that made Alyson feel “normal” again was styling her own hair, she says. Maria felt the same way about applying makeup. “We find all kinds of ways to help patients with their grooming if it’s important to them,” Minna explains. “Sometimes, that means we get creative and teach them new techniques. What’s most important is that it can be done.” Related to body image is sex, which most women with SCI can still enjoy, albeit in a different way. In fact, women with SCI can also still get pregnant. “Our passion is still there – it’s just that the expression of that passion is different,” Jitka 1.Despite some lingering limitations from a brain injury she sustained 11 years ago, Alyson Boyea Doherty of woburn, Mass., has learned to manage her household and her role as a full-time mother of a 3-yearold son. 2. Speechlanguage pathologist hannah helton teaches organizational skills to patient Maggie Deery of hilton head island, S.C. 3. occupational therapist Sara Brockman shows patient Barbara Moore of Memphis, tenn., a device to help her open a jar. 22 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Photo thiS PAGe BY kelvin MA 1. says. “I have all this metal around me, so it can be challenging to find ways around it.” “The thought of sex terrified me,” Minna admits. “My body didn’t look the same, and I thought, ‘Who will find this attractive?’ It is very scary.” But like other Shepherd patients, Minna worked through the self-doubt and remarried five years ago. Her advice to others: “Humor is extremely helpful.” Shepherd has a support group covering topics relating to sexuality so women can talk about their issues and concerns. “You don’t get brownie points for doing it on your own,” Minna says. “You need to ask for help and support.” It helps to have that support close to home. Alyson, Jitka and Maria all credit their husbands for standing by them and giving them the love and support they need to adjust to their new situations. “My husband gives me ‘tough love,’” Maria says. “He tells me, ‘I’m here if you need me, but try it on your own first.” “My husband is undeterred by adversity,” Jitka says. “If there is a way to get around it, he will find it. We share the view that things are only impossible if you let them be.” q 2. PhotoS thiS PAGe BY louie FAvorite 3. Why Are Women UniqUe At shepherd Center? By sara BaxTer Regardless of injury – spinal cord injury (SCI) or acquired brain injury (ABI) –men far outnumber women in the patient population at Shepherd Center. In 2011, Shepherd had 916 inpatients. Of those, only 209 were women. “Generally the ratio of men to women with SCI is four to one,” says Sarah Morrison, PT, vice president of Clinical Services at Shepherd Center. “Last year, only 18 percent of the people we served in the SCI inpatient rehabilitation program were women.” This statistic is mirrored on the brain injury side, as well. “Only 27 percent of all ABIs at Shepherd are women,” says Susan Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP, CCM, director of Brain Injury Services at Shepherd. This imbalance is largely because, by nature, men are higher risk takers than women, and they are more likely to put themselves in situations that are unsafe, where serious injuries can occur. “SCI has many causes, but the typical ones are associated with major trauma from moving vehicle accidents, falls, sports and violence,” Morrison says. “In general, men take more risks and are more likely to engage in highly dangerous sports or activities that lead to these kinds of catastrophic injuries.” The same is true for traumatic brain injuries, Johnson says, adding that men also tend to have jobs with higher stress levels, which increases hypertension and vulnerability to strokes. Historically, this lopsidedness has also been reflected in the body of research dedicated to women with SCI and ABI – mainly because of the small pool from which to pull research candidates. Just as they have unique needs in therapy, women with SCI and ABI also have unique needs in research, and the field is realizing that women need to be studied differently than men. “Women develop different co-morbidities than men,” says Lesley Hudson, M.A., co-project director of the Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Model Injury System at Shepherd Center. “Because there aren’t as many patients to study, those issues have been largely ignored.” Reproduction, fertility, osteoporosis and menopause are issues that are unique to women and need to be addressed, she adds. One big factor that has helped fuel new research focused on women is that more women are entering the research field and obtaining doctoral and medical degrees. “Also, women are becoming more vocal, and are asking for this,” Hudson says. “Usually, when there is a glaring need, someone steps up.” And research that is unique to women will only help them deal with their unique issues. “We’ve done so much to ensure a reasonable life expectancy,” Hudson says. “We now want to give women the tools to improve the quality of that life.” More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 23 smart Phone, smart Apps Wireless rerC at shepherd Center and Georgia tech launches App factory project to develop apps for people with disabilities. by john chriStenSen PhotoS by gAry Meek The online pitch for the smart phone app “foursquare” promises that users can keep up with friends, discover what’s nearby, save money and unlock rewards. But to John Morris, apps like foursquare have great potential to enable people with disabilities to lead fuller and more active lives. “It’s intended for young people to hang out and check in with each other when they’re at a club or restaurant,” says Morris, program manager for the Research Engineering and Rehabilitation Center for Wireless Technology (Wireless RERC). “When you open the app, it uses GPS to locate your cell phone and know where you are. You can invite friends and family into your foursquare network, which can be especially empowering if you have a disability. It lets you go out into the world, and if you get lost or confused or stuck somewhere, you friends and family know where you are.” Conducting research and developing apps for people with disabilities is one mission of the Wireless RERC, a collaborative effort between Shepherd Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Its mandate goes beyond Shepherd patients who need assistance with mobility, dexterity and cognitive issues to include people with vision, hearing and speech impairments, as well. A 2009 survey estimated that 10 percent of the U.S. population – about 30 million people – has a disability, a number that Morris believes is lower than the actual figure. He also notes that a recent Wireless RERC survey reveals that close to 90 percent of people with disabilities use wireless technology – a rate that is comparable to the technology adoption rate of the general population. Regular cell phones offering call, text and camera functions are useful to people with 24 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org disabilities, but the popularity of smart phones and the explosive growth of apps make them the obvious focus of Wireless RERC’s efforts. The smart phone can be adapted to meet a variety of needs. “You can add and subtract a lot of things, and that’s been a problem for people with disabilities,” says Jim Mueller, co-director of a Wireless RERC project called the App Factory. “There are certain things they’d love to adapt, but can’t. Smart phones have that accessibility.” But finding apps that are useful to people with disabilities can be bewildering and frustrating. For example, neither of the two major application vendors, iTunes’ App Store and Google Play, have specific categories for users with a disability. And when iTunes created a category that had useful apps for people with speech impairments, they were lost in the shuffle. “The choices were limited,” Morris says, “and they were mixed with things like ‘Learn Spanish in Five Easy Steps.’” Without discrete categories, Morris says: “The best ideas won’t necessarily rise to the top. If you build a better mousetrap, people may not come because they may not even know about it. If there are 500,000 apps on the App Store and another 500,000 on Android’s store, how do you find one that helps a blind person navigate a city street? If you know its name, great. But if you’re looking to compare features, functionality and options, it’s difficult.” Further complicating the issue is that there are no standardized keywords when searching for apps. “Is foursquare an assistive app?” Morris asks. “Yes. But, there’s a lot of ambiguity about what apps qualify as assistive technology in the app world. And that presents a challenge.” The App Factory was created, Mueller says, “to develop apps for people of all ages and disabilities, including senior citizens and those who may have age-related loss of function.” Wireless RERC uses a variety of online technologies to update consumers and industry about its App Factory apps and other projects. Those technologies include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, email newsletters and its newly revamped website, wirelessrerc.org. Developers and industry leaders use these resources to learn about unmet needs from content posted by advocacy groups, user groups and members of Wireless RERC’s Consumer Advisory Network, which has about 1,000 members. Wireless RERC’s YouTube channel also offers a variety of app tutorials, and its Facebook page encourages consumers with disabilities to share their experiences using wireless technology. The App Factory uses that information as guidance in developing applications for unmet needs and niche markets that commercial developers neglect. “The deaf-blind community is one of those,” Mueller says. “We want to be open to address solutions that address their population. Generally, we’re trying to level the playing field across all disabilities.” One of the App Factory’s recent applications, Braille Touch, allows blind and visually impaired users to type messages on a smart phone without looking at a keyboard. “Typing the Braille alphabet on a smart phone using Braille Touch can be very fast,” Morris says. “This app also could inspire sighted people to learn Braille because it’s very easy to use and facilitates learning the Braille alphabet.” Mueller says that as technology improves, new needs can be addressed. “People want more independence,” he says, “and as they become more independent, they want to live on their own, not in institutions. Technology has the opportunity to fill that void.” q For more information on the App Factory, go to: www.wirelessrerc.org/content/app-factory-d1 Conducting research and developing apps for people with disabilities is one mission of the wireless rerC, a collaborative effort between Shepherd Center and the Georgia institute of technology. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 25 Apps for People with Disabilities The Wireless RERC doesn’t endorse the apps listed here, but acknowledges that the apps could benefit a wide range of people with disabilities. For more information on the Wireless RERC, a collaboration between Shepherd Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology, see www.wirelessrerc.org. GPS/Location foursquare: enables people to send text and photos to each other while moving about. Also locates restaurants and other urban features. Compatible with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia, Palm, Windows Phone. App Store and Google Play: Free. Google Latitude: allows users to report where they are on a map and choose which friends and family members know it. Compatible with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. Google Play and App Store: Free. Parking Mobility: users photograph cars illegally parked in disabled parking spots. Parking Mobility forwards the information to city authorities, who can ticket violators and donate a portion of the fine to a charity of the user’s choice. Compatible with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry. App Store and Google Play: Free. Medication Management Pill Identifier Lite: A database of pill images for more than 14,000 U.S. medications searchable by imprint, drug name, color and shape. Compatible with iPhone only. App Store: $.99. Pocket Pharmacist: summaries of the 1,100 mostused prescription drugs in the U.S. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (iOS 5.0 or later). App Store: $1.99. iPharmacy: includes ratings, dosages, warnings, and contraindications of medications, as well as a pill identifier, medication reminder, prescription discount and weekly pharmacy deals. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. More apps on reverse side. Emergency/Safety Miscellaneous FEMA: information on disasters, interactive checklist for emergency kits, emergency meeting locations, advice on staying safe and recovering from a disaster, and location of FEMA recovery center and shelters. Compatible with Android, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (4.0 or later). Google Play and App Store: Free. A Special Phone: Users with visual impairments can dial numbers by simply shaking the phone. Also, touching the screen activates a voice announcing each number and allows eyes-free and speed-dial dialing. Compatible with iPhone (iOS 3.0 or later). App Store: $.99. Ready Georgia: state version of the FEMA app sends local weather warnings and public health alerts along with evacuation routes, Red Cross shelters, etc. Compatible with Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 3.1 or later). Google Play and App Store: Free. Eyes-Free Shell: Moving a finger over the screen enables eyes-free access to all applications. Lifting finger activates the app. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. Smart-ICE: allows a pre-recorded message to be played for emergency personnel (ICE stands for In Case of Emergency) detailing important medical information at push of a button. Includes buttons that dial emergency services and sound an alarm if patient is unconscious and sends location to dispatchers. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS 3.2 or later). App Store: $.99 Emergency Button: sends a distress signal, user’s GPS location and a personalized message. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. Close Calls: primarily for locating clients and businesses, but allows users to create a wallpaper image with name, emergency phone number, allergies, medications, etc., and displays it onscreen whether phone is locked or not. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch. App Store: Free. Alyacom Emergency: alert button calls emergency number and allows user’s location to be tracked using GPS coordinates. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. iSOS: SOS button sends an email or SMS message with user’s name, date, time and location according to GPS coordinates. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS 4.1 or later). App Store: Free. My Weather Mobile: reports detailed weather conditions anywhere in the world and advises registered users of weather alerts. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 4.0 or later). App Store: Free. American Red Cross Shelter View: locations and details of 60,000 Red Cross shelters in the U.S. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS 3.0 or later). App Store: Free. S.O.S. by American Red Cross: step-by-step video demonstrations by Dr. Oz demonstrating how to respond to emergencies. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. Barcode Scanner: uses camera function to read barcode and identifies prices and reviews to reader. Also shares apps, contacts and bookmarks via QR (Quick Response) code. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. Color Identifier: one of many color identifiers (others: Color Visor, Color Reader, Color Edition, Hue Vue, ColorBlind Tools) that allow users with visual impairments to use the camera to detect and announce colors. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS 4.0 or later). App Store: $1.99. Eye Note and LookTel Money Reader: Use a camera to read currencies and announce the denomination in real time. Eye Note reads only U.S. currency; LookTel Money Reader reads US, Euro, British, Canadian and Australian currency. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad. App Store: Eye Note, free; LookTel Money Reader, $9.99. iAugComm: allows users with speech impairments to program multiple recordings for upcoming events such as going to a restaurant or a ballgame. Compatible with Android. Google Play: $4.99. Alexicomm AAC for Android: turns phone or tablet into an augmentative communication device using more than 1,200 pre-made pages and 7,000 images. Pages are imported and customized and new ones can be created. AT&T’s Natural Voices allows text-to-speech in 20 voices and five languages. Compatible with Android. Google Play: Free. Zello Walkie Talkie: turns phone into walkie-talkie for instant communication with friends or family without typing or reading. Works on any network and Wi-Fi, although users report bugs. Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 4.2 or later), Android. App Store and Google Play: Free. List Compiled by John Christensen m frosty and Bentley – much-loved meet additions to shepherd Center’s staff. by PhilliP jorDAn / PhotoS by louie FAvorite 1. 26 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Six days after a dune buggy accident left Christian Maynard partially paralyzed, he entered Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Program. Physically, mentally, geographically, it was a daunting new world for the 16-year-old Floridian. “At first, it was scary,” Christian says. “Not being able to do anything for yourself, being put in a completely different situation. Everything was hard at that point.” Christian says of all Shepherd Center’s staffers, there was one caretaker who particularly stood out – the 2-year-old with a light yellow coat of hair. “It was really comforting having Frosty around,” Christian says of the yellow Labrador, who has quickly become a well-loved member of Shepherd Center’s fourth-floor SCI rehabilitation team. “They even let him get in bed with me. I have four dogs at home, and I missed them a lot. Frosty was a pet I could be with while I was there.” Frosty did more than provide a comforting presence for Christian. To work on Christian’s fine motor skills, Shepherd’s therapists had Christian brush Frosty’s hair. Games of fetch helped Christian build up his hand and arm strength. “He’s a real calm dog,” Christian says. “He helped me start engaging. He helped with everything. He’s just a good dog to have by your side.” Christian was also a great teacher for Frosty. That’s because Frosty’s first day on the job at Shepherd Center was Jan. 30 – about a month into Christian’s three-plus-month stay there. Frosty and his fellow four-legged co-worker, Bentley, were brought to the hospital to serve as comforters and therapy assistants for patients in the SCI program. Dogs are no strangers to Shepherd Center; they have frequently been brought in by other groups to visit with patients and to receive training. But the hospital had never directly “employed” them before. “I saw how the patients and even the staff responded to the dogs who visited before,” says Rebecca McCallum McWalters, a nurse in the SCI program. “It was a remarkable sight to see everyone light up. And I thought, ‘This would be great to have all the time.’” She pursued the idea along with SCI physical therapist Beth Sasso. The two connected with the Orlando center of Canine Companions for Independence and wrote essays applying to become dog handlers at Shepherd Center. After a week of intense training with the dogs in Orlando, Sasso and McWalters brought Frosty and Bentley to Atlanta in January. Frosty was assigned to nurse duty with McWalters. “He’s very laid-back,” she says. “He will sit there and let you pet him all day. They knew Frosty would be good with me because he would have a lot of downtime while I was with patients.” Bentley was assigned to work alongside Sasso during her physical therapy rounds. “He’s pretty much the exact opposite of Frosty,” Sasso says with a laugh. “Bentley’s ready to play at all times. He’s well suited to help with physical activities.” Already, each dog has embraced his respective role. Bentley loves the gym, and Sasso schedules canine therapy into patients’ scheduled rehabilitation sessions. He is the physical helper to Frosty’s emotional comforter. Each responsibility suits the dog’s personality perfectly. Teenagers and adults alike seek out quality time with Shepherd Center’s paw-padded assistants. Often, patients’ family members look forward to the dogs’ entrance as much as the patients do. Sasso and McWalters have noticed their fellow employees’ love for the dogs, too. “The therapy staff loves Bentley,” Sasso says. “People visit me on a daily basis now, and I know they’re not always coming just to see me! You can’t see him and not smile.” “The nurses on my floor repeatedly say that when Frosty appears, the stress level immediately goes down,” McWalters adds. “He brings a calm, a peace to the floor that wasn’t there before. We have always been close-knit, but he brings so much joy and happiness.” Christian says he saw that during his time there, too. “Everybody was always wanting to play with the dogs,” he says. “They just changed the mood of everyone.” Today, Christian is back home in Florida. He is getting stronger and going to outpatient rehabilitation in Orlando. The sessions with Frosty helped, he says; he can move his hands completely now. McWalters remembers how close Frosty and Christian became. “Frosty spent a lot of time with him. Just being near him, lying in bed with him, because he was going through a lot of uncomfortable procedures while he was here.” She thinks that unconditional love and devotion is what a lot of patients covet, particularly while wrestling with the physical and emotional trauma of their situation. “I think another reason why these dogs are so loved by our patients is they don’t see their injuries, their scars,” McWalters says. “Frosty and Bentley love them regardless of what they can or cannot do. And being with Frosty each day, I see that he doesn’t care how long it takes them to get their arms ready to pet him. He just loves having their love.” q 2. 1. Christian Maynard, 16, of titusville, Fla., gets some attention from Shepherd Center therapy dog Frosty. 2. nurse rebecca McCallum Mcwalters, right, demonstrates the skills of therapy dog Bentley. 3. Physical therapist Beth Sasso assists patient Josh lam of McGayesville, va., as he walks Frosty. 3. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 27 R r esearch Weighing the Options for MS TreaTMenT shepherd Center research helps identify ms patients at higher risk of problems when considering tysabri® as a treatment option. by AMAnDA croWe, MA, MPh Jennifer Helbing, 41, of Dallas, Ga., is a busy mother of two and a full-time bookkeeper at a local elementary school. She has always had a very active lifestyle, from her high school days running on the track team to playing a tough game of tennis with her friends and now shuttling her kids to and from practice and cheering them on. Looking at her, you wouldn’t know she has MS. Helbing says that’s because she doesn’t yet have difficulty walking – one of the tell-tale signs of the disease. Since being diagnosed in 2001, daily or weekly injections of beta interferons or Copaxone – firstline therapies for MS – have kept the disease at bay. But last year, a magnetic resonance imaging scan of her brain revealed new lesions – signs that the disease had become active and was causing damage. Helbing found herself at a crossroads. She and her care team at the Andrew C. Carlos MS Institute at Shepherd Center had to rethink her options for treatment. A monoclonal antibody called natalizumab (marketed as Tysabri®), was at the top of the list, but Helbing had some trepidation having seen news reports about its risks. “Tysabri® is probably the most effective treatment we have in our toolbox to help stop MS from progressing, but it’s not without some serious safety concerns,” says Helbing’s physician, Ben Thrower, M.D., medical director of the MS Institute at Shepherd. For a subset of patients with relapsing or uncontrolled MS, treatment with Tysabri® is riskier because of the increased risk for a rare and sometimes-fatal disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. PML is caused by the JC virus (polyomavirus JC), which is usually contracted during childhood. The virus is thought to lay dormant in the body, and typically does not cause any health problems except in individuals with seriously compromised immune systems. 28 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Until recently, there was no way to determine which individuals were actually virus carriers. Earlier research suggested up to 90 percent of adults may carry the virus, Dr. Thrower notes. Therefore, he and other clinicians were working under the assumption that most patients with MS would be at heightened risk for PML if given a trial of Tysabri®. But new data, including initial results from the ongoing, longitudinal STRATIFY clinical trial under way at Shepherd Center and 326 other sites, finds that only half of the population has detectable levels of the JC virus, meaning that Tysabri® may be a viable option for many more patients with MS than originally thought. The blood test to detect JC virus was approved for commercial use in August of 2011 due, in large part, to its use in the STRATIFY study. “The ability to separate out individuals who do or don’t carry the JC virus is a big leap forward in helping us to determine who might be a safer candidate for the most effective drug we’ve got,” Dr. Thrower says. So far, it appears the incidence of PML in Tysabri®-treated, anti-JC virus antibody-negative patients is significantly lower than in those who test positive for the virus. Of patients with MS who are taking Tysabri® and have contracted PML, 21 percent have died, and the remaining 79 percent are living with severe and permanent disability. Some are faring better than others. “PML is very serious so we do everything to avoid it, and, thus far, we haven’t had a case at Shepherd Center,” Dr. Thrower says. “Most centers will still start with the first-line injectable therapies, but when a patient doesn’t have adequate control of MS, or if they are having troublesome side effects to these medications, Tysabri® should be considered.” The drug works very much like a lock and key. By binding to receptors on the surface of white blood cells, it shuts the “door” to any white blood cells trying to make their way into the central nervous system through the blood-brain barrier. Helbing says the decision to try Tysabri® is likely the best she has made related to her MS. “Every time you start a new drug, it’s scary,” she explains. “You don’t know how your body is going to respond. I felt so much more confident once I knew they would be monitoring me for the JC virus, and if, at anytime, I tested positive, I’d, of course, come off the medication.” So far, the news has been favorable for Helbing, and because the treatment is administered as a oncemonthly injection at Shepherd Center, it has been a bit of a game-changer. She no longer has to think about, prepare and give herself daily injections, which she says were nagging reminders of her disease. “It’s convenient, and it fits my lifestyle,” Helbing says. “I’m always running around with my kids, and I don’t want to give up that time. Now, I go in once a month, and the nurses in the infusion clinic – I love them – they take care of me, and that’s my day to focus on me and my health.” The STRATIFY study will continue to follow enrolled patients for four years to collect more data and determine conversion rates – what percentage of patients actually go from being JC virus antibodynegative to positive over time. All patients who are on or considering Tysabri® should now receive repeat testing for the JC virus as part of their usual care. “JC antibody testing should be part of an ongoing process to better customize therapies to the individual, rather than having to look at blanket risk,” Dr. Thrower says. “We can now counsel patients more effectively about the risks of this medication.” q Risk Factors for PML Patients with multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease who are taking Tysabri® face an increased risk for PML if they: •TestpositivefortheJCvirusantibody •HavebeentreatedwithTysabri® for longer than two years •Receivedprevioustreatmentwith immunosuppressant drugs, such as methotrexate or cyclophosphamide The Food and Drug Administration estimates that patients with all three risk factors face about a 1 percent risk for PML (11 cases per 1,000 patients treated). Jennifer helbing, 41, of Dallas, Ga., is participating in a clinical trial at Shepherd Center’s Andrew C. Carlos MS institute. Medical director Ben thrower, M.D., checks in with Jennifer during an iv treatment session. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 29 P patient profile An Artist’s Life former patient overcomes adversity and shares hope and help through his artistry. by john chriStenSen PhotoS by thoMAS WellS William Flewellen Heard, 37, was leaving Harvey’s, a popular Tupelo, Miss., restaurant, last winter when one of the hostesses noticed his paintstreaked wheelchair and followed him out the door, asking, “Are you an artist?” “I know who he is!” cried the other hostess. “He’s the guy who does that painting!” She flung her arm out as if casting paint across a canvas. It wasn’t the first time William was recognized that evening. When he arrived at his table, a pretty woman at a neighboring table, seated between her husband and toddler, smiled brightly and waved to him. Twice. “Happens all the time,” he muttered apologetically. It is almost an understatement to call William a celebrity. He has been featured on FOX TV news and in a Jackson, Miss., newspaper article; he is recognized in the grocery store by school children, 30 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org counsels people on the phone for hours and was urged by Tupelo Mayor Jack Reed to help a woman who was dangerously ill. “I asked him recently to speak to a young woman who almost died twice from an eating disorder,” says the mayor, who owns several of William’s paintings. “Few people have more difficult challenges than William, and to be both an accomplished artist and an inspiration at the same time, not many can claim that legacy.” William broke his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae in an automobile accident in 2000. When he arrived at Shepherd Center for rehabilitation three months later, his nurse told him: “Your old life is over. I’m birthing you today.” During recreation therapy at Shepherd, William decided to try painting. As a teenager, he had sprayed the undercoat on children’s furniture and baskets that his mother painted and sold at her store, Daddy’s Duck. At Shepherd, he painted with a brush taped to his wrist and continued briefly when he got home, but he hadn’t come to terms with his disability and led an unhealthy life – physically and mentally. “I stopped and prayed and decided I had to do something with my life and get stronger,” he says. “I was dependent on Mom and everyone else to do things for me. I was determined to become independent.” He returned to rehabilitation with a vengeance and exercised constantly. He also watched a movie about painter Jackson Pollock and was fascinated by his “drip” technique. “I wanted to try what he was doing,” William says, “but I couldn’t hold a brush.” An operation on the tendons in his wrist enabled him to regain use of his right hand. It enabled him to drive and become self-sufficient, and to experiment with Pollock’s technique by dipping a Styrofoam ball with a spoon stuck in it into cups of paint, then drizzling it onto a canvas. One day he accidentally dripped paint from one cup into the others and noticed that rather than blending, the paints retained their respective colors. Curious, he emptied one cup’s contents onto the canvas, turning and shaping as he poured. “The colors exploded,” he said. Thus was born the technique that has generated art shows in Charlotte, N.C., Seaside, Fla., New Orleans, La., and Jackson, Miss., and landed his works in private collections, galleries and a few museums. He has painted everything from abstracts to nudes to homes to cityscapes, but it is his butterflies that became his trademark. “The butterfly was the image that first came to me,” he says. “It’s got all the colors, and it’s a symbol of rebirth.” William donated a butterfly painting to Shepherd Center and further shared his rebirth by joining an organization for people with disabilities called Living Independently for Everyone (LIFE). While visiting others with disabilities, he was struck by how many were isolated, poor and depressed. He started an art class for them at his mother’s store and included trips to the mall, restaurants and other activities to involve them in everyday life. He was so successful that he now receives grants to support his work and teaches in the schools where children not only get to paint, but also learn to understand and relate to people with a disability. William’s foundation, Our ArtWorks, also organizes a dressy art show that has become one of the major social events of the year. He has won numerous civic awards for his efforts, but perhaps his greatest satisfaction has been bringing joy and a sense of community to those who had neither. Annette Rinehart of Booneville, Miss., drives her son 31-year-old son, Brad, 45 minutes each way so he can attend William’s class. Brad, who has epilepsy, is unable to drive or work, but is now selling his own sculptures, birdhouses and angels. “He did not have anything to look forward to before art,” Annette says. “Now, every day he wants to know if he’s going to class.” “I have friends now,” Brad says. “I can call and visit with them and do things. William is a great friend who loves to help others.” “Wherever William goes, he’s like a missionary,” says Susan Heard, his mother. “People are just transformed. There was one guy who never talked to anyone and never used the telephone. William called him every day and became his friend; he even took him to get a tattoo. Now he’s calling people and getting out. William also took them to the beach, and they went deep sea fishing and were interviewed on the local radio station.” Yet another time, William and two of his students painted their hair red, white and blue, just for the heck of it. William says he is “amazed” at how his life has turned out, adding: “It’s a lot of fun. I’m very thankful and lucky.” His mother is in awe of his transformation. “William has made me believe in God,” she says. “I didn’t before. Between Shepherd Center and God, he is making a mark that would have been impossible without his injury. When you see him with children and adults, you know somebody has intervened.” q william Flewellen heard, 37, of tupelo, Miss., has become a celebrated artist. During rehabilitation at Shepherd Center for a spinal cord injury, he tried painting but then stopped after he returned home. Seeking to improve his life, he returned to painting years later, and now his unique work has grown in popularity. Sidebar story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 31 A a lumni profiles 2 4 3 1 from near and far former shepherd Center patients from across the nation report on their productive lives post-injury. by bill SAnDerS 1 Jason Gavel griFFin, gA Jason Gavel, 27, of Griffin, Ga., woke up one Monday morning in fall 2011, and he couldn’t feel anything or move anything from his waist down. He was fine Sunday night and paralyzed by Monday morning. Soon, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). “The diagnosis was a complete shock,” 32 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Jason says. “It put a big pause button on my life.” Shepherd Center MS Institute neurologist Sherrill Loring, M.D., confirmed the diagnosis and started Jason on a daily injection therapy of Copaxone. Jason, who lives about 30 miles south of Shepherd Center, also began going to weekly support groups at the hospital. “Talking to people who can relate to what I’m going through is a huge encouragement,” he says. “The doctors are tremendous. They have given us a lot of information, including advice on insurance and employment issues.” During one visit to Shepherd Center earlier this year, Jason was seen in the Shepherd Pain Institute, where his physician discovered two holes in discs in his back. They stemmed from previous spinal taps that had gone awry. So, Jason recently had surgery to repair those discs, and he expects to make a full recovery soon. “I haven’t had any symptoms from the MS since being on the daily therapy of injections,” Jason says. “As soon as I get out of this back brace, I can get back to a so-called normal life.” 2 3 4 Sam “Sonny” Novotny, Taylor Relford Brook Waddle oSSiPee, nh gADSDen, Al lAnDruM, Sc Taylor Relford, 25, of Gadsden, Ala., was Sam “Sonny” Novotny, 46, of a student at Auburn University when he Ossipee, N.H., sustained a T-11 to -12 sustained a brain injury in an automobile incomplete spinal cord injury in 2008 accident. He was in a coma at University in a snowmobile accident. Sonny of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center believes that had he not found his way for a couple of months following the to Shepherd Center four years ago, he accident. Then he was transferred to might not be walking today. Shepherd Center for rehabilitation. As it is, Sonny walks, sometimes with Ultimately, Taylor graduated from a cane, and uses an electric scooter Auburn in December 2011 with a on long outings. That’s the good news. bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary The not-so-good news is that he still studies with concentrations in agronomy experiences a lot of pain, he says. and soils, as well as agricultural “I was totally paralyzed when I left economics. As a brain injury survivor, the Maine Medical Center to come to Taylor readily admits that his studies took Shepherd Center,” Sonny recalls. “I more work than it might have pre-injury. really lucked out by getting there. It was “School was very hard,” Taylor says. amazing. I know if we ever win the lottery, “It was a constant battle to pass every we’re going to donate. course. I did everything I could to pass. “But the pain is almost the same as At Auburn, as part of the work toward my it was when I left Shepherd Center four degree, I worked on the athletic fields turf. years ago,” he explains “My lower back It always was a dream to work on those and the nerves around my waist hurt fields. I worked on golf courses, too.” every day. But I can get around the For Taylor, adjusting socially after house, and I hunt and get on my fourhis injury was a bit easier than the wheeler and play in the snow and do academic adjustment. some gardening.” “Everything is going great socially,” he Recently, Sonny and his wife Kim have found themselves fighting another battle. says. “I was always very social before my wreck. I knew people might look at Their son, Nicholas, 22, was recently me and think something is different, but diagnosed with lymphoma. I had enough self-confidence not to let “He’s my right hand man in a lot of that bother me at all. This is me. Take it what I do,” Sonny says. “It’s a hard time or leave it.” on all of us.” Taylor’s self-confident attitude turns to one of sheer appreciation when he speaks of his mother’s dedicated caregiving and support. “Mom has been such a help for me,” he says. “She’s always very supportive. I owe everything to her. She never let me have doubts that I was going to get back to where I wanted to be.” Brook Waddle, 24, of Landrum, S.C., sustained a C-5 spinal cord injury seven years ago in an automobile accident. She was a high school cheerleader on her way to cheer at a ballgame. Now, Brook is finding fulfillment in other ways, including her online studies with Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). While the accident has been devastating, it didn’t take Brook long to experience the love of and help from those around her. “Upon returning home, I was featured in the local newspapers, asking what I planned on doing now that I was back,” Brook writes. She is unable to talk because of a tracheotomy that has remained in place. “Fortunately, a professor from FDU saw my story and read that I still wanted to pursue college. Through my late Professor Randall Colon, I received a full scholarship in psychology, and I plan to eventually earn a master’s degree. After completion of my master’s, I plan on applying for a position in the Psychology Department at Shepherd Center.” For now, Brook enjoys being a student at Fairleigh Dickinson. “Even though I am physically disabled, I am just the same mentally as any of my fellow classmates,” she writes. Brook notes that Shepherd Center counselor Cheryl Linden inspired her career choice. “When I was a patient, Cheryl and I would go to the rooms of patients who were too nervous or embarrassed to leave their room and get them to join the therapy group,” Brook recalls. “Cheryl opened my eyes to let me see I could still have a career in the medical field.” More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 33 3 4 • shepherdcentermagazine.org VOLUNTEER PROFILE Mary Gilbreath 36 DONOR PROFILE John and Colette Killebrew 37 CORPORATE STATEMENT 38 DERBY DAY 40 VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION 44 ANGEL LUNCHEON 45 LEGENDARY PARTY PREVIEW 46 UPCOMING EVENTS 47 NEW BOARD MEMBERS 48 HONORARIUMS & MEMORIALS 49 Shepherd Center staff members and former patients speak to middle school students as part of the hospital’s injury prevention program, which is getting a boost from donor contributions. Notes from scott h. sikes shepherd Center foundation executive Director Photo oF SCott SikeS BY louie FAvorite Photo BY louie FAvorite Injury Prevention – A Key Part of Shepherd Center’s Mission Our mission at Shepherd Center is to help people with a temporary or permanent disability caused by injury or disease, rebuild their lives with hope, independence and dignity, advocating for their full inclusion in all aspects of community life while promoting safety and injury prevention. For years, we have had a full-time injury prevention coordinator who worked every day with metropolitan Atlanta elementary, middle, and high school students to promote helmet use when bicycling and motorcycling, and seat belt use when in automobiles, and to emphasize the importance of never jumping into any water head-first. This employee also visited driver training schools to discuss safety and injury prevention. We were the State of Georgia coordinators for the ThinkFirst® program and created our own program called YIPES! (Youth Injury Prevention Education at Shepherd) that is a part of the curriculum in a pilot program in a Cobb County (suburban Atlanta), Ga., public middle school. We recently expanded our efforts with our RESCUE program to help public safety officials determine the homes of people with disabilities. Now, we are working to take our injury prevention program to the next level. We want to have various electronic and print media outlets take our message to a regional and national audience. With the volunteer leadership of Tommy Malone, Shepherd Center physician Herndon Murray, M.D., and a team of our clinical staff working on this project in their spare time, we are creating a much more robust injury prevention program. Tommy Malone is a Trustee of the Shepherd Center Foundation. He is the founding partner of the Malone Law Firm, which has long specialized in helping people with catastrophic injuries. Dr. Murray is an orthopedic surgeon and the longest-serving physician at Shepherd Center, other than our co-founder and first medical director, David Apple, M.D. Dr. Murray has made a career of helping adolescents with catastrophic injuries. Separately, over the past few months, both of them have approached me and told me they want to do something to prevent catastrophic injuries, especially among teen-agers. Almost at the same time, program director Shari McDowell and case manager Bridget Bitterman from the Spinal Cord Injury Unit approached Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., our chief executive officer and president, to express their interest in a dramatically more effective and well-known injury prevention program. All of these interests are now coming together to promote injury prevention. Mitch Fillhaber, our vice president for marketing and managed care, has volunteered to lead this effort. Please be on the lookout for our increased efforts at injury prevention, public awareness and education. We hope more people will see, hear, and heed our injury prevention messaging. Check back frequently at www.shepherd.org for more information, and, if you have ideas, give me a call at 404-350-7305 or [email protected]. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 35 v VOLUNTEER PROFILE Mary Gilbreath dedicated volunteer finds meaning and true love from volunteering at shepherd Center. by PhilliP jorDAn / Photo by leitA coWArt Mary Gilbreath of Atlanta began volunteering at Shepherd Center in 1995. She has served in leadership roles with the Junior Committee and Peach Corps. She joined the Center’s Advisory Board in 2005. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org 36 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org When Mary Gilbreath began volunteering for Shepherd Center in 1995, she hoped the experience would help her meet new people and make a meaningful difference in the community. Little did she know then the impact that the hospital would ultimately have on her life. Today, Mary is well-established in Atlanta with a large community of friends and a rewarding job as managing director of the National Alliance of Private Clubs. Back in 1995, however, she was still relatively new to Atlanta and was looking for ways to make new friends. At the suggestion of a colleague, Mary joined the Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee, a young professionals group that raises funds for the hospital through its annual Derby Day event. “I thought it would be nice to join a volunteeroriented group,” Mary says. “Seeing these young people dedicating so much time toward volunteering was refreshing and inspiring.” Mary was so inspired that she went on to dedicate just as much (if not more) time to volunteering for Shepherd – for more than 16 years to date. After a year of serving on the Junior Committee, Mary began assuming more leadership roles. First, she chaired the Derby Day transportation committee in 1996, then served on its executive committee from 1997 to 2000 and, finally, co-chaired the entire Derby Day event in 2000. That year, Derby Day raised $235,000 for the Center’s therapeutic recreation program. Through her fundraising and other activities with the Junior Committee, Mary learned about the invaluable difference Shepherd makes in the community. Wanting to continue volunteering for Shepherd, but faced with a busier schedule because of her burgeoning career, she joined Peach Corps, a group geared toward people with families and/or busy professional lives. As a member and an eventual co-chair of Peach Corps, she helped plan two to three smaller-scale events per year, including an ice cream social and a cookout for Shepherd Center patients and their families. Impressed with Mary’s enthusiasm and dedicated record of service, Shepherd Center invited her to join the Advisory Board in 2005. As a board member, Mary learns about Shepherd’s capital campaign initiatives and other development initiatives and then networks with members of the community in hopes of attracting potential donors to the Center. Shepherd also recently invited her (in 2011) to serve on the executive committee of the Advisory Board. On this committee, Mary works intimately with the other 15 members to review donor prospects and opportunities more closely. “It’s very meaningful for me to be part of the executive committee because I can see how and where I can make an impact,” Mary says. Her volunteerism is meaningful to Shepherd Center, as well. “Mary is the kind of person that you can call at the last minute, and she’ll come through with whatever is needed,” says Midge Tracy, director of Volunteer Services. “She’s a joy to work with, and we hope to have her volunteering with us for another 20 years.” In making friends and making a difference in the community, Mary has more than succeeded in her original mission. In fact, it was through some former Junior Committee friends that she met her fiancé, Hugh Pope, whom she’ll be marrying in her hometown of Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 6, 2012. q DONOR PROFILE d John and Colette Killebrew two parents face the ultimate test and decide to give back. by rAchel FrAnco / Photo by gAry heAtherly There is perhaps no greater test two parents can face than the death of a child. John and Colette Killebrew of Maryville, Tenn., know this firsthand. They also know that there’s no greater reward than using their experience to help others. For John and Colette, it was love at first sight. Living in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area at the time, they met through a mutual acquaintance in June 1976, got married in 1977 and have been happily married for 35 years. John, a retired telecommunications professional, and Colette, a retired healthcare professional, have a son, Brent, and a four-year-old grandson named Johnathan. They also had a daughter. Born in January 1978, their daughter, Colleen, had spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when a fetus’ spinal column does not close all of the way and, in Colleen’s case, gets infected. While medical advances today have improved the survival rate of people with spina bifida, in 1978, these advances were not available to save Colleen, who died in April 1978 at only four months old. Colleen’s death devastated John and Colette, but it also strengthened their Christian faith, their marriage and their desire to help others. “Both Colette and I were in so much pain,” John says. “We knew something like this could make or break us, and it helped us get stronger.” Colette adds, “We got stronger in our belief that we are here for a reason, and if it’s not to be Colleen’s parents, it is to help someone else.” Looking to help others with Colleen’s condition, John and Colette, who then lived in Atlanta, discovered Shepherd Center, which, in 1991, operated a summer camp, SPARX, for children with spina bifida. After touring the Center and having lunch with Alana Shepherd and Dell Sikes, then-vice president of development, John and Colette were excited about contributing to SPARX and have donated $100 a month since 1991. Even after Shepherd Center discontinued SPARX to instead focus on its adolescent patient care program, John and Colette have continued to give generously each month. While living in Atlanta, John also volunteered on the planning committee for Shepherd Center’s annual charity golf tournament and at the tournament itself. Both John and Colette have named Shepherd Center as a beneficiary in their wills. And, since leaving Atlanta, they’ve returned to tour the Center periodically to see the innovative advances the hospital continues to make. In whatever way they give, John and Colette remain appreciative of Shepherd Center’s gratitude for their donations, as well as incredibly fulfilled by giving to a place that makes such a tremendous difference in people’s lives. “What Shepherd does for the patient is remarkable,” John says. “It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction to contribute to a place that helps so many people.” Colette adds: “Our lives were totally changed by Colleen’s death. Because of Shepherd, we feel good knowing that another family won’t have to go through what we did.” John and Colette killebrew of Maryville, tenn., have been giving to Shepherd Center on a monthly basis since 1991. More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Dean Melcher, director of annual giving at the Shepherd Center Foundation, greatly admires John and Colette. “They’ve really inspired all of us who work in the foundation office by their commitment to the Center, especially since their daughter didn’t receive treatment at Shepherd, nor do they live near here. They remind us that everyone can make a difference.” q Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 37 Corporate Statement Companies that know Shepherd Center’s reputation refer their injured employees to the nationally ranked rehabilitation hospital. By Phillip Jordan 38 • ShepherdCenterMagazine.org Photo BY teD koStAnS Genuine Parts isn’t the only nationally recognized Chris Houser doesn’t remember much between business that refers injured employees to Shepherd June 12 and July 3, 2010. He was in a coma Center. “The people at these companies who support much of that time – unaware that he had been us get to know us well,” says co-founder Alana found unconscious at the bottom of an apartment Shepherd. “They have employees who volunteer here. staircase with severe head trauma. They donate gifts. They learn about us. Then when Two years later, Chris still doesn’t know exactly they have employees who sustain brain or spinal cord what caused his accident that night. But he does injuries, they send them to us because they know know that his employers at Atlanta-based Genuine they’ll get the best outcome here.” Parts Company realized immediately that he Chick-fil-A, The Coca-Cola Company, The needed specialized care. Thanks to the company’s Home Depot and Walmart are other well-known long-standing relationship with Shepherd Center, businesses that have designated Shepherd Center Genuine Parts officials knew where he should go as their preferred rehabilitation destination should for rehabilitation. their employees sustain spinal cord or brain injuries. Chris remained at Shepherd Center for a month, Coca-Cola’s relationship with Shepherd Center, receiving physical, occupational and speech for example, dates back more than two decades therapy. “Just about everything was difficult at first,” when the Atlanta-based soft drink maker first began he says. “I was in a wheelchair, and my jaw was supporting Shepherd Center’s Derby Day fundraiser. broken in eight places, but my biggest problem Since then, Coca-Cola has supported the hospital’s wasn’t physical. It was mental. My memory, speech programs in a variety of ways, including volunteer and thought processes were what I needed to work on the most. It was slow going, and I was frustrated.” support from employees and Coke products provided for events such as Derby Day. Chris, now 28, says he had a singular goal in The relationship is a two-way street. “Having mind: “I wanted to be back to work the first day I Shepherd available to us, having that right kind of was out of there. I needed to know I was going to care available, is important,” says Connie McDaniel, go do my job again.” vice president, chief of internal audit for Coca-Cola, And he did – with a Shepherd vocational and a Shepherd Center trustee. “We make sure our rehabilitation specialist at his side. Genuine Parts set employees have this option.” up a schedule that allowed Chris to slowly work his “People have the impression, ‘Wow, it’s so way back into his role as an internal auditor. Twice a devastating to have a spinal or brain injury.’ And week, the Shepherd specialist would sit with Chris it is,” Connie says. “But the beauty of Shepherd at work, helping him rediscover critical thinking skills Center is that they have found a way to create and relearn how to function in the office. hope and a positive atmosphere. They are focused Today, Chris says he feels 95 percent recovered on helping patients make the best of it, returning physically. And mentally? Well, in January, he people back to their lives. received a promotion. Chris is now the operations “And it’s not just the attitude,” she adds. “You can manager for a Genuine Parts company, S.P. have a great, positive atmosphere without the ability Richards, in Philadelphia. “I was stubborn and I to back it up. But that’s how Shepherd’s staff has was driven,” he explains. “I knew I could do this, distinguished themselves: They have both.” but there’s no way I could have gotten to this point Erwin Reid is a member of the Shepherd Center without Shepherd’s staff.” Advisory Board. As vice president of real estate Frank Howard knows that’s true, too. A senior for Chick-fil-A, he also understands Connie’s vice president and treasurer for Genuine Parts, perspective. “[Shepherd Center’s] purpose is Frank has helped guide several injured employees something you hope you never have to take to Shepherd’s care. Genuine Parts has also advantage of,” Erwin says. “But to know something referred some employees to the Andrew C. Carlos like that exists is a comfort, and it’s the first place Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd, where MS we can turn to if something catastrophic happens.” treatment options focus on medications, physical “It doesn’t matter your belief system, what product rehabilitation and experimental therapies. you sell, the purpose of your company,” he adds. “We have made Shepherd Center our go-to when “A catastrophic injury doesn’t discriminate. It can someone in our family has a (need),” he says. “The staff there really cares,” Frank adds. “And not happen to anyone. Thankfully, Shepherd Center’s care is open to anyone, too. They treat everyone just about the physical part of the recovery. It’s also who enters with the utmost care. Lots of companies the mental and emotional side. Chris was a perfect have come to realize that.” q example of that. He wouldn’t be where he is today without that focus on lifting up his attitude and getting him mentally prepared.” Former patient Chris houser was able to return to work at Genuine Parts after completing rehabilitation at Shepherd Center following a brain injury. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 39 40 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org Derby Day Fundraiser Celebrates the Event’s 30th Anniversary in Style by cArA Puckett / PhotoS by roSS henDerSon The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful on Saturday, May 5. And what better way to celebrate a spectacular spring weekend than attending Shepherd Center’s 30th annual Derby Day? Nearly 1,100 sponsors, patrons and Junior Committee members enjoyed all the sights and activities that have made this one of Atlanta’s premier social events. For the third year, Derby Day was held at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Ga., and the crowd enjoyed firstclass amenities in a casual, outdoor setting. From fashionable to festive, guests arrived in style to enjoy a day of socializing and fun for a great cause. Colorful sundresses and seersucker were popular choices among guests. The lawn games and expanded casino were a big hit with this year’s crowd. There was plenty of friendly competition and fun prizes to be won. Brent McDonald’s musical performance set the tone for a very relaxed, casual afternoon leading up to the Derby as guests mingled in the sun, shopped in the silent auction tent and “wagered” on the race. Some of this year’s more popular auction items included a Big Green Egg, tickets to all UGA home football games and the opportunity to pilot a Delta jet in the Delta flight simulator. Proof of the Pudding provided a sumptuous southern fried chicken supper, complete with creamy cole slaw and heavenly mac ‘n cheese. Sponsors enjoyed an expanded feast, which also included pulled pork sliders dressed with Cobbie’s Sauce and treats and cakes featuring the special 30th anniversary logo. In addition to upscale amenities and service in the Sponsor Tent, Barefoot Wine hosted a tasting of their delicious summertime sparkling wines. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 41 More story and photos online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org 42 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org 1. 2. 3. 4. PhotoS BY louie FAvorite 1. Silent auction items included a Big Green egg and tickets to all uGA home football games. 2. this year’s executive Board worked hard to make this Derby Day one of the most successful in the event’s 30-year history. Pictured are: front from left, Catherine Skeen, kelley Simoneaux and wesley Snapp; Middle row from left, Cara Puckett, Shannon hinson, Joe Mays, Duvall Brumby and Chris Forenza; last row, McQueen Calvert, Bradlee Simoneaux, trey weatherly, hamilton Bridges and Matt Moore. 3. Derby Day guests enjoy a friendly game of poker. 4. to celebrate Derby Day’s 30th anniversary, former co-chairs gather for a photo in the trophy room lounge. Throughout the venue, guests enjoyed libations courtesy of Diageo, Barefoot Wine, Coca-Cola and United Distributors. Of course, the highlight of Derby Day is the broadcast of the “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” and this year’s race was quite exciting. The Patron and Sponsor tents filled with cheers as soon as “I’ll Have Another” beat Bodemeister by almost two lengths. After the race, drawing and contest winners were announced before Shepherd Center Foundation’s Ty Tippett demonstrated his mastery as live auctioneer. This year’s live auction featured exciting trips to locations such as Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Aruba, as well as two season tickets to this year’s Georgia Bulldogs football games. Once the auction concluded, Bobby and the Aristocats took the stage and kept the crowd dancing to rhythm and blues music with a bit of soul. Not only is Derby Day a fun-filled afternoon with friends, it’s also an important fundraiser for Shepherd Center Foundation. The Junior Committee works yearlong to plan and produce Derby Day. Shannon Hinson and Trey Weatherly co-chaired this year’s hard-working group, and their leadership and dedication showed as the volunteers, attendees and sponsors thoroughly enjoyed a great day for a great cause. Both Shannon and Trey were excited about the enthusiasm of this year’s group of volunteers. After the event, Shannon said, “It’s great to see so many passionate and dedicated volunteers.” And Trey agreed, noting, “Having such a large, young, excited group really helps set the tone for the whole event.” Shannon and Trey worked hard to make this year’s Debry Day extra special to mark the event’s 30th anniversary. In addition to the exceptional volunteers, the Foundation is grateful for Derby Day’s sponsors and donors, who generously support the event. Special thanks to Winner’s Circle Sponsor Resource Real Estate Marketing for creating and producing the beautiful logos and printed materials, and Cooper-Global Chauffeured Transportations Services for providing the luxury roundtrip transportation for patrons, sponsors and Junior Committee members. q Shepherd Center junior Committee 2011-12 Co-Chairs Trey Weatherly Shannon S. Hinson Harry Aiken Tori Allen Mary Lauren Bagwell Shaina Barth Jessica Bartholomew Kenson Bates Emily Blaiss Matt Boetger Melanie Bolch Amanda Bordner Claire Bovat Chris Brandon Robert Bray Joe Bricker Ginny Brock Neal Brock Taylor Broun DuVall Brumby Meredith Bryant Kenneth Budd Brent Bumgarner Adam Butler Andrew Butler Madelyn Butler McQueen Calvert Kennedy Capin Lucy Capps Andrea Carmin Campbell Cartledge Jill Casey Katherine Clifton Tricia Clineburg Melissa Clineburg Brittni Collins Kalen Dalrymple Nick Davies Katie Defer Justin DeJesus Christina DeMaria Eleni Dermatas Adam Diamond Allison Dick Alison Drane Lauren Dupuis Charles Duvall Stephanie Dylewski Jonathan Eidman Kelly Emerick Kali Ensley Leslie Falzone Megan Fishburne Jane Fisher Adam Fleming Jana Fleming Beau Flowers Chris Forenza Wesley Forlines Ashley French Hillary Fryer Jackie Gibson Baxter Gilliam Sean Gilligan Allyson Gimple Karen Gramlich Devon Green Robin Greene Louis Gruver Catherine Hamilton Ross Hammer Emily Hampton Jami Hanzman Josh Harden Christopher Harney Kristen Harris 2012 derby day Sponsors Winner’s Circle Sponsors Cooper-Global Chauffeured Transportation Resource Real Estate Marketing Triple Crown Sponsors Choate Construction Company The Coca-Cola Company Diageo Gallagher Electric & Engineering Company Sara and Fred Hoyt United Distributors, Inc. Platinum Sponsors Avisos Digital Graphics & Signage Bear Claw Condominiums Bradford Renaissance Portraits Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Lanier II Charles & Catherine B. Rice Foundation www.AnneLattimore.com Blue Ribbon Sponsors Atlanta Track Club Bank of North Georgia Barefoot Wine and Bubbly Catalyst Fitness Critical Care MedFlight DATAMATX Sara Goza, M.D. Carol and Rick Hoskinson David & Jennifer Kahn Family Foundation LeCraw Family L.K. Comstock National Transit, Inc. The London Trading Company Parramore & Quinn Proof of the Pudding Reece Tent Rental Donna and Bill Richardson Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint, LLP Speaker Law Firm SunTrust Bank, Atlanta Yates Insurance Agency Erica Headlee Ashley Hedges Rob Hefley Dan Heller Colleen Hendrix Anna Hensley John Herman Meredith Hill Michael Hill Nick Hinson Russell Hofstetter Henri Hollis Michael Holt Lindsey Hornsby Caroline Howard Emily Hoyt John Hritz Andrew Huber Kristina Hughes Robert Hull Taylor Inman Miller Jackson Allison Jackson Laura Jakubowicz Matt Johnson Bryan Jones Jessi Joseph Mary Claire Keane Natalie Keen Jill Kellner Gray Kelly Lauren Kendall James Kennedy Heawoan Kidane Travis Koehler Callie Koepsel Michael Landsberg Chad Lane Molly Lang Chris LeCraw Gold Cup Sponsors Academics Plus Brainjogging® AmWINS Brokerage of Georgia Atlanta Radiology Consultants Bachelor & Kimball Joan and Robert Berto Mary Bickers/Bickers Consulting Group, LLC Broyhill Family Foundation Jim Calise Cateechee Golf Club Delgado Boxing Delta Air Lines Sylvia and Bruce Dick Diversified Metal Fabricators Epps Aviation E. R. Snell Contractor, Inc. Fieldale Farms Corp. First Flight Foods Brian George Judy and Mike Harhai The Home Depot Iron Mountain Information Management, Inc. JRH Industries Craig and Mary Coleman Jones Martha and Wilton Looney Mainly Baskets National EMS Owen, Gleaton, Egan, Jones & Sweeney, LLP Elizabeth R. Pearce Perfect Circle Renewable Energy, LLC Piedmont Center Post Properties The Regal Group Rogers Bridge Company, Inc. John and Barbara Shannon Robert Shaw and Kevin Solchenberger Shaw Industries Group, Inc Alana and Harold Shepherd Shepherd Construction Company Boynton and Elizabeth Smith Sinless Cocktails Snapper Industrial Products Sugarloaf Wealth Management, LLC TPC Sugarloaf Golf Club Urban Body Studios Watercolor Inn & Resort Wheeler Lewis Todd H. Lindsey Sara Lloyd Alex Lynch Sinead Lynch Caroline Madden Nicole Manry Taylor Manry Bobby Marston Courtney Martin Megan Martin Dana Matthews Teddy Mayer Corey Mayes Joe Mays Caroline McCoy Mary Katherine McRae Chris McShane Patrick McShane Kate McWilliams Megan Meloy Gray Messier Andrew Meyer Ryan Moffett Jessica Monk Jake Moore Matt Moore Virginia Moore Mackenzie Morris Zachary Morris Warren Mullis Jonathan Myers Catherine Nall Andrew Newcomb Joe Norton Robert Norwood Brandon Orth Elizabeth Osborne Christopher Owes Martina Palatto Catherine Skeen Mimi Skiles Brian Smith Ashley Smithson Wesley Snapp Lizzie Sprague Katharine Spratlin Megan Springfield Bea Staley Sarah Sullivan Sam Sykes Judith Taylor Lauren Taylor Alysen Thompson Chelsea Thompson Caroline Trammell Lauren Tucker Scott Tucker Brandon Tyler Bradford Vaughan Elizabeth Vaughan Brittany Verloo Mark Vickers Kara Weatherly Austin Weathington Colleen Weaver Sarah White Ryan Wiita Lenore Wilson Dalyn Winter Alissa Wolter Marshall Wood Carrie Woods Kathryn Woods Richard Wrenn Julie Wynne John Zaback Andrew Zelman Brad Zimmerman Patrick Pallotta Laura Parker Michael Patterson Amanda Peeler Samantha Peterson Hays Pickens Suzanne Pickens Morgan Pierson Emily Pilcher Ali Pletzer Bryan Pyne Justin Quina Midd Read Ellen Regan Blake Ricci Shannon Ridgeway Sallie Robbins Michael Roberts Audrey Rogers Sarah Rollins Orin Romain Megan Roper Shea Ross Virginia Rounds Mary Runkle Margaret Anne Ryburn Blair Saeks Lauren Schroer Alex Schwartz Ashley Sears Charlie Sears Brinkley Serkedakis John Seymour Robert Shaw Palmer Sherer Sarah Sibley Matt Simmons Bradlee Simoneaux Kelley Simoneaux Kate Simpson Woo Skincare and Cosmetics Anne and Andrew Worrell Charles S. and Dancy H. Wynne Silver Cup Sponsors Jane and David Apple Atlanta Kick/Operation Bootcamp Beau Rivage Jeane and Bill Bovat Butler, Wooten & Fryhofer, LLP Donald Camp, Inc. Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry Sara and Donnie Chapman Classic Weddings of Buckhead CrossFit North Atlanta V. N. DuBose Lora and Geoffrey Fishman Framers on Peachtree The Gables Antiques The Leonard & Jerry Greenbaum Family Foundation H & A Sales Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey P. Hall, Sr. Beth and Tommy Holder InterContinental Hotels Group Jones Lang LaSalle Junior Committee Executive Board Debbie and Jack Lane Sherri and Ron Michaelis Elizabeth and Chris Morris NAI/Brannen Goddard, LLC Pickens, Inc. Jewelers Pittman Construction Company Premier Southeast Sales, Inc. Ravinia Club Rosewood Hotel Georgia Ross Henderson Photography Royal Food Service Linda and James Shepherd David Shipley and Jenny Coleman Valerie and Scott Sikes Steve Madden That Garrison Girl Carol and Jim Thompson Bradford Vaughn and Elizabeth Wilson W Atlanta – Buckhead Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba Charity and Michael Whitney Patron Levels Patrons Mr. and Mrs. John G. Alston, Sr. Benson Dental Associates Divergence Analysis, Inc. Harriett and Rob Hollis Michael P. Holt, Sr. Treva Jackson Jan and Chris LeCraw, Sr. Virginia Moore Debbie Murphy Lois Puckett Jill and John Seymour Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shepherd III Jeannie and Victor Springfield Zimmerman & Associates Junior Patrons Sallie and Mark Brooks Kristen and Paul Fancher Susie and Hiram Folds Art Forenza Mary Gilbreath Thomas G. Gilligan Goodman Decorating Co. Susan Harp Emery Harp Miller Jackson Dee King Fred Moore III – The Moore Company Susi Patton Cathy and Mark Reynolds Louell and Ray Roper Bruce and Ellen Simmons Springer Mountain Farms Jennifer Van Horn Mr. and Mrs. George P. Watson, Jr. Julie and Josh Watt Mr. and Mrs. Patrick White Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 43 Independent Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Honors Gifts of Time volunteer Ann Boriskie is congratulated by Shepherd Center director of inpatient neuropsychology Sarah Small, Psy.D., for being honored with the inaugeral Spirit of Shepherd Award. Shepherd Center celebrated its volunteers and their dedication to the hospital at the annual Independent Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on April 12. Scott Sikes, executive director of the Shepherd Center Foundation, welcomed the guests and thanked volunteers for their tremendous gifts of time. Following dinner, which was catered by Chef Cary’s Cuisine, current Action Trial study participant Danny Jackson and his son D.J. shared their personal story and reminded the guests of the importance of our volunteers at Shepherd Center. Then, a brief slide show provided a look back on the past year, showcasing many familiar faces. Volunteer Ann Boriskie was honored with the inaugural Spirit of Shepherd Award, which recognizes a volunteer who “demonstrates outstanding passion and commitment and is instrumental to Shepherd Center’s activities, programs and mission.” As founder of the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program, Ann has devoted thousands of hours to recruiting and training volunteers who visit patients with brain injuries and their families to offer support. Also, volunteer James Curtis was recognized for giving the most hours in a fiscal year – 980! At the event, each volunteer received a pocket flashlight engraved with the words “Shepherd Center Volunteer” as a small token of appreciation. q Volunteer milestone awards Most hours in a Fiscal Year: James Curtis 5,000 hours: James Curtis 3,000 hours: Bisi Alabi and tom Bahin 2,000 hours: Bill Pritchard 1,500 hours: John Caldwell, Brian lucas and Doyle Mote 1,000 hours: Fred Black. 500 hours: Jami hanzman, neal irby and Barry Phillips 250 hours: Pam Glustrom, Yoonjung Jang, Alix Marmulstein, Anne Muller-wise, Chuck nicolaysen, Pat reeve, Fred roberts and wes varda 100 hours: Bruce Allen, laura Allen, Chris Corrow, Benjamin Dimmel, David eckstein, holly kelly, kris lorenz, Carol Malia, David Munford, Alice Patterson and Doug worful Shepherd Center Auxiliary Celebrates its Fundraising Season with the Presentation of a Check to Shepherd Center 1. Juli owens, left, and heather Flint attend the annual meeting. 2. Maureen escott presents Scott Sikes with a check for Shepherd Center. 1. 44 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org The Shepherd Center Auxiliary celebrated its 2012-2013 fundraising season with the presentation of a check for $420,904 to Scott Sikes, executive director of the Shepherd Center Foundation, at the Auxiliary’s annual meeting and luncheon on April 18 in the hospital’s Callaway Auditorium. Auxiliary President Maureen Escott presented long-time Auxiliary member Bart Marks with the Peggy Schwall Spirit of Excellence Award. Bart volunteered more than 3,000 hours in the past 10 years, helping patients at special sporting, art and horticultural events for the Therapeutic Recreation Department, staffing the Welcome Desk for the hospital, performing clerical tasks for the Auxiliary and Volunteer Services Department, and assisting patients with their lunchtime meals. He also served as Auxiliary treasurer from 2. 2005 to 2007. Beverly Mitchell, one of the founders of the Auxiliary, was awarded Honorary Life Board Membership for her outstanding commitment and support of the Auxiliary. Service hour awards were given to Marla Bennett, Lynne Elander, Linda Stephens, Brenda Wiggins, Gloria Stone, Mary Kay Howard, Bart Marks, Sandy Unruh, Lois Puckett, Carol Olsen, Cathy Williams and Stephen Lore. Warren Cleary, a former Shepherd Center patient, was the featured speaker, along with his parents, Henley and Jerry Cleary. Warren spoke of the time he spent at the hospital and how much he learned from his physical therapists. He, along with his parents, expressed their gratitude for the support of everyone at the hospital and thanked all of the Auxiliary members for their support of the patients through the Patient Aid Fund. The highlight of the luncheon was the election and installation of the Auxiliary and Peach Corps officers for 2012-13. The Auxiliary officers are: Linda Stephens, president; Heather Flint, president-elect; Lynne Elander, treasurer; Carol Adams, corresponding secretary; and Ginny Wolf, recording secretary. The Peach Corps cochairs are Crystal Baker and Tracy Reidenbach. Cyndae Arrendale and Heather Flint, co-chairs of the event, did a remarkable job decorating the tables with spring bouquets donated by Pike’s Nursery. Springer Mountain Farms donated the delicious chicken for the meal, which was catered by Carole Parks Catering. Christine Van Metter provided the musical entertainment during lunch. It was a fabulous event, and everyone had a great time. q midge tracy Angel Luncheon Celebrates Shepherd Center Donors and Volunteers At the Shepherd Center Foundation’s Angel Luncheon on April 24, more than 300 donors and volunteer fundraisers were honored for their generosity and dedication to Shepherd Center’s patients and families. This special event is Shepherd Center’s opportunity to acknowledge and thank the faithful donors whose gifts fund programs like therapeutic recreation, the SHARE Military Initiative, housing and transportation, animal-assisted therapy and assistive technology, as well as hospital construction and renovation. Several previous recipients of the Angel of the Year award joined in this year’s celebration. They included Cookie Aftergut, Ruth Anthony, BB Brown, Beverly Mitchell, Lois Puckett, Emory Schwall, Claire Smith, Jennings Watkins and Jane Woodruff. The luncheon also served as an opportunity to recognize Betty and Billy Hulse and Beth and Tommy Holder as Shepherd Center’s Angels of the Year. After Billy Hulse sustained a spinal cord injury two years ago, he and his beloved wife, Betty, and dear friends, Beth and Tommy Holder, wanted to do something to say “thank you” for the incredible care and support they received at Shepherd Center. During their hospital stay, they learned how to return to life after a spinal cord injury and were trained to face many of the challenges upon returning home. Their “new normal” life is an amazement and inspiration to all who love them. In talking with Shepherd Center co-founder and Chairman of the Board James Shepherd, the couples learned about the establishment of the Spinal Cord Injury Lab (SCIL) at Shepherd Center under the leadership of Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D. Through Dr. Tansey’s research, Shepherd is expanding its efforts in finding advanced treatments for people with spinal cord injuries. Billy and Betty became passionate about Dr. Tansey and his goals. Because of this interest and their gratitude toward Shepherd, a $1,000,000 campaign was initiated in October 2011 in the Hulses’ honor. To date, 110 donors, all close friends of the Hulses, have given $1,157,528 to support Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. These funds will support research personnel, key equipment needs and pilot research studies. The SCIL will now be known as the Hulse Spinal Cord Injury Research Lab. Patients and their families will be forever grateful for discoveries made and treatments developed because of this campaign and its expression of friendship, love and appreciation for Betty and Billy. q Lauren tucker 1. 2. 3. 5. PhotoS BY leSlie JohnSon 4. 1. Betty hulse and Beth holder, 2012 Angels of the Year, with Chairman of the Board James Shepherd. 2. Co-founder Alana Shepherd with Beverly Mitchell, a 2000 Angel of the Year. 3. trustee Marnite Calder with Medical Director Donald Peck leslie, M.D. 4. Cindy and Bill voyles with lois Puckett, the 2002 Angel of the Year. 5. Betty hulse, and Beth and tommy holder, along with Billy hulse (not pictured) were named 2012 Angels of the Year. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 45 Board Members Get Shepherd Center News Updates at Annual Joint Board Meeting new Shepherd Center Foundation trustees are, left to right, toby regal, James Calise and Millard Choate. Guests attending the May 21 annual joint board meeting of the Shepherd Center Board of Directors, the Shepherd Center Foundation Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board were introduced to Shepherd’s service dogs from Canine Companions. After undergoing two and half years of training, Frosty and Bentley now come to Shepherd Center three to five days a week. They know 40 different commands and demonstrated a few of them at the meeting. Also on the program was Medical Director Donald P. Leslie, M.D., who gave a presentation on Vanderbilt University’s prototype lower-limb exoskeleton. Researchers designed the wearable device to assist users in standing and walking. At 26.5 pounds, it is one of the lightest-weight devices of its kind. It does not require a backpack to house components, nor does it require the user to have components installed under their shoes. No external instrumentation is required for control of the device. It uses powered hip and knee joints, and the device’s compact design enables a user to sit in a wheelchair or a standard armchair. In other news reported at the Joint Board Meeting, Mark Johnson, Shepherd Center’s director of advocacy, gave a presentatation titled “Taking it Personally,” which celebrated 25 years of advocacy at Shepherd Center. Via a pre-recorded video message, CEO Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., recognized Eleanor Smith, founder of Atlanta-based Concrete Change, for her hard work and commitment to advocacy for people with disabilities. Also, Sarah Morrison, vice president of clinical services, spoke about Shepherd’s recently launched RESCUE Program, which provides home alert labels and education for people with physical and/ or cognitive limitations who find themselves in emergency situations. In other updates: The Shepherd Center Advisory Board announced its new members. They are Frank Bishop, Bob Cunningham, Debbie Goot, William Hoyt, Dee King, John Rooker, Jane Ulicny and Rebecca Webb. New Advisory Board ex officio members are Hunter Amos, Crystal Baker, Shannon Hinson, Kay Quigley, Linda Stephens, Tracy Reidenbach and Trey Weatherly. The Shepherd Center Foundation Board of Trustees also announced new members. They are James Calise, Millard Choate, Toby Regal and Valery Voyles. q ansley martin The Legendary Party 2012 Plans to Celebrate America and Support Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative left to right are legendary Party Chairman-elect karen Spiegel, honorees Donald P. leslie, M.D., and Faye and lewis Manderson, and Party Chairman kay Quigley. 46 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org This year, The Legendary Party is celebrating America and the wonderful things it offers. Chairman Kay Quigley wants everyone to experience the magnificence of “American Splendor” and to take the time to appreciate the United States “from sea to shining sea.” The Legendary Party will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. Honorees at the event will be Lewis and Faye Manderson, who have been wonderful friends and supporters of Shepherd Center, and Medical Director Donald P. Leslie, M.D. For years, The Legendary Party has raised money for Shepherd Center patient programs, many of which largely depend upon donor funds. This year, the recipient of funds raised at The Legendary Party is the SHARE Military Initiative, a comprehensive rehabilitation program that focuses on assessment and treatment for service men and women who have sustained a traumatic brain injury in combat or the line of duty. Shepherd Center provides clients with therapy, housing, transportation and community transition services. The Legendary Party is Shepherd Center’s largest fundraiser of the year, and the generous support of event Patrons and Sponsors makes it possible to continue SHARE and other programs. We hope you join us for what is going to be an inspiring evening, where you will be immersed in the true spirit of “American Splendor.” For more information on The Legendary Party, please visit www.TheLegendaryParty.com or call Florina Newcomb at 404-350-7302. q florina newcomb Shepherd Center Society & The Junior Committee Present: The Tailgate Auburn Vs. Clemson Saturday, September 1, 2012 Having A Good Time For A Great Cause! Held in the parking lot across the street from Vine City MARTA and the Georgia Dome, The Tailgate brings more than 2,000 fans together to eat good food, listen to good music and have a good time for a great cause! For the second year, SCS, and now the Junior Committee, are working hard to make this event the best fan experience out there! Once again, the food trucks are participating, two big bars will meet everyone’s drink expectations, and some great bands will entertain everyone until game time. All proceeds from The Tailgate go to Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, a comprehensive rehabilitation program of assessment and treatment for service men and women who have sustained a traumatic brain injury and/or PTSD in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Tickets start at $65. The Tailgate tickets include food, drinks and live music throughout the day. To purchase tickets or learn more, please visit www.scs-atl.com. q florina newcomb Shepherd Center Cup Golf Tournament: Play a Round for a Great Cause Plans are already in place for this fall’s Shepherd Center Cup golf tournament and Tee-Off Party. Event Chairman Hunter Amos has formed a great committee, and they are already hard at work securing sponsors and fantastic auction items. The tournament kicks off with the Tee-Off Party on Sunday, Oct. 7. Golfers, sponsors and guests will enjoy live and silent auctions, and great food from Avenue Catering in the lovely home of Linda and Tom Morris. The auction committee is working hard this summer, securing more amazing auction items for this year’s event, which is a must for golfers and non-golfers alike. Tickets for the Tee-Off Party are provided with tournament sponsorships and also can be purchased in September. On Monday, Oct. 8, the event continues at Cherokee Country Club. Golfers will tee off at 12:30 p.m. after enjoying a lunch on the green. Following play, a great feast and an awards presentation will take place. In its 28-year history, the golf tournament has raised more than $1 million to benefit Shepherd Center’s annual fund, which supports vital patient programs ranging from assistive technology and family housing to the SHARE Military Initiative. For sponsorship information, please contact Cara Puckett at [email protected] or 404-350-7778. Or, visit the new event website at www.ShepherdCenterCup.com. q Cara puckett Golfers enjoy an october day during the Shepherd Center Cup tournament in 2011. Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 47 New Members Join Foundation Board After serving on the Advisory Board, Jim Calise and Toby Regal each began their first term on the Shepherd Center Foundation’s Board of Trustees beginning April 1. A graduate of Middlebury College with an MBA from Emory University, Jim has an extensive background in the staffing and finance industry. He is vice president and chief financial officer for Thompson Technologies, an IT staffing firm. Jim first became acquainted with Shepherd Center as a member of the Junior Committee in 1995, chairing the Committee’s signature Derby Day event in 2003. He has volunteered with the Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race and the Shepherd Center Cup Golf Tournament, and is a Charter Member of the Shepherd Center Society. Most recently, Jim served as chair of the Advisory Board, where he has been a member since 2009. His extensive involvement at Shepherd Center is an asset to the Board of Trustees. Toby brings a patient’s perspective to his new role as Trustee. Following a procedure to remove a brain tumor, Toby was admitted to Shepherd Center, which he credits with restoring his life. After completing rehabilitation, Toby got involved at Shepherd through his service on the Shepherd Center Cup Golf Tournament Committee, as well as the Advisory Board. A native of Boston, Mass., and a graduate of Northeastern University, Toby has extensive experience in the group retirement plan industry. He founded The Regal Group, which specializes in helping businesses select, implement, enhance and maintain their 401(k) plans. Toby and his wife, Kelly, have two young sons who attend Trinity School. q Lauren tucker Jim Calise toby regal Golf Tournament Raises Money for SHARE Military Initiative The Rotary Club of Brookhaven hosted the 2nd Annual “Service Above Self” Invitational golf tournament benefiting Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative. About $136,000 was raised from the event thanks to generous contributions from the following sponsors: General Sponsor Cunningham Associates Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. Major Sponsors Choate Construction Magellan Health Services Mingledorff’s Distributors Norton Insurance Captain Sponsors Applied Software Belk Combine Services, Inc. Coventry Evert Weatherby Houff, Attorneys at Law The Family Mortgage Team/LeaderOne Fidelity Bank Ford & Harrison Fran Dramis Indian Hills Country Club J.W. Outfitters Northern Trust Peachtree Planning Corp. Projection Creative Shepherd Center A. S. Turner & Sons UBS Mr. Thomas C. Weller, Jr. Windham Brannon, P.C. ZWJ Investment Counsel 48 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org h HONORARIUMS Honorees are listed first in bold print followed by the names of those making gifts in their honor. This list reflects gifts made to Shepherd Center between Feb. 1, 2012 and April 30, 2012. ruth d. anthony Ms. Tammy S. Clark verona hildebrant Mr. and Mrs. Loren Hildebrant david f. apple’s Birthday Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes Mr. and Mrs. John Stephenson melissa and scott hinchman Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman, Jr. david f. apple, m.d. Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Rayburn susan arnovitz and david saltz wedding Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg elizabeth l. Bell’s Bat mitzvah Mr. and Mrs. Joel Rosenfeld Berry-Tidwell wedding guests Mr. Thomas Berry donna d. Boldt Mr. and Mrs. Donald Deeks anel camdzic and lauren garcia’s engagement Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Foreman Boya camdzic Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Foreman george r. cary, m.d. – superb fundraiser Dr. David F. Apple, Jr. chance and JT Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Williams margaret and ike cobb Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman, Jr. James a. curtis Mrs. Allyson Berger-Duran charles l. davidson Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Davidson III sharon draluck’s recovery Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Draluck mark gernazian, race across america Mr. Philip Cheek Lafferty Animal Clinic robert c. goddard Post Properties, Inc. emily B. grigsby Mr. Stuart Schwarszchild Jami hanzman Mr. Scott R. Bell Ms. Kimsey Silverboard caroline g. hazel’s Birthday Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. McDaniel Joan s. henry Mrs. Sue Ann Epstein 1. Peer supporters painted faces for children attending the annual Spring Fling for patients and their families. 2.-4. Members of the Society of American Musicians and the Georgia Magic Club perform for patients at Shepherd Center monthly. 5. Former patient lori Sneed presented Shepherd Center with a $10,000 donation earlier this year on behalf of her father, Shorty Sneed, who won the Chubb Charity golf tournament in Birmingham. 1. Beth and Tommy holder Mr. and Mrs. James R. Balkcom, Jr. Betty and Billy hulse Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Argenbright, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Armfield, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James R. Balkcom, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas N. Benham Five Mile Club Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner W. Garrard Mr. and Mrs. Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Mr. Randall Hatcher Mr. and Mrs. Bahman Irvani Mr. and Mrs. Mason H. Lampton Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Lanigan Mr. James C. Lanigan Mr. and Mrs. Dennis M. Love Mr. Gene W. Milner and Dr. Rhonda D. Milner Murphy Oil Corporation Post Properties, Inc. She’s Wired W & F Restaurant Partners Mr. and Mrs. William B. Wiggins, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Woodruff 2. alexandra ingersoll Mr. Mattias Ingersoll iron maiden days Mr. Ian Noble Joe Jarrard – in honor of his military service in iraq and afghanistan Mr. and Mrs. William K. McDaniel Todd Kelley Mr. and Mrs. John A. Terlato Judy and harvey Klein Ms. Caprice Corbett Karen rembold and Jim Kozarek – merry christmas Dr. and Mr. John A. Kozarek 3. 4. 5. edward leatherman’s 21st Birthday Mr. and Mrs. Vose E. Babcock Ms. Mary Areca Babcock Ms. Victoria J. Berken Ms. Sara Beth Black Taylor Black Mr. and Mrs. David Cox Ms. Leah Everhart Mr. and Mrs. Richard Everhart Ms. Elaine Groves Mr. and Mrs. M. Lewis Hall Mr. Howard S. Hawkins Mr. Leonard Klingen and Ms. Mary Munn Ms. Pamela L. Krans Mr. Steven Leatherman Ms. Suzan Leatherman Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Leggett Mr. Gavin Lindahl Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 49 HONORARIUMS Ms. Elizabeth Lloyd Mr. Douglas Mackle Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCammon Mr. and Mrs. William L. Morrison Organizing SOULutions Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Pearce Mr. Alexander Pell Mr. and Mrs. St. Julien P. Rosemond, Jr. Ms. Audrey Ross Mr. Edward Sawyer Ms. Nancy W. Stroh Dr. Robert Thomas Mr. David M. Turner Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. White, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Wiseheart in honor of all the family & friends of edward leatherman Ms. Charlotte Leatherman mcKee nunnally Mr. and Mrs. Holcombe T. Green, Jr. mcKee nunnally – superb fundraiser Dr. David F. Apple, Jr. dean propst – former chancellor, university of georgia Dr. and Mrs. Albert A. Rayle, Jr. In honor of all soldiers who have served, especially those who have died or were wounded LTC (R) Hans Meinhardt Captain John D’Aloia Mr. and Mrs. John Nommay Jamie reynolds Mr. James G. Strickland dr. Bruce stein’s recovery Mrs. Elinor A. Breman Dr. and Mrs. Craig E. Weil Joe saliceti and Team shepherd Mrs. Denise Eaton Mr. James Kurz Jeanie and Buzzy stevenson Ms. Marnite B. Calder nicola say Ms. Lauren King leonard Taylor Mr. Reagan Wolfe emory a. schwall’s Birthday Mrs. Ernest S. Tharpe Mrs. Mary Frances Woodside Team shepherd’s race across america fundraiser Mr. Christopher Swift alana shepherd Mrs. Lee G. Offen wesley a. varda Mr. M. Bruce Chadwick anne preston shepherd’s Birth Mrs. John O. Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd Mr. and Mrs. Zachary M. Wilson dr. and mrs. william david varner, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Mason H. Lampton stephanie von Kuhn’s recovery Mr. Chris Parker and Ms. Hala Von Kuhn harold shepherd’s Birthday Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes Bickers Consulting Group, LLC pam m. wakefield’s Birthday Mrs. Overton Currie sigma nu of georgia southern – fundraising for share Mr. D. Albert Brannen Ms. Ann B. Fowler Ms. Anne Gunn Mr. Matthew Hilley Mr. Steven Venning Kruger Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Kruger III Mrs. J. H. Mobley Mr. Jason Roe Mr. Joseph Sherwood Mrs. Robin Small Mr. and Mrs. Carl E. Swearingen Mr. James M. Walters wayne K. ware Dr. Bruce Wilde molly welch Mr. Gerald Welch Jane woodruff’s recovery Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. D’Huyvetter dan yates Mr. and Mrs. E.G. Lassiter III 2. 1. 3. 50 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org 1. Beyond therapy-tennessee Pt Jenna Briggs holds Joseline at a children’s rehabilitation hospital in Guatemala City, where Jenna traveled for a medical mission trip this spring. the trip was organized by the Shalom Foundation of Franklin, tenn., and involved faculty and graduate students from the occupational and physical therapy departments at Belmont university in nashville. 2. - 3. Shepherd Center’s Peach Corps volunteer group, which involves families in volunteer projects at the hospital, held its annual Spring Fling in April. volunteers served patients and their families at the event. PeACh CorPS PhotoS BY leitA CowArt h laura and Karl anschutz Ms. Esther L. Abisamra Ms. Hope Abisamra Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Holleman Mr. and Mrs. Werner Anschutz Bernice s. apple Mrs. Judith Ralston roy a. dorsey Mrs. Joan Woodall eulalia T. driggs Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart Mrs. Caroline W. Fowler robert l. eidman Mrs. Mary Eidman alvan s. arnall Mr. and Mrs. Peter B. Glass Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kollme william g. elkins Ms. Kandis Pinkstaff vivian Bardwell Mr. and Mrs. John Mason margaret ellis Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg Bob Bensinger Rockwell Boeing Retirees Club robert e. eskew Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. william h. Benton Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart Katherine c. evans Mrs. William E. Grabbe gerald e. Bernal Mr. Richard F. Bernal donovan faulk Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Shiver margaret m. Bernal Mr. Richard F. Bernal cynthia a. ferguson Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr. morris Berzett Ray Patterson Donnie and Daveen Stanford mulford K. fisher Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Goot furman Bisher Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. Mr. Robert H. Hogg III dr. Jack K. Bleich Mr. and Mrs. Victor L. Cohen Kenneth e. Boring Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd patsy Bowers Mr. and Mrs. Wade H. Hicks Kathy cantwell Mr. Jay Forlini dana carr Mr. and Mrs. Rick Carr wilson causey Ms. Sandra Dillard Ms. Ann Downing Mr. and Mrs. James Hettler Mr. and Mrs. James M. Nelson North Mississippi Medical Center Swann Farms french B. frazier Mrs. William E. Grabbe captain matthew freeman Mr. and Mrs. Derek Dragon david funk Mr. and Mrs. Steven Funk eve o. groton Mr. and Mrs. Randolph L. Hutto victor haber Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. Feinberg steven hackett Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hackett nicholas hardage Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Hardage william e. courington Mr. and Mrs. David Courington rosa hatch Foundation for Financial Planning, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Grant III Mrs. Oliver J. Keller, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jim Peniston Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd Mrs. Elizabeth H. Smith Upton Farms, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Luther J. Upton III James c. dodgson Mr. and Mrs. Donald Brown Mr. John Herlihy Mr. and Mrs. R. William Lee, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James Rice Mr. and Mrs. David Tiedt Former patients and their family members participate in various activities during Adventure Skills workshop 2012. the popular event is held every spring at lake Martin in Jackson’s Gap, Ala. For more information, see shepherd.org/asw. larsen c. gregory Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr. Kit clark Ms. Myrtice Hunter cile e. davidson Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Davidson III Deceased friends of Shepherd Center are listed first in bold print followed by the names of those making gifts in their memory. This list reflects gifts made to Shepherd Center between Feb. 1, 2012 and April 30, 2012. Kathleen greggs Mr. Michael Greggs dorothy p. hamburger Judge Phyllis Kravitch Mrs. Bernice K. Mazo Benjamin T. daugherty Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart m peter g. gantsoudes Mr. and Mrs. Randolph L. Hutto Mr. and Mrs. Reid Sherard dawn s. clark Mr. and Mrs. Walter Conner Ms. Debra Lynn Strickland percy T. curtis Mr. Darrell Curtis MEMORIALS elizabeth hatzo Mr. and Mrs. Gerald J. Adamek Mr. and Mrs. John W. Haldeman Mrs. Catherine C. McLendon carl heidbreder Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kollme Spinal Column® / summer 2012 • 51 m MEMORIALS colonel John w. hill Jan J. Hayes Mr. and Mrs. William E. Robinson lewis holland Mr. and Mrs. William C. Smith ida e. horowitz Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg fred a. hoyt Mrs. Sara J. Hoyt paul m. “Big pun” Jones Ms. Jessica Goodfellow Mr. David S. Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. John L. Sinclair Stone, Higgs & Drexler doug King Ms. Virginia Powers Kitz Corporation of America Mr. Stephen J. Lorenz Mr. Robert Reed Mr. Kenneth M. Sarkis Ms. Lisa Seeley The Shaw Group Ms. Catherine Stephens Mr. Steve Thomas Mr. and Mrs. Mike Underwood Ms. Cheryl A. Verlander and Mr. Charles N. Bracht Mr. Karl Weger Mr. and Mrs. Randall D. Wilhoit Mr. and Mrs. John T. Williammee Wilson Industries LP pen lybrook Ms. Phyllis Brooks guyton B. mccall Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg John mcconnell Mr. John E. Stegall ernest e. landers Ms. Bonnie T. Bolin Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Brown Mrs. Linda L. Ellis Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Hudgins Mr. Phillip G. Latimer Mr. Joshua G. Levitt Mr. and Mrs. C. J. McClellan Mr. and Mrs. Miller Parnell Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Peek Johnie c. mccullars Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Bremer Mrs. Sharon Rotar Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel G. Hewes Mr. and Mrs. Wade Huie Mr. and Mrs. Randolph L. Hutto Mr. Robert M. Kunes Mr. Honore A. LeBrun III Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Mitchell Ms. Beverly S. Rodgers Mr. and Mrs. William H. Schroder Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Shaffer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John L. Thompson Ms. Evelyn S. Uhles hank leon Mr. and Mrs. James R. Henderson william Barry phillips Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr. John r. “rick” leone iii AIV, LP Ms. Kristi Anderson Hal N. Arnold D.M.D. Mr. Patrick Benavides Beyer-Barber Company Bonny Forge Employees Bonny Forge Accounting, HR and IT Departments Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Certain Clark-Reliance Corporation Ms. Elizabeth C. Clough Mrs. Donna Davis Dodson Global, Inc. Ms. Susan P. Hicks Audrey Piel Ms. Myra Bernes Dentistry at Kennesaw Point, PC Ms. Betty F. Furst Ms. Kathleen J. Huff Mr. and Mrs. Joel C. Lobel Mrs. Elaine M. Sarvis Mr. Emory A. Schwall Mrs. Doris H. Shelton Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd Ms. Harriett H. Tewkesbury John c. Kranyecz, Jr. Ms. Michelle Stulack the Shepherd Center therapeutic recreation Department held a Casino night for patients and their families this spring. the event was sponsored by Bank of north Georgia. Bank executives, managers and staff volunteered as dealers and servers for the event. 52 • ShepherdCentermagazine.org gloria porter Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg otis potter Mrs. Charlie Corey richard stropp Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Urken dr. edwin c. pound Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Gibson eunice “peach” Taylor Ms. Georgia Lord rondo prock Mr. Bruce Prock ruby Todd Mr. and Mrs. Don Scarbrough felicia ramacciotti Mr. and Mrs. Andy Gillenson Mrs. Robert J. Howard Shepherd Center The Shepherd Center Auxiliary Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy Mr. and Mrs. Zachary M. Wilson doreen Tunnell Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. norman reeves Dr. Timothy C. Meyers, Jr. Bill “cosby” reynolds Mr. and Mrs. David B. Kahn william m. robertson Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. Mrs. Lindsey Hopkins III Bill roszel Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart luise m. shaw Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. ronald simpson Mr. and Mrs. Dale Baldwin Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Chapman Mrs. and Mr. Judy Grueneberg Mr. and Mrs. M. Marshall Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Larry Ridlehoover Sierra/Affinity Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Winkler ronald h. simpson Ms. Humberto Centeno Mr. and Mrs. Del Chapman sam s. singer Mr. and Mrs. Jim Porter paula smith Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Begnaud william e. speaks Mrs. William E. Speaks phinney Taylor Mrs. Patricia C. Williams george ulicny Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr. Dr. Mike Jones Dr. and Mrs. Ron Seel Brent walker Mrs. Roberta Cook Ms. Keela Ernst Mrs. Kathryn Ferguson Ms. Mary E. Mahon and Mr. Philip J. Flores Gaddis & Lanier, LLC Mr. Andrew G. Gibson Ms. Linda N. Goode Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hardman Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Howard Mr. and Mrs. David Husack Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Merback Mr. and Mrs. Gary Miller Mr. and Mrs. George W. Toth Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Tutt Mr. and Mrs. William Walker dorothy watkins Mr. Jennings E. Watkins frank e. white Mr. Tom White Benjamin h. williams Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Cowart charles willingham’s mother Dr. David F. Apple, Jr. stanley d. willis Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Willis h i d d e n va l l e y f a r m s nashville, tennessee Please Please join join the the Shepherd Shepherd Center Center Society Society on on Saturday, Saturday, September 8, at 7 p.m. for an evening of award-winning September 8, 7:00pm for an evening of award-winning Arlee Arlee Bragg Bragg barbecue, barbecue, wine, wine, beer beer and and dancing dancing to to the the musicfrom of Sixwire – all music Sixwire, allon onthe thebeautiful beautifulsetting settingofof Hidden Hidden Valley Valley Farms. Farms. To buy tickets and to get more information To buy tickets and to get more information, please visit shepherdCentersociety.com/nashville please visitor ShepherdCenterSociety.com/Nashville call 615.656.3934. or call 615.656.3934. Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 1703 ADDreSS Service requeSteD Scan this QR code with your smart phone or go to ShepherdCenterMagazine.org to view more photos and content. top Athletes compete in Atlanta’s Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree road race Thousands of spectators turned out to watch this year’s Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. The annual 10K race was held July 4 and drew 78 wheelchair athletes from eight countries. This year, Tatyana McFadden of Champaign, Ill., won the women’s open division with a first-place finishing time of 23:53. She also won the 2010 and 2011 races. She will compete in the Paralympic Games later this summer. In the men’s open, Aaron Gordian of Mexico took the crown to win with a finishing time of 19:52. At age 46, he became the oldest person to ever win the race. The 6.2-mile competition began on Lenox Road in the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta’s shopping district, and followed Peachtree Road for six miles before slicing through the heart of Midtown to the finish line at 10th Street and Piedmont Park. The race is the one of the largest and fastest wheelchair 10Ks in the country. The top finishers in each division received peach-shaped crystalline trophies in a ceremony at Piedmont Park, while cash prizes totaling $35,000 were doled out at a post-race brunch at Shepherd Center, which organizes the race. Numerous Shepherd volunteers and staff members coordinated race logistics, Photo BY louie FAvorite including reviewing applications, orchestrating the start and finish, monitoring the times and overseeing the needs of the athletes. BB&T and Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee were presenting sponsors, providing pre-and post-race brunches, defraying travel and lodging expenses for racers, and awarding cash prizes to winners. For more information, see www.shepherd.org/peachtreeroadrace. q Larry Bowie