the greatest - Shepherd Center

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The Magazine of Shepherd Center: Providing Medical Treatment, Research and Rehabilitation | spinalcolumn.org
On the
Stage
Actors with disabilities
seek equality.
Creative
Funding
Patients' ingenuity
closes the gap.
Patient
Profile
Dentist returns to
practice after injury.
The Slippery
Slopes
Paralympic skier recalls
Shepherd’s help.
A Focus
on Safety
Researchers assess
safety risks after TBI.
Spring 2010
+
Former Shepherd Center
patients experience fulfilling
relationships after injury.
the greatest
LOVE
The Magazine of Shepherd Center
Spring 2010
Photo by Gary Meek
Letter from James Shepherd
SpinalColumn®
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
[email protected]
www.spinalcolumn.org
Editor
Jane M. Sanders
Design
Soloflight Design
Dear Friends,
The past year has been one of the toughest economic times in Shepherd
Center’s history. But true to their remarkable character, our staff and donors
have stepped up to the plate.
Our staff and physicians have worked diligently to improve efficiency. They
have also raised our already-excellent level of customer service. We hear this
from everyone who comes through our doors. Meanwhile, our donors have
continued to give to our fundraising campaigns even though it may have truly
hurt to give.
Because of these efforts, Shepherd Center has experienced financial success.
We’re still hiring and have even been able to give raises to our dedicated and
experienced staff. We’re also still expanding our facilities and services.
We are truly grateful to our community of supporters and to our staff
for continuing to engage and encourage our patients through the tough
process of rehabilitation. We also appreciate the behind-the-scenes service
of our ancillary departments, including Engineering, Health Information
Management, Information Systems, Environmental Services, and Food and
Nutrition Services. So many dedicated staff members in these and other
departments work diligently to make things run smoothly at Shepherd Center.
As we start this new fiscal year, we expect to soon begin a major renovation of
the second floor of the Shepherd Building. It will almost double our dedicated
space to meet the growing demand for treatment of patients with brain
injuries. This update will add 28 beds – 20 in private rooms and eight more
in four semi-private rooms – to our Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Unit. Upon
completion, the project will consolidate all of our ABI inpatient services on
the second floors of both the Shepherd and Marcus-Woodruff buildings. The
addition of more private rooms will address infection control issues, as well.
The renovation, which will gut and rebuild the entire second floor of the
Shepherd Building, except for the therapy gym and elevator lobby, is expected
to begin by early summer and take about 18 months to complete.
Our long-term plans call for a similar renovation of the third floor of the
Shepherd Building. Ultimately, we won’t have to turn away patients for lack of
a bed – something we’ve had to do in the recent past.
Having more beds available means Shepherd Center can help even
more people experience outcomes that exceed the national averages among
rehabilitation hospitals. It’s further evidence that our staff and your gifts
continue to “restore hope and rebuild lives.”
Members
Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson,
David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., Brock
Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James
M. Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman,
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.,
Bernie Marcus, Joseph R. Moderow,
Julian B. Mohr, Charles T. Nunnally III,
Sally D. Nunnally, Clyde Shepherd III,
J. Harold Shepherd, Scott H. Sikes*,
James E. Stephenson, James D.
Thompson, Goodloe H. Yancey III†
Warm regards,
About the Cover: Former spinal
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Contributing Writers
Lauren Angelo, Sara Baxter, Amanda
Crowe, Kayla Eubanks, Dean Melcher,
Anne Pearce, Bill Sanders, Scott Sikes,
Brittany Wilson
Contributing Photographers
Ernie Brown, Brad Buckman, Leita
Cowart, Louie Favorite, Jim Fitts, Jerry
Hooks, Gary Meek
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
*
†
Ex Officio
Emeritus
Spinal Column is published quarterly by
Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit
hospital specializing in the treatment
of people with spinal cord injury and
disease, acquired brain injury, multiple
sclerosis and other neuromuscular
disorders, and urological problems.
E-mail change of address information or
request to be removed from our mailing
list to [email protected], or
by mail to Shepherd Center, Attn: Spinal
Column Mailing List, 2020 Peachtree
Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309.
Please include mailing label. Spinal
Column accepts no advertising. Spinal
Column is a registered trademark of
Shepherd Center.
cord injury patient Kelley Brooks
Simoneaux of Chattanooga, Tenn.,
married Bradlee Simoneaux in a
beautiful ceremony last summer.
Photo by Ernie Brown
Spring2010Contents
SpinalColumn
The Magazine of Shepherd Center:
Providing Medical Treatment, Research and Rehabilitation
10
12
Photo by Gary Meek
16
Out of Catastrophe, Creativity:
To close the gap between catastrophic
care coverage and costs, patients and families rely on generosity – and ingenuity. Loving the Slippery Slopes:
Paralympian Jasmin Bambur competes
in snow skiing as Serbia’s first
representative in the games.
Cover
Story
The Greatest Love
Photo Courtesy of Jasmin Bambur
Features
On the Stage:
Actors with disabilities make
strides, but are still looking for equal
opportunities.
16
Departments
2 Short Takes
18 Managed Care Corner
19 Research: A Focus on Safety
20 Patient Profile: Melissa Durand, DMD
22 Ask the Doc Q & A
23 Medical Staff Profile: Andrew Zadoff, M.D.
24 Shepherd Alums
26 Foundation Features
34 Loving Tributes
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.
ShortTakes
Shepherd Snapshots: A Look at News and Other Notes
Shepherd Center SCI Model System
Changes Name To Reflect Growth
Photo by Gary Meek
In January,
the Georgia
Spinal
Cord Injury
Model
System
(SCIMS) at
Shepherd
David Apple, M.D.
Center
became the “Southeastern Regional
Spinal Cord Injury Model System at
Shepherd Center.”
This name change reflects the
expanded reach of Shepherd’s Model
System since its inception in 1982.
Today, it is the largest SCI Model
System in the United States.
The SCIMS program at Shepherd
is funded by the National Institute
on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research, a part of the U.S.
Department of Education. Since
1982, Shepherd has been funded
six times and is now one of 14
designated facilities nationwide.
The current five-year grant cycle
ends Oct. 1, 2011, at which time
Shepherd anticipates renewed
funding from 2011 to 2016.
“At the inception of the
SCIMS at Shepherd, Georgia
was the home state for the
majority of patients admitted
to the program,” says medical
director emeritus David Apple,
M.D., who co-directs the SCIMS
with Lesley M. Hudson, M.A.
“As recently as a decade ago, 66
percent of patients admitted to
Shepherd were Georgians.
“But in the past decade,
Shepherd’s referral network
has grown beyond Georgia to
include all of the Southeast and
other regions of the country,
as well,” Dr. Apple notes.
The hospital saw a 53 percent
increase from 1999 to 2009 in
the number of patients admitted
to Shepherd from regional states
in the Southeast.
“The staff of the Southeastern
Regional SCIMS at Shepherd
Center looks forward to serving
patients from the Southeast and
beyond as the facility continues
to expand programs and
services,” Dr. Apple adds.
Shepherd Employees and
Supporters Asked to Ride for MS
As cyclists pedal the course of the Bike MS
Georgia tour on Sept. 11-12, it will be hard to
miss Team Shepherd whizzing by in a blaze of
black, orange and yellow fire-like jerseys.
Team Shepherd captain Colleen McCrory,
director of marketing and managed care for the
hospital, is recruiting at least 140 volunteers to
participate in the bike ride.
Team Shepherd has continued to grow. When
McCrory led the team of 67 people in 2008, it
represented the fourth largest team in the tour
and raised more than $24,000 for the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2009, under the
leadership of Beth Boedeher and Angela Black,
Team Shepherd also raised more than $24,000.
The 2010 sponsors are Handicapped Driver
Services (HDS Vans) and Peachtree Bikes.
McCrory is hoping Team Shepherd will have
a large presence in this year’s event because
of Shepherd’s renowned Andrew C. Carlos
Multiple Sclerosis Institute, which has helped
many people diagnosed with MS.
“We’re not only supporting our own MS
patient population, we’re also creating greater
awareness in the MS community,” says
McCrory, adding that she hopes money raised
through the National MS Society will further
promote research and treatment for people
diagnosed with the disease.
To register, go to www.bikeMSgeorgia.org and
sign up with Team Shepherd.
Volunteers Needed to Help with Wheelchair
Division of Peachtree Road Race
For more information on volunteering for
this year’s race, contact volunteer coordinator
Tara MacCaughelty at 404-603-4623 or
[email protected].
Above: Wheelchair racers begin the Peachtree Road Race.
2 Spinal Column
Planning is under way for the 29th annual Wheelchair Division of
the Peachtree Road Race, which will be held July 4 in Atlanta, and
organizers are looking for volunteers to help make the event a success.
The race has grown significantly through the years and continues to
require more and more help from volunteers. Typically, 75 volunteers
and 100 racers participate in the event.
“The race would not be possible without the assistance and hard
work of dedicated volunteers,” says organizer and Shepherd Center
wellness program manager Becky Washburn.
Volunteers are used in all aspects of the race, such as athlete checkin, airport assistance, pre-race social and post-race brunch. Volunteers
also can serve in the pit crew, as nurses and finish-line timekeepers.
Organizers place volunteers in job categories on a first-come, firstserved basis. Requesting a volunteer application early will help ensure
placement in your top preference area.
w w w. s p i n a l c o l u m n . o r g
Photo by Gary Meek
Neurorehabilitation
Conference to be Held
at Shepherd Center
The Medical University of South
Carolina’s College of Health Professions
is collaborating with Shepherd Center
and Rancho Los Amigos National
Rehabilitation Center on a five-year study
on the prediction and prevention of lifethreatening secondary health conditions
after spinal cord injury (SCI).
A $3.9 million Rehabilitation Research
and Training Center (RRTC) grant
will fund research and training on the
prevention of secondary conditions, such
as pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections,
amputation, fractures and depression. The
U.S. Department of Education’s National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR) is funding the study.
Leading the study is researcher James
Krause, Ph.D., who is on the faculty at
the Medical University of South Carolina
and also conducts research under the
NIDRRfunded
Southeastern
Regional SCI
Model System
of Care at
Shepherd
James Krause, Ph.D.
Center.
“The goal of the collaboration is
to reduce the incidence of secondary
conditions and to enhance longevity after
SCI through a combination of research
that identifies prominent risk factors
for diminished health and by educating
health professionals, service providers
and individuals with SCI on how to
implement appropriate prevention
strategies,” Dr. Krause says.
The training component of the
project will work on several levels. It
will include summer training programs
for physicians and graduate students
in health professions, lectures to
rehabilitation professionals, state-ofthe-art dissemination through medical
and rehabilitation journals, and direct
dissemination to the community of
people with SCI through newsletters,
a Web site, blog and other Internet
outlets, including YouTube videos.
“In essence, the research will identify
the factors that lead to secondary
conditions, and the education and
dissemination of information will
ultimately lead to prevention by helping
people understand when and why the
conditions occur,” Dr. Krause adds.
The original work upon which the
RRTC grant is based was developed
through the SCI Model Systems
program between 1995 and 2000 when
Dr. Krause was working at Shepherd
with medical director emeritus David
Apple, M.D., and Lesley M. Hudson,
M.A., co-director with Dr. Apple of the
Shepherd SCI Model System.
Above: Shepherd Center is educating
medical professionals on prevention of
SCI-related secondary health conditions.
Photo by Louie Favorite
Study Aims to Prevent Secondary
Health Conditions after SCI
Shepherd Center has been selected as cohost and conference site for the 2010 North
American Neurorehabilitation Symposium
organized by Hocoma, a Swiss medical
technology company that specializes in robotic rehabilitation therapy for neurological
movement disorders.
Its products include
Lokomat®, Armeo®
and Erigo®.
The event will be
held at Shepherd
Center on Aug. 27-28,
2010. Presentation
topics will include new
technology in neurorehabilitation, motivating
patients with virtual
environments, and
research in spinal
Above: Shepherd
cord injury, stroke,
Center physical
traumatic brain injury,
therapist Beth
cerebral palsy and
Pharo works
other pathologies.
with patient Tony
The conference
Boatright on the
Lokomat.
is expected to bring
together scientists
from highly recognized institutions
worldwide and clinical users of innovative
therapeutic methods and technologies.
The event is intended to offer clinicians and scientists a valuable platform to
discuss trends, share expertise, exchange
ideas and gain knowledge to assess and
use new technologies and therapy concepts in their daily practice. — Larry Bowie
For more information about the
North American Neurorehabilitation
Symposium 2010, visit nanrs2010.com.
For more information on SCI and other research at Shepherd, see www.shepherd.org/research.
Spring 2010 3
CoverStory
The Greatest
Love
BY BILL SANDERS
Following Page, Left: Bradlee Simoneaux and former Shepherd Center SCI patient Kelley Brooks Simoneaux of
Chattanooga, Tenn., met while on a college trip. They married in August 2009. Following Page, Right: MS patients Dorothy
and Win Jackson of Atlanta met in Shepherd Center's ProMotion fitness center. They married on Valentine's Day 2008.
4 Spinal Column
Finding love re
risks, and whe quires taking
there is the pore there are risks,
And where the tential for danger.
the demand fo re’s danger, there’s
r courage.
So there she was, this 22-year-old girl traversing through wheelchair-inaccessible Eastern
Europe, ready for adventure, willing to set aside her steadfast insistence on not asking
for help, and if love came calling, well, so be it.
But the real adventures for Kelley Brooks Simoneaux, now a
25-year-old law school student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, began when she decided to leave her home
in Chattanooga, Tenn., and attend Birmingham Southern
College. It was a little more than a year after a 2001 car crash
injured her spinal cord, paralyzing her from the waist down.
She underwent rehabilitation at Shepherd Center for several
months and then returned home.
“I wanted to go away and start new, be in a new city and
prove to myself I could do it,” Kelley recalls. “Birmingham
Southern was a good fit for me. I thought it would give me
great opportunities to show that despite being in wheelchair, I
could go on with life and succeed.
“While in college, I spent a month in New York studying
art history and a month traveling through Italy. One summer,
I was in school in Oxford, England, and I backpacked through
western Europe, staying in hostels.”
Then Kelley went on a college trip to eastern Europe and
met a classmate named Bradlee.
“I had seen him before on campus, but had never really met
him before this trip,” she explains. “I have never wanted to use
my wheelchair as a reason to not let people get to know me.
On this trip, there was such a lack of accessibility that I had to
have some of the strong guys pick me up and put me into buses
and such. Bradlee was one of the ones always doing it. It made
for a bit of an awkward introduction.”
But Bradlee was smitten with Kelley from the beginning,
and the feeling was mutual. Two years later, the two were engaged. They married in August 2009.
“After we got married, I found a journal he started at the
beginning of that trip,” Kelley says. “He was writing about how
he met this girl, that she was so pretty, but that he was nervous
because he’d never been around a person in a wheelchair before.
We kind of laughed about how he got over that pretty quickly.”
Spring 2010 5
Photo by Credit Here
Heather Collins Dodd knows a thing or two about danger and
courage, too. And it’s the love of her life who has kept her going
for the past two years.
Heather, like many other patients at Shepherd Center, learned
that a brain or spinal cord injury, while no trivial matter, doesn’t
preclude a person from dating, relationships or marriage.
In Heather’s case, she was in a committed relationship before
she sustained brain and spinal cord injuries in a car crash in June
2008. But significant others don’t always stay after
a traumatic injury, and that thought entered
Heather’s mind. But only briefly.
“Brian and I had dated three and a half years
before my injury,” Heather says. “We had talked
about getting married, but nothing too specific.
During my hospital stay, he stood by me the
entire time. He dropped all his work to go to
Georgia. To be honest, though, when I first
woke up, I asked, ‘Where is Brian?’ I thought
he had left me. He was only at work, though,
and I never doubted him again. We got married
on the fifth anniversary of when we officially
started dating.”
Heather was injured while driving when she
took her eyes off the road for a split second,
swerved off the road and hit a tree. She ruptured
her aortic vein, fractured her hip, pelvis, left
ankle and ribs, and sustained a C-7 spinal cord
injury. Her head butted against the driver’s door,
causing a brain injury, as well.
“The brain bounced from the left to the right
side, and I had a lot of memory loss,” Heather
explains. “But I didn’t have to relearn too many
skills. I don’t remember any of the accident or anything up
until I was at Shepherd Pathways (the hospital’s post-acute
rehabilitation program for brain injury).”
But some of Heather’s memory remained remarkably
intact. Many patients with her type of brain injury recall
the first time they met their spouse – but not in detail
and under these circumstances.
“When we first met, I was at my job at Colleen DriveIn in Arlington, Va.,” Heather recalls. “He ordered a
bacon double cheeseburger, fries and a medium Pepsi.”
Remember, this is a young man whom Heather had
Top: Former brain injury patient Heather
Collins Dodd of Lovingston, Va., married
her longtime boyfriend in September 2009.
Above: Shepherd Center counselor Cheryl
Linden counsels patients, including former
SCI patient Jared Coppola of North Reading,
Mass., about post-injury relationships.
6 Spinal Column
Photo by Gary Meek
Dodd
of Heather
Photo Cour
tesy
stories of co ur ag e .
never met so she had no reason to think this would be the
moment she met her future spouse.
“It touches me to remember and recite his order that
day,” she says. “I looked in his eyes and could tell that he
was loyal and honest. He called me before we closed that
night and he asked me out.”
Stories like this bring a smile to the face of Shepherd
Center counselor Cheryl Linden.
“During my hospital stay, he stood by me
the entire time.... We got married on the
fifth anniversary of when we officially
started dating.” — Heather Dodd
“We work with patients, first focusing on the success they
have had here,” she explains. “Then, we draw upon strengths
they’ve had all along and get them to focus more on who
they are outside of their disability. We have a staff member
here who says her disability is the least interesting thing
about her.”
For the most part, if a patient was in a committed relationship built on a firm foundation before the injury, odds
are good the relationship will last. The hardest part of her
job, Cheryl says, is helping adolescents, many of whom are
already experiencing age-related social awkwardness.
“I see a huge concern in kids, who worry about dating,
and wonder if anyone will like them the way they are now,”
Cheryl says. “Some are in a relationship before they got hurt,
and if there were difficulties in the relationship before the
injury, this certainly will make it that much harder. If it was
solid before, then this can make them even stronger.”
But the thing is, most teenagers don’t end up in a longterm relationship or marriage with the person they dated in
high school, Cheryl says. Breaking up, or getting dumped,
happens to everyone. But for teens in a wheelchair or struggling with a brain injury, it is even harder.
“Adolescents often attribute the failure of a relationship
solely to their injury,” Cheryl says. “Not everything that
hurts a relationship is from the injury, and we have to teach
them that. It’s hard for them to build back their confidence.”
That’s why Shepherd Center has former patients – those
who have thrived in love and in life – return as peer supporters for current patients, she adds.
Photo by Gary Meek
stories of Lo ve.
Nate Klein, a Georgia Tech student, has been dating his
girlfriend, also a Tech student, for nearly two years. They
met five years after he was paralyzed in a mountain biking
accident.
“We met in a fencing club,” Nate says. “I don’t think there
was much of an adjustment for her to be dating a guy in a
wheelchair. I mean, her friends pick on her for finding the
one guy on campus who is shorter than she is – she’s 4-11.”
His girlfriend, Courtney Price, laughs and agrees.
“We both like fencing,” she says. “Nate just does it from
a wheelchair. We’d met while I was still in high school, so
when I got to Tech, he was the only person I really knew. He
called me, and we started hanging out. I don’t remember a
time when I ever had to look around his injury or come to
peace with it.”
Grayson Jackson, a University of Georgia student, sustained a C-7 spinal cord injury in a diving accident when he
was 21. Almost four years later, Grayson has found the dating scene to be both exhilarating and frustrating. But what
young man doesn’t experience those feelings?
Grayson and the girl he was dating at the time of his accident broke up a few months after the injury. But he’s certain
his accident played no role in that relationship ending.
“It was going to end anyway,” he says. “I was 21, and we
weren’t heading toward a future. But I got back into the
social thing – at least, hanging out with friends – pretty
quickly. It took a little while to get my confidence with the
ladies back. You don’t know how girls are going to react to
you, particularly at first, when you’re trying to get back to
dating. But it was OK.”
“I go out a lot now. I don’t have a girlfriend, but I’m kind
of playing the field. I did have one girlfriend since my injury,
and I think that helped make me know that dating was
Above: Former SCI patient Nate Klein of China Village,
Maine, dates a fellow Georgia Tech student, Courtney Price.
Spring 2010 7
Photo by Gary Meek
Favorite
Photo by Louie
Top, Far Left:
Grayson Jackson
of Social Circle,
Ga., is a student
at UGA, where
he has many
friends. Bottom,
Far Left: Dorothy
and Win Jackson
got married on
Valentine's Day.
They recently
celebrated
their second
anniversary.
Left: Kelley
Brooks
Simoneaux
surprised her
new husband
and wedding
guests by
standing for their
first dance at the
reception.
“We are living the dream, despite the fact that some terrible things have
happened.... Our relationship has made it.” — Win Jackson
still possible. I don’t think I will ever really worry about that
anymore.”
It’s not just the young who wonder if love is in their future.
Neither Dorothy Biebrich, nor Win Jackson believed they’d fall
in love again.
Both are middle-aged and have multiple sclerosis. They met
in Shepherd Center’s ProMotion gym.
“Before we met, love was written off,” Win says. “I had been
living in an assisted living home for five years, and I was not
getting out and about meeting people. When we met, and
started falling for each other, I was pretty pragmatic about it.
But she is wonderful, an angel.
“I wasn’t going to jump into things by any means, and I
was a little nervous about it. I didn’t want to jump into a bad
relationship because I was happy with who I was,” he adds.
Win had been divorced for 15 years when he met Dorothy,
so he had found a comfortable routine. Dorothy hadn’t settled
into life as easily. She was a bit lonely and was having an
understandably hard time adjusting to being a widow with a
disability.
“When my husband died, I no longer had transportation,”
Dorothy says. “I didn’t drive or have a church nearby. I didn’t
have children nearby, and I didn’t know who to go to for
counseling or help after my husband of 35 years died. I ended
up going to see Chaplain Ken Grosch at Shepherd Center.”
8 Spinal Column
Dorothy lived close enough to Shepherd Center that she
could ride her scooter down the sidewalks of Peachtree Road
to its gym. And for a while, Shepherd was just about her only
refuge.
Win had actually moved to Atlanta 10 years ago so he could
be a patient at Shepherd’s Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis
Institute. Of course, many patients at Shepherd – as well as
those who come to ProMotion – are recovering from brain
or spinal cord injuries. Not that it really mattered, but from a
distance, Dorothy assumed Win had a spinal cord injury. Of
course, she soon found out he has MS.
After discovering all the other things they have in common,
they began dating, and a couple of years later, Dorothy and
Win were married at Shepherd Center by Chaplain Grosch.
“We are living the dream, despite the fact that some terrible
things have happened,” Win says. “We are living life to its
fullest, and our relationship has made it.”
Win and Dorothy’s love story is about as special as they
come. But Kelley and Bradlee’s story is almost like a fairytale.
By the time the couple got engaged, Kelley had overcome
every concern about what she could and couldn’t do from her
wheelchair – except one.
“The wedding dress is one of main things we girls think
about, and it had always worried me, going down aisle, the
first dance and how I’d look in a wedding dress in the chair,”
+
To read this story and view
more photographs online, visit
Right:
Former
SCI patient
Kendra
White of
Glenwood,
Ga., is a
student at
East Georgia
College in
Swainsboro.
remembering to
Love yourself
Kendra White was 16 years old when
she first looked in the mirror and saw
more questions than answers.
Paralyzed from the chest down by
a C-6 spinal cord injury she suffered
earlier that year, Kendra had to wait
a little while to honestly answer the
questions she was asking herself.
Will I ever be the same Kendra that
I used to be? Can I learn to love myself
again? Will anyone else love me?
It took a few years for her to answer
those questions with some certainty.
No, she would not be the same Kendra. But yes, she can come to terms
with the new Kendra, and yes, she is
still loveable.
Now, Kendra is one of Shepherd
Center’s peer supporters, talking to
other patients who need to have the
same questions answered – particularly
when it comes to dating.
“It was hard at first, getting back
into things socially,” Kendra says. “I
had to accept me for who I was and
get comfortable with that. I wasn’t going to be the same old me. Things were
going to be different. The question was,
‘How was I going to move on?’ I went
back to cheerleading and hanging out
with friends.”
And in time, Kendra returned to
dating. “I didn’t even
think about that for
the first two years or
so,” she says. “It took
me a little while to
accept who I am now,
so how I wondered
how long it would
take someone else to
accept it. I did eventually start dating
and started trusting
people again.
“What I went
through has made it
easier for me to tell
Photo by Jerry Hooks
Kelley says. “It’s the one thing that
bothered me after moving through
every other issue.
“So, we decided to go to Kleinfeld's in New York City to look for
a dress,” she explains. “They were
so open to ideas. I said I wanted
something to hide my wheelchair,
and they developed the idea of having the train come over the back of
it. The designer of the dress gave me
the exact material for the train that
would duplicate the wedding dress.
That summer when we went for the
fitting, we learned it was the first
time Kleinfeld’s had ever done this.
They wanted to document it for us,
and so it was on TLC’s show ‘Say
Yes to the Dress.’”
That’s not where the fairytale
ended, though.
“At my first dance, the bridesmaids all surrounded me so I
couldn’t be seen,” Kelley says. “I used
my braces and walker, and I stood
up. The bridesmaids then left, and
there I was standing for my first
dance with my dad. Most people
hadn’t seen me stand since I was
16. It was very emotional. After a
minute, Bradlee took over, and we
danced. Then I got back in my chair.
There were very few dry eyes.”
BY BILL SANDERS
others, like this girl I’m mentoring
now, and make it believable because
I’ve been through it,” Kendra adds.
That’s what makes Kendra such an
asset to Shepherd Center counselor
Cheryl Linden.
“I try to bring people back, college
age or older, who were injured in their
teens,” Linden explains. “That lets new
patients hear about what worked in
a successful relationship. Kendra has
been a perfect example of that. She is
so good with the kids she talks to, including one she’s working with now.”
Kendra’s advice to this girl, and anyone else in this situation, is to realize
that any boy worth dating will see the
real you and not just the wheelchair.
“The girl I’m currently talking to is
a lot like me,” Kendra says. “She was
angry at first, and she thought no one
would date her. I told her that if she
comes across as not being bitter or
mean-spirited, she certainly could be
interesting and appealing to boys. I
told her that she should only want a
guy who will accept her for the way
she is because you know that he’ll be
there for the long run.”
Kendra has a boyfriend whom she
met after her accident. They met over
the telephone, and while she told him
upfront that she was paralyzed, she
said she still wondered if he really
understood the implications.
“On our first date, he told me he
had been in a wheelchair for a while
from a skateboarding accident,”
Kendra says. “Part of me keeps expecting him to say it bothers him, but he
hasn’t.”
And that’s the message Kendra
preaches to peers with disabilities.
“It can work,” she said.
“Relationships, dating, getting
married, these things are all more
than just a possibility. It’s what you
should expect.”
Spring 2010 9
Photo Courtesy of Teal Sherer
EqualityFeature
on the
STAGE
make strides, but are
still looking for equal
opportunities. BY BILL SANDERS
Teal, a former Shepherd Center spinal cord injury (SCI) patient and
an Oglethorpe University graduate, played the role of Catherine, a
troubled, 20-something woman coping with the death of her father. In
playwright David Auburn’s story, Catherine was not in a wheelchair. In
the version Teal produced, she was.
Would that be a distraction? Would the reviewer be able to look past
the wheelchair that she no doubt knew was not part of Auburn’s story?
Read for yourself: “For this critic, Auburn’s script has always registered
as contrived and lacking subtlety, but this production blows away this bias
by virtue of Sherer’s uniquely winning portrayal. That the character – like
the performer – is wheelchair-bound adds a layer of vulnerability that brings the play to life for me as it hadn’t before. Make no
mistake: Sherer’s accomplished performance stands on its own; it’s the material that’s been enriched.”
The newspaper LA Weekly knows
a few things about good stage
performances. So when it reviewed
a production of the Tony Awardwinning play “Proof” at The NoHo
Arts Center in Hollywood earlier this
year, actress Teal Sherer knew the
critique was going to be a big deal.
1 0 Spinal Column
“Hopefully, by talking about it, we can promote an open-mindedness about
casting people who use chairs… I don't think casting directors and producers are
intentionally discriminating against people who use wheelchairs. They just aren’t
aware that those barriers exist for us.” — Zack Weinstein
in Fox Television’s freshman hit series “Glee.” It focuses on a high
school chorus group and features a lead character in a wheelchair.
Zack, who sustained a C-6 SCI in a diving accident in 2005, will
play a character with the same injury. He’ll also sing in the episode.
“I was one of two actors with a spinal cord injury to audition for
the role along with a lot of other very talented, able-bodied actors,”
Zack says. “I’m excited because I was chosen because they believe I
am the best actor for the role. I worked hard with my acting coach
before the audition and had a strong sense of the character.
“It’s so great to act in a well-written part on a great show with
great visibility,” he adds. “If it leads to other roles, that’s great, too.
But even if it doesn’t, I’m going to enjoy this opportunity.”
This is Zack’s first role in a television program. He did a national
TV commercial for Buy.com last year. Zack believes he has more
good roles in his future, including some he is writing for himself
and hopes to produce eventually.
“I hope, by talking about it, we can promote an open-mindedness about casting people who use chairs,” he says. “I’d love to be
the person who helps change that perception. I don't think casting
directors and producers are
intentionally discriminating
Facing page: Former SCI
against people who use wheelpatient Teal Sherer has the
chairs. They just aren’t aware
lead role in the play "Proof."
Below: Former SCI patient Zack
that those barriers exist for us.
Weinstein just landed a guest
“I don’t have a problem if
star role in the TV series "Glee."
they choose the actor who is
best for the role if I know they
gave people who use chairs a
fair shot,” Zack adds.
In “Glee,” an able-bodied
actor, Kevin McHale, portrays the character who uses
a wheelchair. “I know they
auditioned people who use
chairs, and they chose the
actor they thought best for the
role,” Zack says.
Zack appreciates that
“Glee” is offering opportunities for actors in wheelchairs
to audition. “All I wanted was
a chance to audition and be
seriously considered as an acTo read this story and view
tor,” he adds. He hopes more
producers and directors in
Hollywood will follow suit.
Photo by Brad Buckman
Anytime an actor with a disability makes it in Hollywood,
it’s big, Teal says. When an actor in a wheelchair plays a character not written as using a chair, it’s groundbreaking.
“In ‘Proof,’ as it was written, Catherine is not a wheelchair
user,” Teal says. “But why couldn’t she be? The director said it
has added a whole new depth to the play, and that was really
important for what I’m doing as a performer with a disability.”
Conversely, and perhaps equally significant, is the somewhat
controversial question of whether able-bodied actors should
portray characters with disabilities – especially when there are
plenty of actors with disabilities waiting for their big chance.
Teal, who sustained an L-2 SCI in a car crash when she was
14, has no problem with those roles going to able-bodied actors – as long as they are the best actor available, she says.
“For actors in wheelchairs, you have to be on level with every
other actor,” Teal explains. “There are many who just aren’t that
good and think they deserve those roles just because they use
a chair. But they don’t. There are also lots who are talented and
are not getting the opportunity. They should be auditioning for
roles they can play – the lawyer, the mom, the secretary.”
And as Teal has shown, there is no reason someone with
a disability can’t be the lead. “I totally believe actors with
disabilities can play a leading role – I’m proof of it. And my
friend ‘Chill’ (Daryl Mitchell) is the lead actor on a Fox show,
‘Brothers,’ and he’s in a wheelchair.”
Teal has lived and worked in Hollywood for five years. She
has appeared in several television commercials, the Emmy
Award-winning HBO movie “Warm Springs” and a Web
series called “The Guild.” She is also writing and producing
some of her own shows. Oh, and she spent some time on stage
with some actors named Hoffman, Benning and Cromwell.
“I got an opportunity to do a reading on stage with Dustin
Hoffman, Annette Benning and James Cromwell that I
wouldn’t have gotten had I not had this disability,” Teal says. “I
had no gigs coming up and was a little down on myself when I
get a call from Dustin Hoffman’s assistant.
“They wanted someone in a wheelchair to do a reading with
them for the opening of a new theater in Santa Monica,” she
explains. “Dustin Hoffman is the sweetest, most approachable
and kind man. He gives you a hug and makes you feel comfortable. It was a joy to have him direct me and coach me and
give me feedback. When we were done, he walked me out and
told me I was really talented. That meant a lot.”
Zack Weinstein, another Shepherd Center alumnus, hasn’t
yet worked with a Dustin Hoffman. But, even though he’s relatively new to Hollywood, he recently landed a guest star role
+
Spring 2010 1 1
FundingFeature
To close the
gap between
catastrophic care
coverage and
costs, patients
and families rely
on generosity –
and ingenuity.
BY SARA BAXTER
Out of Catastrophe
C REAT IVIT Y
When Sheri Loiacono learned that her daughter, Melissa Walsh, had been approved for treatment in Shepherd Center’s
nationally ranked rehabilitation program for brain and spinal cord injuries, she was overjoyed. Then came a daunting
question: How could she afford to transport Melissa from an acute-care hospital in Orlando to Shepherd Center in Atlanta?
The safest transportation, a medical flight, would cost $10,000.
Her insurance wouldn’t cover it. Sheri agonized over what to do.
And then, a gift met the need: Her church, Mosaic Community
Church of Winter Garden, Fla., paid for Melissa’s flight.
Unexpected gifts or answered prayers are sometimes the only
ways patients and families can cover the full cost of treatment
and rehabilitation from injuries like the ones Melissa sustained.
That’s because most people lack adequate coverage for catastrophic care, or the coverage they have pays only for some
aspects of the care that’s needed.
“Generally speaking, there is a mismatch between the costs of
catastrophic care and the insurance coverage that people have to
cover those costs,” says Mitch Fillhaber, Shepherd’s vice president
of managed care and marketing. Only the very best policies, he
explains, place no limits on inpatient rehabilitation stays; most
cover just 14 to 21 days, while the average stay at Shepherd is
40 days. “Gaps also appear in coverage for equipment, such as
wheelchairs, ramps and other adaptive equipment,” he adds.
When confronted with a coverage shortfall and a lack of
resources, patients and families must turn to others for support.
1 2 Spinal Column
Doing so is both a lesson in human generosity and an exercise in
individual ingenuity.
“People are surprised to find out what catastrophic care costs,”
Fillhaber says. “It underscores the importance of charitable contributions, both to Shepherd, which has funds to help patients, as
well as directly to individuals.”
Sometimes, it takes a village.
Allison Diaz, of Atlanta, knows what it means to close a funding
gap. Her husband, Danny, was injured in a motorcycle accident
in August 2005 when Allison was eight months pregnant with
their first child. Danny’s injuries were extensive, including broken
bones and a traumatic brain injury.
Allison’s insurance covered Danny’s acute-care hospital bills
and six-week stay at Shepherd. It was during his rehabilitation
that they encountered obstacles that required the help of others.
“Coverage is not just about your hospital stay – it’s what
happens after you leave the hospital,” Allison says. “The most
challenging part has been not knowing the longevity of Danny’s
journey. After more than four years, it is still a battle for us.”
Photo by Gary Meek
Photo Courtesy of Allison Diaz
Although Danny has made big strides in his recovery, he
requires both continued therapy and the help of a caregiver while
Allison works. Neither is covered by insurance. Danny also had to
go a year without physical therapy because his insurance provider
determined his condition had not improved enough to begin
therapy. Solving that problem came in the form of a “huge blessing” from two friends – a married couple, both physical therapists
– who volunteered to work with Danny one night a week for free.
The community also rallied to help the Diaz family. After he
was injured, a group of Danny’s motorcycling friends held a benefit ride to raise money for him. Others organized a golf tournament in his honor. Today, both events are held annually – with all
the money raised going to Danny’s care. A fund was also started
at their church, which covered his therapy for an entire year.
To provide yet another missing piece, Allison established a fund
through the NTAF, which provides fundraising assistance for people with catastrophic injuries. Donors issue checks to the NTAF in
Danny’s name and receive a tax deduction for their donation. The
fund also processes the money raised through the golf tournament.
When Allison needs to cover costs specifically related to Danny’s
care, she submits an invoice to the fund, and the bill is paid with
available resources.
“It’s been a great vehicle for us,” Allison says. “People know exactly
where the money is going, and they get a tax deduction.”
A similar arrangement through Sheri Loiacono’s church
helped generate broader community support by providing a
vehicle for tax-deductible contributions. Since the car accident
that caused Melissa’s brain and spinal cord injuries, the community has held a variety of fundraisers to support the family. For
example, just two weeks after she returned from Shepherd, the
Left: Brain injury patient Danny Diaz and his family
have found creative ways of raising money to cover
medical expenses. Above: Former SCI patient
Joshua Hanley has applied for and received grants
to set up a personal therapy gym in his home.
town of Winter Garden held “Melissa Fest,” an event that
featured a car raffle, silent auction and vendor booths.
Other activities included garage sales, “Change for Melissa”
jars at local businesses, which raised $10,000, and a “hat day”
at a local school, during which students contributed $2 so
they could wear a hat to school. To date, $60,000 has been
raised to help her pay for therapy, equipment and other needs.
Foundations provide grants to cover medical-related
costs of catastrophic injuries.
Foundation grants represent another funding source for
people with catastrophic injuries. Dozens of foundations exist
to provide financial help with everything from care-related
travel to adaptive equipment to living expenses.
Joshua Hanley knows the value of these grants. The 29-yearold electrician from Nicholson, Ga., became a quadriplegic
after being injured in a May 2008 diving accident in Athens,
Ga. After he left Shepherd later that year, Joshua experienced
serious financial difficulties. No longer able to work, he lost
his insurance and could not afford to pay for extended benefits
through COBRA. Forced to depend on Medicaid, he quickly
learned the limits of coverage. For instance, Medicaid would
only pay for four months of therapy, yet he needed much more.
He recalls his struggle: “I figured I had two choices. I could
lie in bed and feel sorry for myself, or I could find some help.”
He chose to get help. After talking with people at Shepherd,
Joshua got the names of three foundations that represented
possible sources of grant support. In researching those three, he
found lists of other potential resources. So Joshua began applying for grants.
Spring 2010 1 3
Photo by Pete Loiacono
In less than two years, Joshua estimates he has received 25 different grants totaling about $100,000. The grants have enabled
him to purchase a parking pad for his wheelchair ramp, power
wheelchair and home therapy gym equipment, which includes a
NuStep bike, parallel bars, a standing frame and a rickshaw. He
was also able to build a 90-foot path from the back door of his
house to his electrical shop in the backyard, as well as make other
much-needed home accessibility improvements.
Joshua has become so skilled at identifying funding sources and
securing grants that he now shares advice with others through a
series of “Successful Grant Writing” conferences held in Atlanta
and Athens. A Web site with more information is under development. For now, contact Joshua at [email protected].
“The key to applying for grants is to be prepared and to make a
compelling case,” he advises. “Before I approach a source, I already
have the doctor’s note stating the medical necessity, a list of vendors, and the exact model and price of what I need.”
Families learn to deal with “red tape.”
For people who receive government support for their care and
rehabilitation, creativity has its limits. That’s because recipients
of Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) lose those
benefits if their income resources – such as cash on hand, savings
and investments – go above $2,000 at any time. And money donated directly to aid the recipient through individual contributions
and fundraisers counts toward income.
The fund the Diaz family established through the NTAF
(www.ntafund.org) is one way to protect government benefits
while securing added support in the form of tax-deductible contributions. Another is to place donated money in a Supplemental
Far Left: Shepherd Center
case manager Shelley
Mitchell advises SCI patient
Latesia McIntyre of Valdosta,
Ga. Left: Former dual
diagnosis patient Melissa
Walsh of Oakland, Fla., is
the beneficiary of abundant
community support.
or Special Needs Trust. Funds from such a trust can pay for
medical costs that are not covered by Medicaid, such as supplies,
attendant care, medical needs, therapy and adaptive equipment.
A Special Needs Trust must be created by an attorney who is
experienced in establishing trusts. A trustee, typically a family
member, is in charge of the trust and makes payments for the
beneficiary’s care based on the guidelines described in the trust.
Usually, payments are made directly to a vendor.
“This is a good option for those who are on Medicaid who
also need to raise private funds for their care,” says Shelley
Mitchell, a case manager for the Marcus Community Bridge
Program at Shepherd. She advises those who want to create a
trust to look in the community for an attorney who is willing to
donate his or her services.
That advice applies to getting help with other needs. “I always
tell people to think about their network of friends when looking for help,” Mitchell says. “For example, it’s good to have an
outside person to do fundraising for the family.”
Many people are willing to help, Mitchell adds – they just
need to know what to do. So communicating with the community is essential. Allison Diaz started a blog to provide updates
about Danny’s condition, and a friend of the family created a
Web site (www.dannyandallison.com). Another member of the
family is filming a documentary about Danny to continue sharing his story. Sheri Loiacono kept friends and family updated
on a free Web site called CaringBridge.org. Another such site is
CarePages.com.
These struggles and the strategies to deal with them are a
reminder that when it comes to helping others cover the cost of
care, generosity and ingenuity go hand-in-hand.
Individual Fundraising Ideas
When fundraising to cover an individual’s unreimbursed medical expenses, it’s important to
network with as many people as possible. In particular, focus on small businesses such as restaurants, retailers, insurance agents, etc., who can offer visibility and may be able to leverage their
services.
It’s important to note that none of these contributions are tax-deductible because the money goes
to a specific person or family, not a charitable organization. In fact, the IRS may consider it taxable
income for the recipient, so start by talking to a tax or legal professional to make sure a medical
expense fund is set up correctly. Also, check local laws for licenses or permits required, and other
do’s and don’ts. Here are some ways family members might raise money for their loved one’s
unreimbursed medical expenses:
1 4 Spinal Column
Organize a sports
tournament or contest
(5K walk /run, golf,
bowling, softball,
fishing, pool, etc.)
where a portion of
the entry fee goes to
benefit the patient.
Passing Good Fortune on to Others
Two former Shepherd patients start their own foundations to help those in need.
Former patients Cindy Donald and Travis Roy know firsthand the incredible value of community support. They both
sustained spinal cord injuries that left them quadriplegics.
Both received an outpouring of support. Both now lead busy,
productive lives. And they both established their own foundations to help others with spinal cord injuries.
The Travis Roy Foundation was started in 1997, a year after
Travis was paralyzed from the neck down while playing in his
first collegiate hockey game at Boston University.
“After my accident, I received an abundance of support in
every way,” explains Travis, a Boston native. “I felt incredibly
lucky, but I knew there were people in my same condition
who were not receiving that level of support.”
So he started a foundation to provide adaptive equipment
for those with spinal cord injuries and also fund research.
“I’ve seen how people struggle if they don’t have the right
equipment,” he says. “I know the difference it can make if you
have the right mattress to prevent bedsores, or the voiceactivated software that allows people to use a computer. These
kinds of things give them the little bit of a break that makes
them more independent and more capable.”
The Travis Roy Foundation raises money from individual
donations and organized fundraisers in New England. They
raise about $500,000 a year and make 70 to 100 grants annually, ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. “Our decision-making
process is based on the impact the grant will have on their
lives,” he says. “We strive to improve a person’s quality of life.”
Improving quality of life is also the mission of the Dreams
of Recovery Foundation started in 2008 by Cindy Donald of
Marietta, Ga. Like Travis, Cindy was overwhelmed by the
support she received after her injury in March 2005.
Fundraisers in Cindy’s community allowed her to continue
in Shepherd’s Beyond Therapy® (BT) program, a rigorous,
activity-based outpatient therapy program not usually covered
Sell an item (wristbands,
T-shirts, hats, etc.) with
a message of support
much like Lance
Armstrong’s Live Strong
line (be careful of copyrights and trademarks).
Something as simple as
“Pray for Shannon” or
“Mike Rocks” works well.
Open a trust account at
a bank and ask people
to contribute to it, but
remember, it’s not taxdeductible.
A local restaurant or
store(s) could have
a benefit sale with 10
percent of sales going
to help the patient.
by insurance. The cost was $3,000 a month for Cindy. The generosity of others and two fundraisers allowed Cindy to continue
BT for 18 months. A third event raised $30,000, which would’ve
allowed Cindy to go for a year. But then, a friend needed support
so she could continue therapy. Cindy asked her fundraising committee if she could split the money with her friend. From that
incident, her foundation was born.
“We thought, ‘Why not start a foundation to provide financial
assistance for therapy or therapeutic equipment for those with
brain and spinal cord injuries?’” she says. “When I got hurt, so
many people in the community reached out to help me and my
family. I wanted to pass on my good fortune to others.”
The Dreams of Recovery Foundation raises funds through
wine tastings, golf tournaments, magic shows and silent auctions,
and it has given away $30,000 in grants. Now, Cindy’s goal is
to find new funding sources to extend the foundation’s reach to
more individuals.
For more information on these two foundations, see
www.travisroyfoundation.org and www.dreamsofrecovery.org.
Above, Left: Former SCI patient Travis Roy of Boston founded the
Travis Roy Foundation. Above, Right: Former SCI patient Cindy
Donald of Marietta, Ga., founded the Dreams of Recovery Foundation.
Work with your church, school,
team or club to host a swap
meet, benefit dinner, cookout
or pancake breakfast. Or, host
a sale (bake sale, car wash,
mow lawns, etc.).
+
To read this story and view
Get a local band
to perform in a
benefit concert.
Collect donated
items and have
an auction.
Spring 2010 1 5
Photos Courtesy of Jasmin Bambur
ParalympianFeature
LOVING
the Slippery
Paralympian Jasmin
Bambur competes in
snow skiing as Serbia’s
first representative
in the games.
Slopes
1 6 Spinal Column
BYJANE M. SANDERS
A competitive spirit, lots of training, an
adrenaline rush and a feeling of freedom from
his wheelchair propelled Jasmin Bambur to the
ski slopes of Vancouver, Canada, in March for his
first Paralympic Winter Games.
Specializing in speed, he competed in five skiing events –
slalom, giant slalom, super G, super combined and downhill
– for the Paralympic team from Serbia, Jasmin’s native country. He is the first Serbian to compete in the Paralympics.
Results, which were not available at press time, are available
at www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games.
“Everything is possible,” Jasmin said earlier this winter.
“I’m going for a medal at the Paralympics.” But he noted that
the competition is stiff from more than 200 Paralympic skiers from around the world. His previous wins include third
place in the super G in the Europa Cup Finals in 2008 and
second place in that event in 2008 in the U.S. Nationals.
Always an athlete, Jasmin played soccer, basketball and
tennis and then found his passion in team handball, which is
popular in Europe. In winter 2000, while a student at Middle
Georgia College in Cochran, Ga., Jasmin played for the U.S.
handball team. One night after a long day of training, he was
driving home and fell asleep at the wheel just a minute from
his house. He crashed his car and sustained a T-9 to -10
complete spinal cord injury, which made him a paraplegic.
During his rehabilitation at Shepherd Center, Jasmin
struggled with depression, he says. But former Shepherd
therapeutic recreation therapist Joy Burns encouraged Jasmin
to find a new outlet for his athletic interest.
“Joy came to my room and brought an album with pictures,” he recalls. “She made me look at it – the pictures of
her and another guy in a wheelchair doing all kinds of activities all over the world. I said, ‘Whatever. See you later.’
“Then, later on, the guy in the photos (Bert Burns, Joy’s
husband) came to my room to shake my hand,” Jasmin adds.
“He was a quadriplegic and a Paralympic gold medalist, and
I thought, ‘If he can do it, I can do it 10 times better.’ From
that day forward, I was doing all kinds of stuff. Life goes on,
and I’m doing what I was doing before the injury – just a
little differently.”
Joy, who now runs a urological supply company, UroMed
Inc., with her husband Bert, says: “The first time I met
Jasmin, I knew he would be a hard patient to reach about
the significance wheelchair sports could have in his life. His
athleticism was obvious and could make him good in sports,
but his accomplishments in organized sports made him
skeptical about how competitive and real disabled sports are.
Having a peer like Bert, who had achieved much in disabled
sports, talk with Jasmin provided motivation to him of what
his future could be.”
Once Jasmin decided he could return to sports, he played
wheelchair tennis and basketball, and also participated in
water skiing with Shepherd groups. Then, nine months after
his injury, Jasmin traveled to Breckenridge, Colo., to snow ski
with a Shepherd group.
“I had a blast and knew this was the sport for me,” Jasmin
says. “Ever since I got in a wheelchair, I’ve been trying to get
out of it. When I’m skiing, I feel completely free.”
Jasmin has been actively ski racing for three years now. In
2008, he qualified for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games to
compete for Serbia. As a resident alien in the United States and
the husband of an American woman, he stayed in the country
to train for the Paralympics at the National Sports Center for
the Disabled in Winter Park, Colo.
Along the way, Jasmin sustained some injuries while training.
In 2008, he was able to race for only one month after he crashed
at 65 miles an hour, breaking his collarbone on the left side.
“Welcome to the life of ski racing,” he says. “I’m a big risk
taker. The thrill is worth it. The adrenaline level is unbelievable.
“Welcome to the life of ski racing. I’m a big risk
taker. The thrill is worth it. The adrenaline level is
unbelievable. You don’t really realize you’re going
65-plus miles an hour.” — Jasmin Bambur
You don’t really realize you’re going 65-plus miles an hour. I
don’t want to think about it.”
Jasmin’s road to the Vancouver games was also slowed in
2008 by an infection in his leg; it required numerous surgeries.
Still, he persisted, returned to training and raced again last year.
With the Vancouver games behind him, Jasmin plans to continue competing through 2014 so he can go to the Paralympics
in Russia, where, for the first time, Paralympic skiers will use
the same venue as able-bodied racers. “Mono-skiing is getting
more advanced, and the technology, as well as the racers, are
getting better,” Jasmin explains.
Having found his new passion in ski racing, Jasmin encourages other people with disabilities to find a sport or other
activity they enjoy. He says he often tells people there are about
100,000 things an able-bodied person can do and about 99,000
things he can do as a person who uses a wheelchair. “But all of
us can only do about 20 things per day because that’s all that
time allows,” he adds.
For more information on Jasmin, see www.teambambur.com.
Above, Left: Former SCI patient Jasmin Bambur competed in the
2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Above, Right: Jasmin and his wife
moved to Winter Park, Colo., so he could train for the games.
Spring 2010 1 7
ManagedCareCorner
When Insurers
Say No
Experts explain how to initiate a managed care appeal
– or at least successfully navigate the process.
BY AMANDA CROWE, MA, MPH
If you’ve ever been denied
health coverage by your
insurance company, you’re in
good company. According to
the AARP, 500,000 claims are
denied daily.
Fighting with insurers can be a
hassle, but for people recovering from
spinal cord injuries (SCI), getting
the recommended rehabilitation and
treatments in a timely manner can be
the difference between walking again
or not.
“Existing guidelines that insurers
use to make clinical decisions cover
rehabilitation in general; they aren’t
specific to the long-term manageAbove: Colleen
ment of traumatic injuries,” says ColMcCrory is director
of marketing and
leen McCrory, director of marketing
managed care.
and managed care at Shepherd
Julie Leighton is an
Center. “The problem is that you
admissions liaison.
can’t put a person with these types of
injuries in a general box. They have very specific and specialized needs.”
At Shepherd, one of the primary requests to insurers is
for approval of a certain level of care as medically necessary during admissions and/or transfers from other facilities,
according to Julie Leighton, RN, BSN, CCM, CRRN, New
England admissions liaison for Shepherd Center. But denials
are common, and she spends much of her time advocating on
behalf of patients and families to get them the care they need.
“You have to know what the denial has been based upon
and what you are appealing,”
Leighton says, “It’s important to be organized and familiar
with the [appeals] process from the start.”
Typically, three levels of appeals are available. The first is
usually a peer-to-peer appeal in which a doctor will speak
to the insurer’s medical director. The second level is usually
presented as written documentation compiled by the family
that states why a certain service or treatment should be approved. At the third level, the file will receive a full review by
an appropriate specialist.
1 8 Spinal Column
Tips for Successfully
Navigating the Appeals Process
Initiating and being persistent throughout the appeals
process can be frustrating. Use the following tips to
help your chances of success:
out why care has been denied. Is it because the
1] Find
insurer is not willing to pay for a certain level of care?
Perhaps the care facility isn’t within the designated treatment
area or is seen as a lateral transfer, or maybe the requested
service or procedure is not a covered benefit. The latter is
generally the most difficult to appeal.
the language. Once you know what you are
2] Know
appealing, review the fine print in your health plan,
especially any exclusions. For example, some plans won’t cover
care for injuries sustained in an accident that was drug- or
alcohol-related on the part of the patient. “It can become a
mincing of words,” Leighton says. “If a plan specifies that
transportation must be to the ‘nearest facility,’ it doesn’t leave
too much room for an appeal. But if it states the ‘nearest appropriate facility,’ then there is room to make the case.”
a case. Demonstrate why a particular therapy or
3] Build
test is needed. Rely on facts rather than emotion.
a paper trail. File all requests in writing and
4] Keep
send any correspondence by fax and certified mail with
return receipt. Also, keep a record of everyone you have talked
to, along with the date, time and what was discussed.
miss deadlines. Doing so can jeopardize the
5] Don’t
process, and expediting the appeals process is especially
critical when it comes to SCI when every day of rehabilitation counts.
for allies. There are resources available to help.
6] Look
Forty-six states have health care advocates who review
denials and file appeals. Most hospitals now have patient advocates or ombudsmen who can help. There are also organizations that can help, including the Patient Advocate Foundation (www.patientadvocate.org) and Advocacy for Patients
with Chronic Illness (www.advocacyforpatients.org).
persistent. Understand the process and don’t take
7] Be
‘no’ for an answer until you’ve exhausted all options.
make a difference. Appeals direct from
8] Families
patients and families can sometimes carry more weight
because they are the ones paying monthly premiums.
“As unique as spinal cord injuries are, there are no steadfast
rules, so requests for care need to be medically reviewed
to determine appropriate care,” McCrory notes. Shepherd
is aiming to change the landscape of health insurance by
informing best practices and helping to create disease management rehabilitation management guidelines for SCI and
traumatic brain injuries that can be adopted and used as the
gold standard, she adds.
Research
A Focus
on Safety
Shepherd researchers are developing a stateof-the-art questionnaire to assess and reduce
unintentional injuries following TBI.
BY AMANDA CROWE, MA, MPH
Those who have sustained a traumatic brain injury
(TBI) often face a long road to recovery. Not only
do survivors have difficulty performing previously
mastered tasks like walking, driving and living
independently, but they may also be at greater risk for
unintentional injuries once they return home.
Although safety is often described as the “Holy Grail” of
rehabilitation, safety research following TBI has been largely
neglected. Yet unintentional injuries after TBI are a serious
public health problem that can result in additional disability
or even death. The good news is that most of these injuries are
not related to random accidents, but are, instead, predictable
and preventable if properly assessed.
Now, with a three-year, $600,000 grant from the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Shepherd
Center is leading a study to assess safety risk after TBI.
“Safety is an overriding concern in rehabilitation, and it’s
always on family members’ minds as loved ones transition
home,” says Ron Seel, Ph.D., director of acquired brain injury
research at Shepherd Center and lead investigator for this
study. “Yet there is little research specific to safety after brain
injury, and no validated scales to help clinicians and caregivers determine a person’s safety risk once they are back in the
community, their house or in social situations.”
Since receiving the grant, Dr. Seel and his team have been
developing and testing what they hope will be an easy-to-use
questionnaire to assess a wide range of potential safety issues
that people with TBI face in everyday living situations.
Some common safety concerns Dr. Seel cites include:
• Risk of falls. This is especially likely if the person has
residual problems with balance, vision or use of their legs.
• Impact of cognitive impairments. Upon returning home,
simply operating everyday appliances or electrical equipment or taking medications can pose a risk. For example,
someone recovering from TBI may severely cut themselves, mix dangerous chemicals, forget to turn off the
oven or burner, or take too much or miss doses of needed
medications.
• Challenges exercising good judgment. People may be
more susceptible to making bad decisions such as giving
money to strangers, going off with strangers, or ignoring
medical recommendations.
In extreme cases, people cannot control their behavior and
emotions and can become aggressive, violent or engage in sexual
or other high-risk behaviors.
“We are assessing the risk for unintentional injury across different areas – physical ability, cognitive capacity, safety judgment
and impulsivity,” Dr. Seel says. “We want to devise a safety risk
scale that is useful for families to complete and understand. Then,
we can help predict and reduce additional injury and hardship.”
So far, the 120-item questionnaire, which eventually will be
cut to about 50 items for use in the field, has been evaluated by
several focus groups, which included caregivers and rehabilitation
specialists to assure the items address real-life concerns and are
easily understood. Dr. Seel and his team will collect data at
“We want to devise a safety risk scale
that is useful for families to complete
and understand. Then, we can help
predict and reduce additional injury and
hardship.” — Ron Seel, Ph.D.
Shepherd Pathways, a TBI comprehensive rehabilitation day
program; Shepherd's Marcus Community Bridge Program, a postrehabilitation case management service; the Side-by-Side Brain
Injury Clubhouse; and Restore Neurobehavioral Center, a postacute facility that provides treatment for significant behavior issues.
“We want people with brain injuries to safely return to their
pre-injury lifestyle,” says Stephen Macciocchi, Ph.D., ABPP,
director of Shepherd’s Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology Department and co-investigator of the study. “Our
research should help staff and family members identify safety
problems before they occur, which should make caregiving easier
and less demanding, not to mention safer.”
Shepherd is also getting feedback and guidance from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center
for Injury Prevention and Control. And to further demonstrate
Shepherd Center’s commitment to safety issues, safety was
recently added to the hospital’s mission statement to guide everyday research and practice.
+
Above, Left: Ron Seel, Ph.D., is the director of brain injury
research at Shepherd. Above, Right: Stephen Macciocchi, Ph.D.,
ABPP, is director of Shepherd’s Rehabilitation Psychology and
Neuropsychology Department.
Spring 2010 1 9
Photo by Gary Meek
PatientProfile
Return to
Practicing
Dentistry
Former brain injury patient Melissa Durand,
DMD, makes a full recovery. BY BILL SANDERS
Everyone was on their way to church – the Durands, the people in the car in front of
them and the ones behind them – when the driver of an oncoming truck, whose tires
slipped off the road and prompted him to overcorrect, hit the Durands head on.
It was Feb. 10, 2008, and Cumming, Ga., dentist Melissa Durand, DMD, was driving to
church with her husband in the passenger seat and her two young children in the back. The next
thing she remembers, she was three weeks into a five-week stay at Shepherd Center.
When the driver of the truck overcorrected and hit the Durands, Melissa’s husband Bert and
their two children were essentially uninjured. Meanwhile, first responders presumed Melissa was
dying at the scene of the accident.
“I have a patient who works in the vehicular homicide department, and they were the ones
called,” Melissa says. “They are called when someone is killed or if it looks like they might be.”
2 0 Spinal Column
+
Darryl Kaelin,
M.D., medical director of
Shepherd’s Acquired Brain
Injury Program, describes
Melissa’s brain injury as
severe. That she is back to
practicing dentistry is a
testament to her hard work
throughout rehabilitation,
he notes.
“I had seen others going through driving instruction while I was at Shepherd.
What I got (elsewhere) wasn’t nearly that extensive. It made me glad that I
stayed at Pathways as long as I did because if I had gone elsewhere to get all
the other therapies, I’m sure they wouldn’t have been as good either.”
“Bert handed the kids over to the people in the car behind
us, who as it turns out, I knew, but at the time, he didn’t
know that,” she adds. “He was talking to me until the paramedics got there, and eventually I was cut out of the car and
airlifted to the hospital.”
Melissa sustained a fracture to her C-2 vertebra, a broken
pelvic bone, a broken lower right leg and a traumatic brain
injury.
When she got to Shepherd, her life was no longer in
danger, but exactly how much of her brain function would
return was unknown.
“I needed to get back to a higher level than most brain
injury patients had to if I was going to come back to being
a dentist,” Melissa explains. “I don’t remember having to
relearn things, but I remember having to do so much math
work – simple math at first, like seven plus two equals nine
– but progressively, it was harder. And I don’t like math.”
The exercise, a common one for brain injury patients, was
intended to get Melissa’s brain used to thinking in complex
ways again.
Darryl Kaelin, M.D., medical director of Shepherd’s Acquired Brain Injury Program, describes Melissa’s brain injury
as severe. That she is back to practicing dentistry is a testament to her hard work throughout rehabilitation, he notes.
“I won’t say I’m surprised by her recovery, but I am really pleased by it,” Dr. Kaelin says. “Shortly before leaving
Shepherd, she had a lot of cognitive issues remaining, and
they were of a moderate severity level. She’d made improvements, but she had a long way to go. She continued making
progress, and we looked at the requirements for the Georgia
dental licensing board and had her go back to the Medical
College of Georgia and do some work with previous instructors – kind of like a refresher course.
“Afterwards, we had her work alongside a dentist who
was covering her practice in Cumming, and then she started
doing things with that dentist supervising,” he adds. “By
August 2009, she was back to practicing in a full way.”
Looking back, it was the physical therapy on her leg that
was the hardest. “It was worse than having babies,” Melissa
says. “But still, Shepherd was unbelievable. I was an inpatient and then at Shepherd Pathways until June 2008. We
all wanted to get back to our home, having been in Atlanta
for four months. So I ended up doing some of my physical
therapy and occupational therapy for driving near my home.
“Looking back on things like the driving instruction, it
Photo Courtesy of Melissa Durand
+
was so much
more thorough
at Shepherd than
where I went,”
she adds. “I
had seen others
going through
it while I was
there. What I
Facing Page: Melissa Durand, DMD,
got wasn’t that
returned to her dental practice after brain
extensive. It
injury rehabilitation at Shepherd Center.
made me glad
Above: Melissa's husband, Bert, and their
children were not injured in the head-on
that I stayed at
Pathways as long collision that injured Melissa's brain.
as I did because if I had gone elsewhere to get all the other
therapies, I’m sure they wouldn’t have been as good either.”
Melissa’s father, Bobby Thomas, has a better perspective of
Melissa’s care at Shepherd than even she does.
“As is the case with brain injuries, she didn’t think anything
was wrong with her other than her leg and pelvis,” Bobby recalls. “She was very irritable and confused, and the staff at Shepherd was very patient with her. Melissa’s behavior wasn’t always
cordial, but, of course, it was because of the brain injury. “I think
the care that she got at Shepherd was first class,” he adds.
Today, Melissa is almost symptom free. She still can’t
straighten her right leg totally, but it is within five degrees of
being straight. The nerve damage she had in her foot is gone as
is most of the pain in her pelvis. And as far as brain function,
she’s totally back to normal.
“I’m hard-headed, so I knew I’d be back as a dentist,”
Melissa says. “When I first came back, I wasn’t doing anything
other than checking patients’ hygiene and such. Now, I’m back
to doing everything.”
And as far as the emotional trauma goes, Melissa says she
has none. “I don’t remember any of it, so driving is not a problem,” she explains. “I asked Dr. Kaelin if I was in a coma or a
drug-induced coma. He said no, that I couldn’t remember any
of it because of post-traumatic amnesia.”
Melissa works three days a week at her dental practice. And
as a mom of two young children, she works seven days a week
at home.
+
To read this story and view more photographs online,
https://s3.amazonaws.com/basec/269375/4369008/Darvisit www.spinalcolumn.org
Spring 2010 2 1
Q+A
ask the DOC
Shepherd Center physicians answer medical questions from patients and family members.
Q:The doctor said my son, who sustained a traumatic
brain injury, may have developed a complication called
hydrocephalus. What is that and how is it treated?
don’t address current symptoms. A newly approved drug
may change that. The Andrew C. Carlos MS Institute at
Shepherd has participated in three clinical trials of a drug that
potentially improves walking for people with MS.
A: Our brains continuously produce, circulate and drain a fluid
called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). When the brain is injured,
Ampyra (dalfampridine) is an oral therapy that works by
post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) usually occurs because
blocking potassium channels in the brain and spinal cord.
blood products or inflammatory agents block the circulation
Doing so may lead to better function in nerve fibers affected
of CSF and interfere with its drainage or absorption.
by MS. Ampyra received FDA approval on Jan. 22, 2010 and
is expected to be available through specialty pharmacies
Basically this leads to an imbalance between CSF
beginning this spring.
production and absorption, leading to a buildup of CSF
around the brain. This buildup of fluid can lead to increased
pressure in the brain. PTH is a frequent and serious
complication that can occur following a traumatic brain
injury (TBI), but if recognized, it is one of the most treatable
neurosurgical complications during rehabilitation of TBI.
Ampyra studies in MS examined the speed of walking
measured by a timed, 25-foot walk. On average, about 40
percent of people tested showed improved walking speed
when taking Ampyra. The drug appeared effective regardless
of whether the person had relapsing remitting MS or a
progressive form of the disease.
PTH may begin during the early stages of a TBI but not
be apparent until much later. But it usually is diagnosed
Ampyra appears to be a safe drug. There is a slight risk of
within the first year after the injury. Symptoms can include a
seizures, and its use in people with epilepsy or any history
decreased level of consciousness, changes in behavior, lack
of seizures would be contraindicated. Also, we would be
of coordination or balance, increased tone or spasticity, and
cautious about using Ampyra in people with a history of
loss of the ability to hold urine. Patients may demonstrate a
kidney disease because the risk of seizures may be higher in
gradual decline in functional status or may show a failure to
this group, as well. — Ben Thrower, M.D
improve. The decline in functioning may initially be observed
by their therapy team.
Treatment may include draining CSF through a small plastic
tube called a shunt. The shunt typically runs under the skin
from the head to the abdomen, where the fluid drains and is
reabsorbed by the body.
PTH should be considered in any patient who worsens or
fails to progress adequately. Patients with meningitis or
certain types of brain hemorrhages are particularly at risk for
developing hydrocephalus.— Payal Fadia, M.D.
Submit your questions for “Ask the Doc”
to [email protected].
CONTRIBUTORS
Q: How can the new, FDA-approved MS drug Ampyra
help me?
A:Walking impairment is unfortunately quite common in people
with multiple sclerosis (MS). Surveys by the National MS
Society show that as many as 90 percent of people with MS
note that their walking has been affected.
Much MS research focuses on slowing or stopping the
progressive course of the disease. The disease-modifying
therapies are vitally important in MS management, but
2 2 Spinal Column
Payal Fadia, M.D.,
Staff Physiatrist in Shepherd
Center's ABI Program
Ben Thrower, M.D.,
Medical Director, MS
Institute at Shepherd Center
Q&A
Q+A
with Andrew Zadoff, M.D., Medical
Director, ICU and Pulmonary Services
INTERVIEWED BY JANE M. SANDERS
+
To read this story online,
visit www.spinalcolumn.org
Q: Y
ou see patients when they are experiencing a difficult
time medically – and emotionally, too. How do you
approach this situation as a physician?
Q:How do you work with your physician assistant and the
Shepherd respiratory therapy staff to provide excellent care
to ICU patients?
A:When patients first come to the ICU, my biggest concern is
making sure I understand all the details of their health issues.
So I do a complete medical history and physical exam to find
out about any pre-existing conditions and any illnesses that
occurred during their acute care hospital stay. Then I develop
a framework of medical conditions that I need to address.
There are some things I can fix quickly and others we address
with a long-term plan. Their neurological status is addressed
by the rehabilitation physician.
A:My physician assistant is Karen Kline, and she does an excellent
job. We’ve worked together for almost 20 years. I trust her
completely. She is basically my right arm. Karen acts as another set
of eyes and ears and helps tremendously in balancing the volume
of patients we care for.
If the patient is on a mechanical ventilator, I assess their
current and potential respiratory function given their injury.
Then I talk to the patient and their family about the problem
with their lungs, how long it might last and what evaluations
we can do to show progress in getting them off the ventilator
eventually.
Q:Reviewing your 25-plus years of consulting at Shepherd
Center, what would you cite as the most significant
medical advances that have helped patients at the
intensive care stage and in respiratory therapy?
A: W
e have found in the medical literature, as well as our own
experience, some things that have improved our ability to
get people better faster. These developments include better
respiratory secretion control, more specific ventilator weaning
criteria to give patients the best chance at success and, from
our own experience, we’ve learned how to talk to patients to
help them understand their time on the ventilator so we can all
reach the same goal of weaning.
The Shepherd respiratory therapy staff is absolutely excellent.
We are very lucky to have a number of staff members who are
dedicated to caring for spinal cord and brain injury patients. They
enjoy their jobs and are given independence under supervision in
providing care.
Q:Why did you become a physician and choose pulmonology
as your specialty?
A:I did not plan to be a physician. I wanted to be a research chemist.
It was kind of a backwards way of getting into medicine. I was
not interested in patient care, but the people who advised me in
college suggested that I pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree so I would
have more jobs available to me. Then I got into medical school
and, to my surprise, I enjoyed patient care so much that I never
went back to research.
I enjoy pulmonology because I like critical care medicine. The
people who trained me trained me to understand the physiology of
critical illness and to look at different avenues and keep an open
mind in terms of treatment of patients to get the best possible care.
INTERESTING FACTS:
First Started Consulting at
Shepherd Center:
1984
Technologically, one of the biggest advances is the NeuRXTM
Diaphragmatic Pacing System (DPS), which is an implanted
device that helps ventilator-dependent patients wean off
the ventilator. The vast majority of patients do not need this
technology, but it is a significant development for the patients
who do need it.
Q:What are a couple of the frequently asked questions you
hear from ICU patients and their families, and how do
you answer them?
A:Other questions relate to pre-existing conditions, such as
diabetes, heart disease and emphysema. Patients want to
know how to manage those conditions now that they have
a spinal cord or brain injury. So I give them the framework
of how we’re going to go forward with treatment. I try to be
realistic and honest with patients about how we’re going to
approach the problem.
ANDREW ZADOFF, M.D.
Medical School:
University of Miami
Residency:
University of Miami
Board Certification:
Internal Medicine and
Pulmonary Medicine
Random Facts:
• Dr. Zadoff enjoys playing golf
and snow skiing, especially in
Colorado.
• He grew up in Florida and never
saw snow until he was in his
thirties.
• Dr. Zadoff has been an avid bridge
player for more than 40 years. He
used to play in tournaments. Now,
he plays with the same group of
guys he’s played with since his
school days. His regular bridge
partner has been a friend since he
was 10 years old.
Spring 2010 2 3
ShepherdAlums
BY KAYLA EUBANKS
T.C. Jones of
Powhatan, Va.
Ali Peppe, of
Medford, Mass.
Gregg Gilmer of
Salina, Kan.
FROM NEAR
AND FAR
Lindsey Spivey
of Hampton, Ga.
Gregg Gilmer of Salina, Kan., spends
weekends with his family, including
three grandchildren he loves to spoil.
He understands even more than ever
before how important they are to him.
“On July 4, 2008, my son, a friend
of his and I were mountain biking
in Pooler (Ga.) City Park when I
wrecked and broke my back,” Gregg
says. “I was diagnosed with a T-5
spinal cord injury, and after a couple
of weeks in a Savannah hospital, I was
2 4 Spinal Column
Former Shepherd Center patients
from across the nation report on their
productive lives post-injury.
transferred to Shepherd Center.”
After his time at Shepherd, Gregg and
his wife returned to Pooler. Then, they
sold their home and returned to Salina,
Kan., to be with family and friends.
“Since I’ve returned home, we bought
a minivan that had been converted for
wheelchair use and handicapped driving,
and I received my driver’s license,” Gregg
says. “I also started working at America
Jet, a business where I had worked for
30 years in aircraft maintenance. Now,
I manage the parts room where I work
four afternoons a week.
“My faith in Jesus Christ got me
through my accident knowing he has
something for me to do for his kingdom. If I ever walk again, it will be
because of Him,” Gregg adds.
T.C. Jones of Powhatan, Va., never
imagined he would become an advocate
for people with disabilities – at least not
until he returned to college after a snoww w w. s p i n a l c o l u m n . o r g
boarding accident left him with a
C-7 spinal cord injury. T.C. went
off a jump, clipped his snowboard
on the landing and tumbled down,
breaking his neck.
He had recently completed his
first semester at Virginia Tech,
where he was studying computer
science. After spending about three
months at Shepherd Center, T.C.
went home in June 2007. In August
of that year, he decided to return to
college.
“It was challenging at first
because the Virginia Tech campus
is so large,” T.C. explains. “I had to
learn to maneuver around different
terrains and make a mental map of
sidewalks, steps and ramps.”
Shortly after, T.C. was asked to
serve as the only student on the
ADA executive board and the Services for Students with Disabilities
Committee at the university. It
was here he discovered he was one
of only 10 professors and students
who use wheelchairs on campus.
“I never felt that VT ignored
students with disabilities,” T.C.
says. “It’s just that it was such a
small percentage of the student
population, so sometimes things
were overlooked,” he says. “For
example, the cafeteria got rid of
trays because students get more
food, and therefore more waste,
when they use trays. But for me,
I needed the tray to maneuver
through.”
T.C. has helped Virginia Tech
devise other solutions for assisting
people with disabilities, including maintaining the elevators and
putting power doors on popular
buildings.
“I feel like my experience has a
purpose,” T.C. adds.
It was Labor Day weekend 2007.
Ali Peppe of Medford, Mass.,
was celebrating the end of summer
at a lake in Maine. On Monday,
she would start her nursing school
clinical rotation.
What was meant to be a fun
activity turned out to change Ali’s
career path forever. A dive from
the dock into the lake sent Ali to
the hospital with a C5-6 spinal
cord injury. After five weeks at
Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston, she was transferred to
Shepherd Center, where she spent
the next three and a half months in
rehabilitation.
“When I left Shepherd, I reevaluated where my life was going,” Ali
says. “I’d always wanted to help
people and have a positive impact
on their lives, which is why I was
in nursing school at the time of
my accident. But after my time
at Shepherd Center, I realized I
wanted to help people in a different way.”
Ali switched focus and now intends to pursue a master’s degree
in rehabilitation counseling.
“My experience being a person
who’s been there will help,” Ali
says. “I know as a patient, I appreciated when I was able to relate
to those helping me get better.
When someone knows where you
are coming from, treatment can be
a more positive experience.”
Driving home from work on
a June afternoon, something
happened that made Lindsey
Spivey of Hampton, Ga., veer
off the road, run her car down an
embankment and hit a tree head
on. But Lindsey doesn’t remember
what that something was.
In fact, the traumatic brain injury
she sustained because of the accident left her with no memories of
2007. She doesn’t remember much
from her four months at Shepherd
Center, either.
What she does recall is the
encouragement and assistance she
received from Shepherd’s Marcus
Community Bridge Program after
her time at Shepherd Pathways was
complete.
“Barbara Teague was instrumental
in helping me get my life back on
track,” Lindsey says. “She heard me
when I said I wanted to go back to
school and immediately helped me
develop a plan to help better my
social skills and start driving again.”
Their efforts paid off. Today, Lindsey attends Gordon College and
will soon transfer to Clayton State
University, where she will study to
become a certified nurse assistant
– something Barbara encouraged
her to consider after learning more
about Lindsey’s goals.
“Without the Marcus team, I
could not have the success in everyday life that I have now, especially
going to college,” Lindsey says.
When Lindsey isn’t busy studying, she can be found volunteering
at the Clayton County Department
of Family and Children Services
and Fayette Community Hospital,
playing wheelchair basketball with
Henry County Recreational Sports,
or giving her testimony to churches
internationally.
What’s New?
We want to stay current on any personal or
professional news in your life. Send us an
update and a photo (we’ll return it to you):
Jane Sanders, Spinal Column Magazine, 2020
Peachtree Rd., N.W., Atlanta, GA, 30309. You can
also e-mail us at [email protected].
Spring 2010 2 5
FoundationFeatures
Photo by Leita Cowart
Spring 2010
Volunteer Profile:
ANN BORISKIE
Brain injury survivor directs peer visitor program.
BY LAUREN ANGELO
After sustaining a brain injury, patients at Shepherd Center
require a tremendous support system as they work toward recovery.
Sometimes, however, the greatest encouragement comes from
someone who has survived a similar injury and can relate in a way
that others cannot.
Thanks to volunteer and former brain injury patient Ann Boriskie
and her development of the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association,
patients at Shepherd now benefit from the support of people who
have recovered from a brain injury and can share their experiences
and empathy while providing patients with renewed hope.
The journey that led Ann to found the Brain Injury Peer Visitor
Association began in 1998 when she was seriously injured in a car
accident. Doctors treated Ann for multiple injuries, but did not diagnose her with a brain injury until a year after the accident. Ann
had trouble remembering things from her past and often got lost
while driving familiar routes. She says she felt completely alone,
even contemplating suicide at one point.
As she worked through her grief, Ann began to realize she could
be a great champion for the brain-injured. “When I went through
this, I had no one,” Ann says. “It became my mission to help others going through the same ordeal. It’s what kept me going.”
2 6 Spinal Column
Today, the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association has 65
trained volunteers who conduct peer visits. All have either
recovered from brain injuries themselves, or are family or
caregivers of a brain injury survivor. They visit patients who
have sustained any type of brain injury and lend support and
encouragement from the perspective of someone who has
“been there, done that.”
The scope and depth of the volunteer work that runs the
Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association is remarkable. As of
January of this year, 3,210 peer visits had been completed and
7,500 volunteer hours had been donated, with Ann Boriskie
personally donating more than 4,000 hours. The volunteers
lend a supportive ear to patients and their family members
while modeling how it is possible to thrive after sustaining
a serious brain injury. Volunteers also distribute packets of
information about brain injuries that Ann developed after
struggling to find information about her own injury.
When describing what peer visiting means to her on a
personal level, Ann says, “It is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had.” As the director, Ann has worked
with many different people, including hospital coordinators,
survivors, caregivers and her entire team of volunteers.
Ivy Oxendine, manager of Shepherd’s Volunteer Services,
shows much appreciation for the work Ann does to train and
coordinate Shepherd Center’s peer visitors. “Ann's passion
for helping other brain injury survivors shows through in
her dedication to the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association,”
Ivy says. “She applies her own experiences with the recovery
process to provide the best encouragement and support she
can to patients and their families.”
“Ann's passion for helping other brain injury
survivors shows through in her dedication… She
applies her own experiences with the recovery
process to provide the best encouragement and
support she can to patients and their families.”
— Ivy Oxendine, Shepherd Volunteer Services
Ann emphasizes to brain injury survivors that they will
continue to see improvement in themselves for many years
after their injuries. “I can do more now than last year and the
year before that,” Ann says. “Even 12 years after my brain
injury, I am still getting better. You can get better if you want
to – if you push yourself and keep trying to learn and do
things that you cannot do. Also, part of your improvement is
confidence and believing in yourself. You can do it.”
Above: Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association founder and director
Ann Boriskie trains volunteers, such as Allen London, as peer
visitors for brain injury patients at Shepherd Center.
Photo by Bonnie Hardage
Donors Give to Shepherd Center
Renovation Project, Providing More
Private Rooms for Patients
An anonymous friend of Shepherd Center has pledged a generous $1.5 million gift
in the form of a challenge grant to support the hospital’s $9.8 million renovation
project. The gift requires that an additional $1.5 million be raised by Dec. 31, 2010.
“The challenge grant endorses this important project and provides
momentum to complete our fundraising goal in a difficult economic environment,” says Bonnie Hardage, director of major gifts
for the Shepherd Center Foundation. “It also doubles the impact of
gifts toward the campaign because of the one-to-one match.”
Gifts to this fundraising campaign will allow Shepherd
patients to stay in private rooms, resulting in reduced disruptions
and risk of infection. “They will be able to focus on the most important thing – rebuilding their lives with independence, dignity
and hope,” Hardage adds.
In October 2009, Shepherd opened a new, 35,000-square-foot
space for its Spinal Cord Injury Treatment and Rehabilitation
Unit. The unit is now housed on the fifth floor of the MarcusWoodruff Building, part of a $53 million expansion project that
began in 2007. The new unit offers 35 private patient rooms, a
rehabilitation gym, classroom and conference room. As the renovation project continues, work is expected to get
under way soon to renovate the second floor of the Shepherd
Building to create an Acquired Brain Injury Unit that encompasses space in both the Marcus-Woodruff and Shepherd
buildings. The project also includes improvements to Shepherd’s
off-campus housing for out-of-town patients and their families.
The renovation of the second floor of the Shepherd Building
covers about 33,000 square feet. When completed, it will house
20 private rooms, which are important for infection control, and
four semi-private rooms for a total of 28 beds for Acquired Brain
Injury Unit patients.
“Shepherd continues to grow to meet the needs of our patients,” Hardage says. “But to grow, we still rely on community
support. Because of the decrease in giving across all sectors, the
gifts donors make today are more meaningful and have a more direct impact on patients’ lives than ever before. We understand that
it will take more donors making very thoughtful gifts to make
this project a reality.”
As of Feb. 5, Shepherd had raised $8.9 million in gifts and
pledges, including the challenge grant, toward its $9.8 million
goal. Those gifts include more than $163,000 given by Shepherd
Center employees.
For more information on giving, visit
www.shepherd.org/charitable-giving/make-a-gift or contact
Hardage at [email protected] or 404-367-1238.
Above: A donor-funded renovation of the second floor of the
Shepherd Building will provide 20 more private patient rooms, such
as this one in the Marcus-Woodruff Building.
Spring 2010 2 7
FoundationFeatures
Pecans on Peachtree
Fundraiser Sees
Continued Success
It was another successful
year for the Shepherd Center
Auxiliary’s annual holiday fundraiser, Pecans on Peachtree.
Volunteers helped raise more
than $70,000 for patient-related
programs and Auxiliary operations at the hospital.
Auxiliary members volunteered nearly 1,100 hours selling pecans from two locations
inside the hospital, shipping
pecans to hundreds of customers all over the United States
and Canada, and hosting
pecan parties in their homes or
businesses. It was truly a group
effort and much appreciated by
everyone in the hospital.
“Every year, I am amazed at
the amount of time and energy
that Auxiliary members put in to
make this project successful,”
says Midge Tracy, director of
Volunteer Services. “Chairman
Marla Bennett did an outstanding job of coordinating all the
volunteers and making sure
everything ran smoothly. We are
grateful for Marla’s leadership
and the Auxiliary’s willingness
to do whatever it takes to raise
funds for our patients.”
Visit pecansonpeachtree.org
beginning in October to view
the 2010 Pecans on Peachtree
catalog, or call Volunteer
Services at 404-350-7315 for
information.
2 8 Spinal Column
New Foundation
Board Leadership
Cynthia McCague begins her term as chair of the
Shepherd Center Foundation Board.
Completing a successful, one-year
term as chair of the Shepherd Center
Foundation Board, Doug Lindauer
turned over the chairmanship reins to
Cynthia McCague on April 1.
Doug, who is senior vice president
of sales and marketing for Turner
Network Sales, helped launch a $9.8
million fundraising campaign to
complete the fifth floor
of the Marcus-Woodruff
Building in 2009 and
renovate the second
floor of the Shepherd
Building beginning
this summer.
Even with
an aggressive
campaign
timeline amidst a
difficult economy,
the efforts of
the Board and
Campaign
Cabinet are
Above: Succeeding
expected to pay
Doug Lindauer
off by the end of
as chair of the
Foundation Board 2010.
is Cynthia McCague. “Doug led
the Board with great enthusiasm
and passion for Shepherd Center,
and the hospital is grateful for the
endless time and energy he put into
the leadership role,” says Scott Sikes,
executive director of the Shepherd
Center Foundation.
Succeeding Doug as chairman is
fellow trustee Cynthia McCague.
She has served on the Board since
April 2005.
“The Foundation Board has
thrived with a history of strong
leadership, and Cynthia will no doubt
continue this legacy,” Scott says.
Cynthia is the retiring senior
vice president and global head of
human resources for The Coca-Cola
Company. She has worked across
the global Coca-Cola business
network for almost 28 years. Cynthia
is known for her passion and
commitment to driving growth for
the business, her courage and vision,
and for her coaching and personal
investment in developing talent and
true leaders.
Before her career with Coca-Cola,
Cynthia worked in manufacturing
and local government. A native of
the United States, she holds dual U.S.
and British citizenship. Cynthia has
worked in more than 40 countries
and lived in six countries on three
continents. Cynthia’s experiences in
her life and work have allowed her
to become a true global citizen and
executive, demonstrating an ability
to lead and influence results across a
wide range of cultures globally.
Cynthia is a graduate of the
University of Florida, with a bachelor
of science degree in journalism and
communications. She is a member of
Human Resources 50, a community of
the most senior HR executives from
respected and successful multi-national
companies. In 2009, she was cited by
Business to Business magazine as one of
10 “Women of Excellence.”
Cynthia and her husband,
Jonathan, are making Sarasota, Fla.,
their primary home base as they
transition to “Chapter Two” of their
lives. — Brittany Wilson
Junior Committee Announces
New Venue for Derby Day 2010
Can’t make it to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby this year? Join
us for Shepherd Center’s 28th annual Derby Day, which has become
Atlanta’s largest Kentucky Derby-themed fundraising event.
Derby Day will be held at an exciting new location this year,
according to the Shepherd Center Junior Committee, which
plans the fundraising event. Held at Foxhall Farm west of
Atlanta for the past 15 years, this May’s mint-julep soirée will
move east of Atlanta to the Georgia International Horse Park
in Conyers. As the site of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games
equestrian competitions, the park will offer guests a touch of
Kentucky and more.
All proceeds generated from the event support Shepherd
Center’s Therapeutic Recreation Program. Last year's event raised
$200,000 in net proceeds for the program, which is a vital part
of rehabilitation and therapy for patients. Therapeutic recreation
helps improve physical, cognitive and social functioning so
patients can return to lifestyles that are as independent, active
and healthy as possible. The program gives patients opportunities
to get involved with hobbies and activities they enjoyed before
their injury or illness, as well as the opportunity to learn new
skills, often with the help of adaptive equipment. Therapeutic
recreation, however, is not covered by insurance, therefore making
it imperative that the Junior Committee raise as much money as it
can for this crucial program.
Derby Day is scheduled for May 1, a great time to enjoy the
Georgia International Horse Park’s sprawling 1,400 acres of
picturesque meadows. Guests will enjoy an afternoon of big hats
and seersucker suits while bidding in the live and silent auctions,
sampling southern food staples, sipping on spring’s favorite
beverages, dancing to the music of Yacht Rock and watching the
Kentucky Derby on big-screen TVs.
The live and silent auctions will feature such wonderful items
as a one-year lease on an apartment, Colorado ski trips, UGA
football season tickets, resort stays, electronics, home furnishings
and more.
Want to have seats on Shepherd’s Millionaire’s Row? Derby
Day sponsors enjoy the special treatment with upgraded
amenities, such as their own televisions for viewing the Derby,
luxury restrooms, drinks delivered to them and a few food items
not available in the patron tent.
With Derby Day co-chairs Miller Jackson and Kirk Martin in
charge, this year’s event promises to be an amazing experience for
everyone involved. With the unfortunate state of the economy,
the Junior Committee is committed to working even harder to
raise these necessary funds for today’s and tomorrow’s patients.
For information on how to become a sponsor for Derby Day
2010 or for ticket information, contact Anne Pearce at 404-3507302 or [email protected]. Or, visit www.derbyday.com.
Above: Derby Day guests enjoy an afternoon of big hats and
seersucker suits while bidding in live and silent auctions,
sampling southern food staples, sipping on spring’s favorite
beverages, dancing to the music of Yacht Rock and watching the
Kentucky Derby on big-screen TVs.
Alana Shepherd Receives Healthcare Georgia Foundation
Community Service Award
The Healthcare Georgia Foundation
recently awarded its Joseph D. Greene
Community Service Award for 2010
to Shepherd Center co-founder
Alana Shepherd for her outstanding
community service in the area of health.
Alana was honored at an award
reception on March 31 at the
Westin Buckhead Atlanta hotel. The
Above: Alana Shepherd presentation included a video about
Alana that the Healthcare Georgia Foundation produced.
“The Joseph D. Greene Community Service Award honors
extraordinary individuals and nonprofit organizations that are
committed to improving the quality of health and healthcare
of those they serve,” says Symone McClain, director of grants
management at the Foundation. “By recognizing those who inspire
and lift others up, we hope that Mr. Greene’s legacy of community
service will continue through the work of others.”
Mr. Greene was a founding Healthcare Georgia Foundation board
member. He helped steward the organization from its inception in
1999 through his retirement from the board in 2006. Mr. Green
passed away in November 2007 after a battle with cancer.
Alana was nominated for the Greene Community Service Award
by Mark Johnson, Shepherd Center's director of advocacy. In his
nomination, Mark said: “Alana is a role model for community
leadership. She is a classic example of someone who has an idea and
just won’t quit until it becomes a reality. She is known for her ability
to galvanize support on the local, regional and national levels.”
Spring 2010 2 9
Photos by Jim Fitts
FoundationFeatures
Legendary Party Committee
Gets Royal Treatment at The Ritz-Carlton
The Legendary Party Committee gathered in the Gallery of The
Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead on Feb. 24 for a luncheon meeting to kick
off this year’s fundraising efforts. Tricky Wolfes and Kathy Rainer
of Parties To Die For created beautiful centerpieces with vases
of white roses and hydrangeas surrounded by gorgeous blue glass
globes and urns on each table.
Shepherd Center CEO Gary Ulicny welcomed the committee
members and thanked them for their support and fundraising
efforts for the Shepherd Center Foundation. Gary explained that
the Foundation will need to raise $11 million this year to provide
patient care and quality-of-life services that are not covered by
insurance. The proceeds from this year’s gala will support programs
such as the Center’s Multiple Sclerosis General Support Fund,
which provides funds for medicine and care for MS patients
without insurance.
Legendary Party Chairman Dorothy Mitchell-Leef, M.D.,
thanked the committee and introduced this year’s event theme,
Legend of The Sun King, Reflections of Versailles. Dorothy
envisions a very beautiful and elegant ball, which will celebrate the
grandeur of the legendary renaissance French palace and famed
gardens.
Also, Dorothy discussed her experiences with Shepherd Center.
As a fertility specialist, she has helped Shepherd patients realize
their dream of parenthood. Dorothy explained her involvement
with the ball through her friendship with Cyndae Arrendale,
chairman of the 2009 Legendary Party. Cyndae is serving as cochair of this year’s fundraising committee with Steve Lore.
Dorothy introduced Cindy and Bill Voyles, chairmen-elect,
who will serve as chairmen in 2011. Cindy and Bill are longtime
supporters of the Center and The Legendary Party. Dorothy
recognized Eula Carlos, who is serving as honorary chairman of
the gala. Mrs. Carlos has been a dedicated supporter and friend of
3 0 Spinal Column
the Center. Her generous support of Shepherd’s Andrew C. Carlos
MS Institute, named in memory of her late husband, provides care
and services to numerous MS patients.
The Ritz-Carlton provided an exquisite lunch that showed off
the talents of their classically trained chefs. Diners enjoyed a duet
of lobster entrees, followed by a main course of both prime rib and
smoked short rib of beef in a wine reduction sauce, capped with a
dessert of baba au rhaum. Of course, this is meant to foreshadow
what will be a truly remarkable meal at The Legendary Party in
November.
For information about The Legendary Party, please contact
Cara Puckett at 404-350-7778 or [email protected].
— Dean Melcher
Top: Legendary Party 2010 chairman Dorothy Mitchell-Leef, M.D.,
introduces 2011 chairmen-elect Cindy and Bill Voyles at the kickoff
luncheon on Feb. 24. Inset: Left to right, June Weitnauer, Carol
Thompson and Claire Smith visit with Shepherd Center Foundation
Senior Director of Planned Giving Ty Tippett at the event.
Above, Left: Rebecca Webb, Heather Flint and Shepherd Center
Foundation Major Gifts Director Bonnie Hardage discuss plans for
The Legendary Party 2010.
Football attracted about 150 people to the Shepherd Center
Society’s Big Game Bash on Feb. 7 at the Bobby Jones Golf
Course Clubhouse, but the guests left with a better awareness
of Shepherd Center and the great things the hospital does.
The event kicked off the 2010 fundraising season for the
Shepherd Center Society (SCS), a volunteer group in its
sophomore year.
“Our three biggest goals for the party were to spread
awareness of Shepherd Center, raise money and put on a good
party. I know that we achieved our goals as evidenced by the
large turnout and generosity of our donors.” says Will Lovell,
Big Game Bash co-chair.
The event’s other co-chair, Brandie Miner, adds, “This party
was a great opportunity to gather professionals in their 20s,
30s and 40s for a low-key, casual event all in the name of
Shepherd Center.”
For the second year in a row, Sunbelt Technology has
scored a touchdown by donating two flat-screen televisions, a
large projection screen and their time to set up and take down
the equipment to help provide SCS partygoers with a great
experience. In addition to viewing the “Big Game,” guests
enjoyed cold beverages and an assortment of “tailgating” food.
Food sponsors were Jimmy John’s, Pero’s Pizza, the Piedmont/
Lindbergh, Roswell Road and Peachtree/Collier locations of
Chick-fil-A, Zoe’s Kitchen and Piece of Cake.
And what’s a football game without a little friendly
competition? For a small donation, guests could participate in
a few different contests based on the game. With the winner
taking half, Shepherd Center walked home with a nice-sized
donation.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, Feb. 4, 2011. The next “Big
Game” and the SCS bash will be here before you know it!
For information about becoming a SCS member or
sponsoring one of the group’s events, contact Anne Pearce at
404-350-7302 or [email protected]. Or, visit
www.shepherdcentersociety.com.
Photo By Brandie Miner
Below: Ashley Brown, Fran McLeod, Kelly Redding and Mary
Margaret Sheely enjoy the Shepherd Center Society’s Big
Game Bash on Feb. 7.
Photo By Gary Meek
Big Game Bash Kicks Off 2010
for Shepherd Center Society
Faith and Charity
Shepherd’s chaplains bring hope to patients.
Restoring hope, rebuilding lives. This is not just a slogan for
Shepherd Center. These words guide the hospital’s approach to
patients: We treat the whole person, not just the injury.
Each patient is assigned to a team that includes doctors,
nurses, therapists in a variety of disciplines, a counselor and a
chaplain. Some team members work with patients to rebuild
their lives, and others help restore hope.
The multiple losses faced by most patients at Shepherd Center
could exhaust anyone’s hope, strength and determination.
Spiritual healing plays an important role in patients’ recoveries.
“We are lucky to have support for faith as part of our
treatment for patients,” says Chaplain Alan Roof. “We believe
prayer and faith can play a tremendous role…. Faith can be the
one thing that says hope is available when what’s happening all
around them says there is no hope.”
Shepherd Center’s Chaplaincy Program is designed to meet
each patient’s specific and deeply personal spiritual needs.
Funded entirely through donations, these services provide two
specially trained chaplains who personally visit with patients and
families, conduct worship and prayer services, Bible study and
patient outings of a religious nature.
Specially trained volunteers assist as Stephen ministers and
Eucharist ministers, and on Sundays, volunteers and guests help
with the music ministry in Shepherd’s fully accessible worship
services for patients, families and staff. On average, more than 90
people attend.
The operating expenses for this year are nearly $50,000, and
all funding comes from donations to The Shepherd Center
Foundation. Please help us continue this most important service
to our patients and their families by making a gift to Shepherd
Center’s Chaplaincy Fund. You can mail a check in the giving
envelope enclosed in this issue of Spinal Column, online at
shepherd.org, or contact Dean Melcher in the Foundation office
at 404-350-7306 or [email protected].
Above: Shepherd Center Chaplain Alan Roof ministers to former
patient Josh Vanderbush of Senoia, Ga.
Spring 2010 3 1
FoundationFeatures
Support the Shepherd Center Foundation’s Annual Fund
join the
Shepherd Center Giving Circle
Shepherd Center Foundation’s Annual Fund provides funding for vital patient care and services throughout the hospital
that are not typically paid for by insurance. Programs such as therapeutic recreation, temporary housing for out-of-town
patient family members and assistive technology have proven vital to our patients’ outcomes.
Beginning this year, Shepherd Center Foundation is launching The Circle of Giving. The Circle is comprised of three
membership levels, and contributors will be recognized for their support in Spinal Column, as well as in the hospital’s
Annual Report. The Circle of Healing will recognize donors at the $2,500 level; Circle of Hope donors are recognized
for $1,000 gifts; and the Circle of Friends donors support the Annual Fund at $500.
Please join the Circle today by sending your gift with the coupon below. For more information, please contact Dean
Melcher in the Foundation office at (404) 350-7306 or [email protected].
Yes!
I want to support Shepherd Center’s patient programs by enrolling in the
Foundation’s Circle of Giving program. Enclosed is my tax-deductible gift of:
___ $2,500 for the Circle of Healing
___ $1,000 for the Circle of Hope
___ $500 for the Circle of Friends
___ Enclosed is my check payable to Shepherd Center Foundation.
Please charge my donation on my __Visa, __MC, __AMEX, __DISC
Card #_____________________________________ Exp._________________
Name ___________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________________________________________
Email _________________________________________________________________
Please mail donation and completed coupon to: Shepherd Center Foundation, 2020 Peachtree Road NW,
Atlanta, GA 30309. Thank you for supporting the patients and families of Shepherd Center!
3 2 Spinal Column
Shepherd Center Foundation Executive Director
Your gifts restore hope, rebuild lives.
Learn more at shepherd.org
ntz
• Patient Assistance Fund: This fund enables Shepherd to
serve patients who have little or no insurance, as well as
those who qualify for government assistance, but find that
reimbursement does not cover the actual costs of care.
• Patient Equipment Fund: The Jane Woodruff Patient
Equipment Fund provides vital equipment, such as
wheelchairs, lifts, durable medical equipment or braces to
patients with limited financial resources.
• Professional Development: These funds keep our employees at
the forefront of their professions to better help patients.
• Therapeutic Recreation: Shepherd’s TR Department is the
largest and best of its kind. TR encourages teamwork, builds
self-confidence and improves overall quality of life.
Photo by Ashleigh Koo
If you send us checks each year and/or attend our special events
throughout the year, you occasionally may wonder, “What exactly do
they do with my gifts to Shepherd Center Foundation?”
We’re “good shepherds” of your money. Your gifts pay for the many
unreimbursed and under-reimbursed programs at Shepherd’s main
campus and nearby patient/family apartments; Shepherd Pathways’
brain injury rehabilitation campus; and Spring Creek House. These
specialized programs are the reason Shepherd Center has higher than
average return-to-home and return-to-work rates.
It costs us about $1 million a month to do the following for our
patients and their families. Your gifts pay for the salaries, equipment
and operating budgets of these departments in alphabetical order:
• Acquired Brain Injury: This fund helps offset the costs of therapy
for both inpatients and day patients without insurance, as well as
the purchase of therapy equipment.
• Animal-Assisted Therapy: Specially trained dogs assist patients
with physical therapy, motor skills, strength and endurance.
• Assistive Technology: The latest high-tech diagnostic and
demonstration equipment assists patients with independent
driving, communication, environmental control, computer access
and meal preparation.
• Chaplaincy: Two full-time chaplains provide counsel, support
and faith guidance to patients and families.
• Disability Advocacy: Our staff identifies and researches disability
rights issues; educates Shepherd staff and the community;
organizes local support networks; and acts as a local resource for
state and national groups focused on people with disabilities.
• Horticultural Therapy: Patients are trained to use adaptive tools
for gardening, as well as flower arranging and crafts.
• Housing and Transportation for Patients and Families: Gifts
provide complimentary apartments for 30 days to patients’
families who live more than 60 miles away.
• Injury Prevention Programs: Programs are presented at Atlantaarea schools and driving programs to educate school-age children
and teens on prevention of catastrophic injuries. This fund also
provides materials for our Think First! Injury Prevention Program.
• Marcus Community Bridge Program: This case management
program follows patients’ progress and connects them with
community resources for a year after they return home.
• Multiple Sclerosis Support: Gifts support the Andrew C. Carlos
MS Center, which provides patient evaluation, diagnostic and
rehabilitation services, counseling, education and vocational
services, therapeutic recreation and ongoing research into drug
and activity-based therapies.
• Noble Learning Resource Center: Funds support the South’s only
consumer health library for brain and spinal cord injuries.
Photo by Gary Meek
Photo by Leita Cowart
Notes from Scott H. Sikes
• Virginia C. Crawford Research Institute: The Institute
conducts research that leads to better patient care and
potential cures.
• Spinal Cord Injury: Gifts to this fund offset the costs of
therapy for inpatients and day patients without insurance, as
well as the purchase of therapy equipment.
• SHARE Initiative: Gifts support services to our brain- and
spinal cord-injured military service personnel.
• Sports Teams: Gifts provide total support for athletes who
travel throughout the country to competitive events. Shepherd
sponsors 12 teams.
• Vocational Services: The Center provides current and
former patients with vocation evaluation, counseling and job
placement services, as well as partnerships with employers and
community resources to increase employment opportunities.
• Wellness/ProMotion Fitness Center: Shepherd provides a
fitness center with equipment adaptable to all abilities.
We also use your gifts to build and maintain the best facilities
in the country. I invite you to call me at 404-350-7305 or email
me at [email protected] to plan a visit to see how we are
using your gifts.
Spring 2010 3 3
Tributes
Karen Bibb’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Bibb, Jr.
Dr. Gerald Bilsky
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Smith
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 from Nov. 1, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2010
Lawrence Bracken – “Thanks for going to bat for the SCI-impaired.”
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Christopher Bramblett
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Privette
Drew Adamson
Mr. Todd Adamson
Seth Alexander’s College Graduation
Mr. and Mrs. Ray C. Mac Aloney
Dr. David Apple, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Dyke
Dr. David Apple, Jr. wishes
Happy Holidays to the JET Set:
Mary Dent
Sonja Griffin
Cora Laster
Nancy N’dure
Joan Reed
Wanda Hurt Odumade
Theresa Wright-Howell
Brandee Bridges
Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Bridges
Mr. and Mrs. Lovic Brooks – Friendship
Mrs. Alex W. Smith III
Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Buce
wish Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Tricia Buce
Wilma Bunch – “Great job on the fifth floor move”
Henry Burkard – “Great job on
the fifth floor move”
James M. Burnette
Mrs. Kim Granda
Michael J. Butkus, Sr.
Mr. Patrick Butkus
Nathan Byrd Family
Cliff and Rosemary Stalter
Eleanor T. Caldwell
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Caldwell
Helen Carlos’ Birthday
Ms. Laurie Moses
Ms. Katherine Caroland
wishes Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Linda Silber
Mike Arneson’s Recovery
The Arneson Family – Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Carrboro, NC
The Crabtree Family – Hillsborough, NC
The Gaitens Family – Cary and Apex, NC
The Grimm Family – Dexter, NM
The McCarty Family – Cary NC
The Reed Family – Roswell, NM
Norman Asher’s Birthday
Barbara H. Smith
Eugene Assaf – In honor of the wonderful and inspired care he received at Shepherd Center
Mr. Eugene F. Assaf, Jr.
Myrtice Atrice – “Congratulations on 30 years at Shepherd Center.”
Jeffrey Bandy’s House Closing
Ms. Meredith Mansfield
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Barrow and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Brookner
Ms. Alice Myrick
Jason Beach – “Thanks for going
to bat for the SCI-impaired.”
Ms. Karen Bennett wishes Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Marla Bennett
Photo By Leita Cowart
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Ault
Mr. and Mrs. Charlton H. Ames
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Darden III
Margaret Balliet and Family
Mrs. Peggy S. Tingley
Peggy and Michael Balliet
Mr. and Mrs. A. Jack Allison
Mr. Terry Argo
Mr. and Mrs. Charlton Bargeron
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Boswell, Jr.
Ambassador and Mrs. William Cabaniss
Mrs. S. D. Chew
Mr. and Mrs. John Cowin
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Crockard
Mr. and Mrs. Miller Gorrie
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hall
Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. Hare, Jr.
Ms. Peggy McClure
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Medley
Dr. and Mrs. Cecil Morgan
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Morris
Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Naughton
Mrs. O. W. Schanbacher, Jr.
Mr. John E. Smith II
Dr. and Mrs. William Stetler
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Vines
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Vogtle
Mr. and Mrs. Cullom Walker
Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Webb
Mr. and Mrs. Felix Yarboro
Above: Georgia Bulldogs Football Coach Mark Richt and his team
visit Shepherd Center patients in late November 2009.
3 4 Spinal Column
Melissa Matthews Carroll
Mrs. Dona T. Matthews
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carter -- Friendship
Ms. Ann W. Clarke wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Jeanette Clarke
Coach Bruce Clark
Boiling Springs High School
Faculty and Staff
Ryan Clark
Mr. William Trench
Michael R. Clarkin’s Recovery
Mr. Patrick Ryan
Shane Coco
Dr. Kevin Coco
Seymour Cohn’s 95th Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Gershberg
Ruth and Henry Collinsworth
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Cook, Jr.
Mrs. Gene Creighton
Ms. Ruth Page
Carol M. Curtis
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Wells III
Carol Curtis wishes Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Mel Adler
Mr. and Mrs. John Alston
Mr. and Mrs. W. Donald Knight
Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Lynn
Mr. and Mrs. McKee Nunnally
Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Nalley
Mrs. Lula Post
Mr. and Mrs. Martyn Richardson
Mrs. Laura Spearman
Mr. and Mrs. Edus Warren
Mr. and Mrs. James Wells
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Yellowlees
James A. Curtis
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Wells III
Cliff Darby
Ms. Chyna Darby
Jim Davis – “Thank you for helping.”
Ms. Diane Leroy
Janie Davis
Mrs. Mary S. Robinson
Bobbie Jean Dean’s 45th
Anniversary and Happy Holidays
Bev Edwards
Kaye and Andrew Dixon’s 30th Wedding Anniversary
Dr. and Mrs. Keith Dockery
Nicholas Doeffinger
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Doeffinger
Cindy Donald
Ms. Cynthia Sokolic
Brent Doonan’s House Closing
Ms. Meredith Mansfield
Sam Dowlen’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Whatley
Dr. and Mrs. W.B. Willingham
Diana Duemig
Mr. and Mrs. Martin M. Pollock
Catherine W. Dukehart
Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Q. Ball III
Scott English
Mr. Lee M. English
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Fehrs
Dr. and Mrs. Dave Davis
Dr. and Mrs. John Faust
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Felker
Betty, Rob and Parker King
Mr. Mark Fincher wishes Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Mandy Stone
Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Fischer – On the birth of Charles Spencer Fischer
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shepherd III
Mr. Frank K. Flautt
Mr. Fred Alias
Mary Emily Fletcher
Dr. John Fletcher
Courtney Gale’s Recovery
Ms. Lisa D. Davol
Mr. and Mrs. Nick Galifianakis
Mike and Frances Galifianakis
Catherine F. Gammon
Mrs. Dottie Dye
Ann and Jim Gandy wish Merry Christmas to:
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew R. Cuppia
Mr. James C. Cuppia and
Miss Marcia Day
Mr. and Mr. and Mrs. Jerome
C. Cuppia III
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin D. Cuppia
Mrs. Margaret Naugle
Lillian and Peter Gantsoudes
Mrs. Studie Young
Dr. Bert Glaser – “Happy 60th Birthday”
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moskowitz
Ms. Renee Pollack
Mr. Paul Sternberg, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Howard Synenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Robert U. Goodman wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. William Pritchard
Ben C. Goss
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. Billy Gow – Friendship
Dr. Bruce Green
Mr. Michael H. Mescon
Lorna and Franklin Green
Miss Rachel Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Gregory
Dr. and Mrs. Charles D. Smith III
Mr. and Mrs. William Grigsby
Mr. and Mrs. Harold N. Bynum
Rev. Ken Grosch and Rev.
Alan Roof
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Stephens
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Gullett
Mr. Jennings Watkins
Mr. John C. Hamilton wishes Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Ben Bunyard
Mr. Bryant Coats
Mr. Millard Choate
Mr. Bob Heflin
Ms. Myrna R. Hamilton
Mr. Myron Golub
Mrs. Archibald S. Hampton
Greg and Ann Hampton
Mr. and Mrs. James Hance, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Bishopric
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Eubanks
Ms. Margaret Gragg
Dr. and Mrs. L. Clayton Harrell
Mr. Edward D. Herlihy
Mr. and Mrs. George Ivey
Mr. Mathew Lester
Mr. and Mrs. G. Dantzler, Page, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Roggeveen
Photo By Louie Favorite
Jane Fryer’s Birthday
Mr. and Ms. Alan M. Smith
Joan and David Funk’s Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Rosen
David Funk
Mr. and Mrs. Bob R. Brodsky
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Funk
Sis Hancock – Lots of Love
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Cook, Jr.
Max Hardy wishes
Happy Holidays to his clients:
Ms. Kimanne Allen
Mr. Dave Atchison
Mr. Paul Barlow and Staff
Ms. Wendy Booher and Mr. Robb Smith
Ms. Diane Calloway and
Mr. George Calloway
Ms. Renata Circeo-Loudon
Ms. Lacie Devine and Staff
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Everitt
Ms. Deborah Harris
Ms. Sandra Hill and Staff
Ms. Natalie Lamon
Mr. Chris Moynihan
Ms. Claire Moynihan
Mr. Phillip Pettis
Ted Harrison and Family
Ms. Margaret Fox
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Harrison
Kim Harrison
Mr. Dan Chase
Matt Harvie and Family
Clogging Connection
Bebe Hatcher – To Start a New Decade
Ms. Margaret C. Craig – The luckiest
goddaughter in the world
Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher
Mr. and Mrs. John Ames
Ms. Dorothy Boddie
Ms. Peggy Craig
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Dick
Mr. and Mrs. Wilton Looney
Mr. and Mrs. Fred McGranahan
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Mills
Ms. Darlene Nash
Mr. and Mrs. William Parker
Ms. Marsha Weeks
Caroline G. Hazel
Ms. Evelyn G. Crosby
Mr. and Mrs. Scott R. Koebley
Andrew Heller
CTAM
Loren and Betty Hildebrant
Miss Rachel Hudson
The Loren Hildebrant, Jr. Family
Ms. Frances A. Ritchie
Verona Hildebrant
Mr. and Mrs. Loren Hildebrant
Beth and Tommy Holder
Sam and Boog Candler
Above: Ronnie Sue Dixon of East Dublin, Ga., participates in
wheelchair bowling with help from Shepherd Center therapeutic
recreation therapists.
Duvall and Rex Fuqua
Bob and Kathi Goddarad
John and Helen Gordon
Bob and Ann Holder
Billy and Betty Hulse
Mark and Debby Pirrung
Tom and Kathy Weller
Camille Yow
Elizabeth Holt
Mr. and Mrs. David G. Hunter II
Elizabeth Holt’s Birthday
Mrs. Harriett Northcutt
Anne Hall and James Howard
Ms. Nancy E. Wellons
Ms. Ann R. Howell wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Bert and Joy Burns
Betty and Billy Hulse
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Noonan
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Owen III
Billy Hulse’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Darden III
Louise Hutner – "A beautiful person and amazing woman"
Mrs. Clare Hartigan
Porter Hutto
Mr. and Mrs. Larry C. Williams
Brian Johnson’s Recovery
Bartlett Actuarial Group, Ltd.
Mark L. Johnson
Amerigroup Corporation
Willis and Sandra Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Luckadoo
Brenda Jones
Mr. Scott Keithley
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus L. Jones III
Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Jones
Mike Jones and Crawford Research Institute – “Thanks. It was a pleasure to work with you.”
Mrs. Robert J. Howard
Darryl L. Kaelin, M.D.
Mr. Thomas W. Malone
Carlyn Kappy – “Congratulations on your professional achievement.”
John and Billie Kennon
Mr. and Mrs. John Keenon
Mitch Keister’s Graduation from Georgia Tech
Dr. and Mrs. David DuBose
Susan S. Kendall
Ms. Linda Perry
Rusty Kidd
Ms. Kathy Walker
Parker King
Mr. and Mrs. David H. Quave
Nathan B. Klein
Ms. Terri Klein and Mr. Daniel Gup
Spring 2010 3 5
Dr. Urszula Klich
Dr. and Mrs. Garrett W. Thornton, Jr.
Karen J. Kline
Ms. Barbara Linden
Sasha Klupchak’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maguigan
Philippa and Hilton Kort and Family wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Antebi
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Assaf
Mr. and Mrs. John Burke and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Jorge Bergallo
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Bernstein
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Blank and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Brill
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Bruckman
and Family
Ms. Heather Burke
Ms. Suzy Burke
Dr. and Mrs. Clyde Calhoun
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carlin
and Family
Mr. Mitchell Barnes, Mr. Craig Weaver, Rachel, Chad, Ann and Ray
Dr. and Mrs. Sandy Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Christopher
Mr. and Mrs. David Clarke
Mr. and Mrs. George Cleveland
Mr. and Mrs. John Cleveland
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Cohen
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Corr
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Davidson
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Dawkins and Family
Mr. and Mrs. David Deignan
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Destro
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Blake Dexter
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Dexter
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Dezelic
Ms. Amanda Dreyer and
Mr. Paul Ruane
Dr. Daniel Dubovsky and Staff
Ms. Kazuko Dunwoody
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ellinger
Drs. Bill and Carlene Elsner
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Elser
Mr. DJ Fairbanks
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Firsowicz
Mr. Charles Foell, Michael
and Megan
Mr. and Mrs. William Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Fricker
Dr. David Garber and Staff
Mr. and Mrs .Chuck Garmany
Mr. and Mrs. Chip Gerry
Mrs. Peggy Davis Gold and
Ms. Sally Gold
Dr. and Mrs. Basil Griffin
Mrs. Katherine Hanson and Family
Mr. and Mrs. William Hartman and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hawkins and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Hoffman
and Family
Ms. Anne Holdegrafer
Mr. and Mrs. William Holley
Dr. and Mrs. Ben Hugo
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Joelson and Family
Mr. and Mrs. James Kennedy and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Jim King and Family
Mrs. Mandy Kjellstrom and Family
Colonel and Mrs. William Koelm
Dr. Alan Kozarsky
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kruger
Dr. and Mrs. Willis Lanier
Dr. Adam Leaderman
Ms. Sandy Legath
Mr. and Mrs. George Levert and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Julian Lokey and Family
3 6 Spinal Column
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Lyon
Mr. and Mrs. Barclay Macon and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Maddern
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Magid
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Manidis
Mrs. Martha Heath Mason
Mr. and Mrs. David Massey
Mrs. Susan Mathis and Allene
Mr. and Mrs. Paul McHargue
Mr. and Mrs. William Merritt and Family
Dr. Joe Massey
Mr. Forrest Leef and Dr. Dorothy Mitchell-Leef
Mr. and Mrs. Lovemore Mbigi
and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Shapour Mobasser
and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Tom Modi
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Moon
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murphy
Dr. Christine Murphy and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Peter Nagy
Mr. and Mrs. Simon Newton-Smith
Dr. and Mrs. Mundy Papadopoulos
Mr. Stacy Patton and Ms. Sandra Kopper
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Peil
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Pigg and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Pirrung
Dr. John Porter and Dr. Lucy Axtel
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Plaut
Dr. and Mrs. Zane Pollard
Dr. Nicholas Ranno
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Robberts
Dr. Daniel Shapiro and Dr. Nadine Becker
Dr. and Mrs. Don Sharp
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber
and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Scott Slayden
Mrs. Hope Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Smith
Dr. Winifred Soufi
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Straub
Mr. and Mrs. Don Sutton and Jackie
Mr. and Mrs. David Thompson
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Toledo
Mr. and Mrs. James Warren
Mrs. Phoebe Weinberg and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Dick White
Mrs. Doris White
Dr. Stewart Wiegand
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Witt
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wright
Deborah Krotenberg
The JALS Family Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. Stanley E. Bogaty
Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Larsen
Mr. and Mrs. Nils Liebendorfer
Joan Hope Latiolais
Mr. and Mrs. Warner Ray
Stan Topol & Associates
William Howard Flowers, Jr.
Foundation, Inc.
Mae Laverty
Mr. and Mrs. William Laverty
Mr. and Mrs. Julian LeCraw – Friendship
Mark and Cindi Leibowitz – “Wishing you a long, happy and healthy life together”
Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Kort
Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Hays Mershon
Dr. and Mrs. Garrett W. Thornton, Jr.
Photo Courtesy of Delta Air Lines
Tributes
Above: Shepherd Center patients and their families participate in an
airport outing organized by the Shepherd Therapeutic Recreation
Department and Delta Air Lines.
Anita S. Lieberman’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Allen R. Stein
John Lin, M.D.
Douglas Lindauer
Dr. and Mrs. Robert S. Abernethy
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Byko, Jr.
Communities Foundation of Texas
Mrs. Betsy Crosswhite
Ms. Claire S. Curtin
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dozier
Mr. Dan Fawcett
Mr. James Yoder
Ginny Lippincott – Happy Holidays
Mrs. Mikako Okamoto
Ms. Fumiko Takahashi
Ms. Chiyo Terasaki
Ms. Michiko Yamanoi
Donna Loupus – “Thanks for your years of dedication.”
Ms. Sarah A. Morrison
Stephen Macciocchi, Ph.D.
Mrs. and Mr. Pete Malcolm wish
Happy Holidays to:
James & Linda Shepherd
Kim and Mike Marchand
Ms. Barbara Richardson
Malone Friends
Billi and Bernie Marcus
Mrs. Joan Brawer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Gitlin
Billi Marcus
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Kalish
Mrs. Elizabeth T. Marr
Mr. David Sands
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. L. Martin
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Chase
Mr. Robert P. Crawford
Mr. and Mrs. David H. Gambrell
Dr. Daniel Hankey
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Hatcher
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Hellams
Mr. and Mrs. David Lowrance
Mrs. John W. McIntyre
Mr. and Mrs. Vic Mills
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Morris
Dr. and Mrs. Mark Pentecost
Mrs. Rhodes L. Perdue
Mr. and Mrs. Crawford Sites
Ross Mason
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Chambers, Jr.
Mrs. Lois Mayer wishes Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Gloria Landreth
Mr. and Mrs. Willard McBurney
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tackett
Mary Anna McClendon
Anonymous
Scott McKinnon’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Tom G. Wilson
Toby McMullen’s Recovery
New Horizons Parent Organization
Dr. Dorothy Mitchell-Leef
Mr. Foy Devine and Ms. Jane Bedford
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Davidson
Dr. William Elsner and Dr. Carlene Elsner
Dr. and Mrs. Hilton Kort
Dr. and Mrs. Z. Peter Nagy
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Patrick
Mr. Christopher Rex and Dr. Martha Wilkins
Dr. Daniel Shapiro and Dr. Nadine Becker
Mr. and Mrs. Josh Shubin
Drs. Scott and Elizabeth Slayden
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Straub
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Toledo
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Witt
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Mobley
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Bryan
Mr. and Mrs. James Christians
Mr. and Mrs. Clisby Clarke
Ms. Carol Dean Davis
Mrs. Curtis Illges
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Illges
Mr. and Mrs. William Maner
Mr. and Mrs. English Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sams
Mr. and Mrs. William Tanner
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Warner
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Wood
Brian Mock’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Mock
Michael Moderow
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Moderow
Mr. and Mrs. Marion H.
Montgomery, Jr. wish Happy Holidays to:
Heli Montgomery and Family
Lola Dean Montgomery and Family
Marion H. Montgomery III and Family
Lewellyn Montgomery Byrd
and Family
Priscilla Montgomery Jensen and Family
Deanna Moss and Family
Donnie Moran
Mr. William R. Howell
Linda and Tom Morris –
In Friendship
Mrs. John O. Mitchell
Doyle K. Mote
Herndon Murray, M.D.
Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy C. Nash wish much love and a very Merry Christmas to:
Mr. Bobby Hogg
Donna Neff’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Neff
Sally Nunnally’s Friendship
Mr. and Mrs. Griffin B. Bell
Deborah A. Ohmes
Mrs. Danelle Joyce
Anthony Orig’s Ride for Shepherd
Mr. Tim Hamling
Sharon Overby
Mrs. John R. Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Pendergrast – Friendship
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Per-Lee, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. John H. Per-Lee
Phoenix Debutante Class of 2009
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Bell
Mr. and Mrs. David W. Scheible
Corey Potts’ 26th Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maguigan –
A and W Technologies, Inc.
Nicholas Prevost’s Recovery
Mrs. Lauren B. Prevost
Ernie Prickett
Mr. and Mrs. Paul H. Anderson, Jr.
Cara D. Puckett
Ms. Beth Peavler
Greg Puckett’s Revocery
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Cunningham
Marisa D. Puckett
Ms. Beth Peavler
Tish and Warner Ray wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Hal Barry
Dr. and Mrs. Phil Beegle
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Burkitt
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Coleman
Mr. and Mrs. James Harrell III
Mr. and Mrs. Rene Latiolais
Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Purvis
Mr. and Mrs. John Ray, Jr.
Sharon Reed
Mr. and Mrs. William Reed
Rick Reeves
Ms. Melissa Legg
Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Reichenbach wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. William E. Robinson
Dr. Floyd Reifein
American Express
Mrs. Jennifer Renne wishes Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Charles Musgrove
Jamie Reynolds
Mr. James G. Strickland
Michael C. Roberts’ Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cary
Mrs. Carolyn R. Parker
Mr. and Mrs. Gentry Strickland
Margaret and Jeffrey Rodbell
Ms. Jane Wilson – Buckhead Futures Investment Club
Joey Roman
Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Rogers
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Root’s 62nd Wedding Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. Root
Sariece Rubin’s Recovery
Ms. Betty Schaffer
Ronnie Rudd
Mr. Jack D. Williams, Jr.
Lisa A. Ruger
David Rutledge, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth D. Rutledge
Matthew Sanchez’s Efforts for our Troops
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kenimer
Ms. Cynthia Sokolic
Catherine D. Schwab
Denise and Gary Schwab
Emory A. Schwall
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Long
Mrs. Pamela E. Midura
Lewis Self
Hit the Water with Upcoming
Therapeutic Recreation Trips
The Shepherd Center Therapeutic Recreation
Department is organizing several upcoming trips that will
allow former patients opportunities to enjoy challenging
water activities as the weather warms this summer.
For people with disabilities who want to put their
paddling skills to the test, two fully guided river rafting
excursions are planned on the exciting Class II and III
rapids of the Nantahala River in western North Carolina.
The trips, planned for June 19 and Aug. 14, are open
to people of all skill levels and abilities, and friends and
family members are welcome to come along. The cost is
$40 per person. Register by contacting Nick SorchychHoffman at [email protected] or
404-350-7790.
For people who want to experience an underwater
adventure, an adaptive SCUBA diving trip is planned
to Bonaire in the Caribbean. Recognized as one of the
world’s top SCUBA diving destinations, Bonaire offers
warm, tranquil waters that are home to the highest
diversity of fish in the entire Caribbean.
On this weeklong adventure from Aug. 28 to Sept. 4,
participants will stay at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort,
one of the Caribbean’s first handicapped-accessible
diving resorts. In addition to seven nights at the resort,
the trip includes round-trip airfare on a direct flight from
Atlanta to Bonaire on Delta Air Lines, round-trip airport
transfers, two boat dives per day, unlimited shore diving
and full American breakfast daily. The cost at the diver
rate is $1,895 per person. A $500 deposit is required
upon registration.
For more information and reservations, contact
DIVERS@SEA at 404-350-8510 or Shepherd Center
therapeutic recreation therapist Ashleigh Koontz at
404-350-7786 or [email protected].
Above: Shepherd Center's Therapeutic Recreation Department
and DIVERS@SEA are taking a group of patients on a SCUBA
diving trip to Bonaire this summer.
Spring 2010 3 7
Tributes
Shapiro Capital Management Company wishes Happy Holidays to their clients.
Sarah Shelf – “Thanks for going to bat for the SCI-impaired.”
Alana and Harold Shepherd’s 60th Wedding Anniversary
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
Clyde Shepherd III’s Birthday
Mary Bickers – Bickers Consulting Group, LLC
Stephen B. Shepherd’s Friendship
Mr. John T. Bohlayer
Beverly and Jack Shields
Mr. John R. Simmerman
Shannon Shipley
Mrs. Lucy Coleman
Kent Shoemaker’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Massave
Frances Hoyt Shropshire wishes
Merry Christmas to:
Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Hoyt, Jr.
In Thanksgiving for Mary Ann and Dell Sikes
Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Ellis
Robbin Sinatra
Ms. Nicole Schlechter and Mr.
Raymond Bluth
Kathleen Slonaker
Ms. Susan B. Sheehy and Mr. John Sheehy
Alan Smith’s Special Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Irving M. Shlesinger
Philip E. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sorenson – Friendship
Robbie Svoboda
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Webb
Mike Sweeney
Mrs. Meghan Gilbreath
Cot Talley
Mrs. Mary S. Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Taylor
Mr. Ferrell Scruggs – Ferrell Scruggs Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Karter Thomas
Dr. and Mrs. Ledley Brown and Family
Donald P. Toole
Miss Dara Toole
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Towles – Friendship
Wes Varda
Ms. Susan Ahearn
Mr. George E. Ahern
Ms. Maryann H. Aiani
Ms. Margaret Boddy
Mr. Dennis W. Brittingham
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher M. Champion
Ms. Connie Collins
Ms. Patricia Doss
Ms. Drew Dotson
Mrs. Carla Drazin
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Drives
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Epperson
Mr. Jon Erwin
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Evans
Ms. Amy Gammon
Mr. and Mrs. Marshall B. Gammon
Ms. Sheri Grossman
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Hill
Mr. Alex Hodges
Homeside Properties, Inc.
Ms. Victoria Hughes
Hydro Properties LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Donald A. Johnston
Mr. and Mrs. Duane Kalinowski
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Kennealy
Mr. and Mrs. Norman R. Kevers, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Koehn
Leslie Kuhn
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Leach
Mr. Frank Lemond
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Loquasto
Mr. Daniel Maldonado
Ms. Patricia McTeague
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Meehan
Mrs. Allyson Melancon
Mr. David Perme
Mr. and Mrs. James Quaid
Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Quigley
Ms. Ashley E. Robinson
Mrs. Larry Rodgers
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rosamond
Ms. Suzanne Sackman
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Schindler
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Sciantarelli
Ms. Betty L. Settimi
Mr. and Mrs. Gary F. Smith
Mrs. Billie Ann Trocke
Ms. Johanna Ugo-Conlon
Mrs. Virginia A. Varda
Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Watson
Mrs. Rosalind R. Wyatt
William D. Varner
Chance Veazey’s Recovery
Mr. Don Bragg
Ms. Julie Lambert
Tracy Walker – “Thanks for all the great work.”
Dr. Ben W. Thrower
George J. Wallace
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Holby
Rebecca Washburn
Philip Waters
The JALS Family Foundation
Jennings Watkins’ Birthday
Mrs. Merrin A. Anderson
Molly Welch and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goin
Anne and George Wellington
Ms. Beth Wellington
Caroline Wells’ Continued Recovery and to Excel
Mr. and Mrs. Billy Wells
Kirk Wilder
Mr. and Mrs. David S. Nichols
Liz Willis wishes Happy
Holidays to:
Ben and Leslie Gresham
Larry and Adele Lindsey
Ann Sturkie
The Williams Family
Barnet Woodruff
Joan Woodall – “Thank You”
Eloise Morris
Joan Woodall wishes Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Ansley
Mr. and Mrs. McCary Ballard
Mrs. James Black
Mrs. Douglas Bowring
The Very Reverend and Mrs.
Samuel Candler
Mr. and Mrs. George Chase
Mrs. Hayes Dever
Mrs. C. W. Dukehart
Mr. and Mrs. Don Dennard
Mrs. Julian Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Howard
Mr. and Mrs. Barrett Howell
Mrs. Robert Ingram
Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Martin
Mr. John Martin
Mrs. Thomas Martin
Ms. Lee Moran
Mrs. Edward McDuffie
Mrs. Rhodes Perdue
Mrs. Charles Peterson
Mrs. Sam Smith
Mrs. Morris Shadburn
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Stockton
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sterling
Mrs. William Warren
Jane Woodruff – Honorary Chair of The Legendary Party 2009
Mrs. Elinor A. Breman
Margaret Shepherd Yates
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis C. Coole, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. P. Daniel Yates III
Mr. and Mrs. Presley D. Yates on the birth of Presley Dan Yates V
Judy and Erwin Zaban
Mr. and Mrs. A. Frank Murphy
Andrew Zadoff, M.D.
Ms. Barbara Linden
Mrs. John Peurifoy
Above: Employees of Accord Services held a gift-wrapping fundraiser at Shepherd Center for the
holidays. Patients, families and staff brought in holiday gifts, which volunteers wrapped in a variety
of festive wrapping papers in exchange for a donation to Shepherd. Left to right are: Sherry Collins,
Dan Miears, Kathy Adams and Nicole Sarkis.
3 8 Spinal Column
Memorials
Ernest Henry “Hank” Abernethy, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bickerstaff
Ladye Jane Akin
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Judge Anthony A. Alaimo
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
Craig Alford
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Joanne Culler Alford
Mr. John S. Knox, Jr.
Charles Allen
Mr. Joseph S. Mendelsohn
David and Bernice Apple
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Hunt
Indra Mohan Arora
Ms. Palak Patel
Edward Auerbach
Ms. Phyllis B. Frankel
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Magun
Neil Barken
Ms. Betty Schaffer
Verney E. Bentley
Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Brown
Rochelle Bertolini
Mr. and Mrs. Harold D. Anderson
Brad, Robyn and Austin Anderson
Mr. David Anderson
Ms. Lisa Anderson
The Bankston Family
Chevron Gulf Retirees Club
Ms. Sarra David
Mr. Frederic DeBray
Mr. and Mrs. John Dull
Ms. Mitzi Ford
Georgia Transmission Corporation
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Jones
Ms. Phoebe Lykowski
Ms. Martha Myers
Ms. Jody L. Skipworth
Ms. Denise Swan
Ms. Bonnie Tisci
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Walk
Dr. Roger Alan Blasberg
Malone Law Offices, P.C.
Dr. William Bondurant
Mr. and Mrs. Karter Thomas
Louis Palmer Bondurant, Jr.
Mrs. Jaquelin P. Adams
Ms. Dorothy Addison
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Candler, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chapman, Jr.
Mr. Richard R. Crosier
Mrs. Marilyn S. Evans
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. French
Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Gross
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick T. Hickey, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Holladay
Mr. John S. Knox, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun M. McDougall
Mrs. Lucia O’Neill
Mrs. Lauren B. Prevost
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel J. Scarboro, Sr.
The Atlanta Speech School
Ms. Marion Tilson
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Paul A. Bowen
Mr. and Mrs. Hilton McKenzie
Lawson H. Bowling, M.D.
Dr. Fuad Ashkar
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Faith
Ms. Susan Joseph
Mr. Kevin Keifer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Kent
Ms. Gayle Lloyd
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Patterson
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin H. Underwood
Dr. and Mrs. R. Martin York
Stephen Boyce
Miss Clara Pauline Addy
Ms. Geraldine Caucci
Mrs. Amanda Hall
Mrs. Jane K. Hall
Ms. Julia Muirhead
Mr. and Mrs. Lanny Nelms
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Samborn
Mrs. Karen Smith
Mr. and Mrs. John Tienken
Waldorf School
Harlee Branch, Jr.
Ms. Elizabeth L. Branch
Margaret Ann Bratton
Mr. and Mrs. David Wilder
Russell “Rusty” Brock
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Ashley, Jr.
Ms. Peggy J. Burns
Mrs. Sheila Goodwin
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Mattison
Parkwood Baptist Church
Dana Brooks
Mr. and Mrs. John Bullard
Jane Jones Brown
Mr. and Mrs. John Bullard
R. E. “Dick” Budd
Ms. Virginia M. Budd
Paul Bulthouse
Ms. Ardythe Bulthouse
Helen Butler
Mr. and Mrs. David Moody, Jr.
Gordon C. Bynum, Jr.
Ms. Catherine Fike
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Lanier II
Jack Cabiness
Granny Taught Us How
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 Nov. 1, 2009 and Jan. 31, 2010.
Above: Shepherd Pathways patient Silvana Narvaez of Gainesville,
Ga., uses a Wii Fit game system during a physical therapy session
with physical therapy assistant Karla Orr.
Lonnie Calloway
The Shepherd Center Auxiliary
L. C. Carlisle
Mr. and Mrs. J. David Penson
Dana Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Azzarelli
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Benedict
The Biotech Family – Cornell
University Institute for
Biotechnology and Life Science Technologies
Ms. Sharon E. Mitchell
Ms. Emily Sampson
Ms. Rebecca M. Williams
Ms. Katherine Borgognoni
Mr. John Brand III
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Brown, Jr.
Mr. Keith Buffinton, Bucknell
University, College of Engineering
Mrs. Erin Buzzard
Mr. Mark Caroleo
Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Carr
Mr. and Mrs. David Carroll
Chemung Canal Trust Company and
Business Client Services Division
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Congdon
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Coyles
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Dubois
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Eckler
Elmira Distributing Company
EPCO Pipeline Integrity Department
Mr. Brian Fullem – Newtown Sports Podiatry – “In memory of my friend from a fellow Buck”
Ms. Margaret Geise
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Greuber
Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Haupt
Mr. and Mrs. Evan Honeyfield
Ms. Jeanne O. Houck
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar L. Jackson III
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kotacska
Dr. Jill M. Koval
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel D. Kraft
Mr. Stephen Kresovich
Ms. Audrey Lampman
Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt W. Lampman
Mr. and Mrs. Ashley P. Larkin III
Ms. Mary Leahy
Mr. Kelvin Lee
Ms. Nicole Listas
Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Listas
and Kimberly
Ms. Barbara M. Mario
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Mercer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meriwether
Mr. and Mrs. Marty Mesmer
Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Milazzo
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Moore
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Morton
Mr. and Mrs. John J. Mullaney
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Peterson
Kyle Pointer
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Riopko
Ms. Vera L. Riopko
Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Rockwell
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Ryan
Mr. and Mrs. Ference Sarus
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Schuehler
Ms. Colleen A. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Smith
Ms. Linda M. Struble
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Swarthout
Mr. and Mrs. Dale E. Taft
Utica National Group Foundation
Mr. Daniel Vaughn
Victor P. Regola and Associates, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Vosburgh
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Wadman
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Weale
Spring 2010 3 9
Tributes
Mr. Robin B. Webb and Mrs. Pamela Davis-Webb
Mr. and Mrs. Gene R. Wheeler
Mr. Benjamin J. White
Mr. and Mrs. Gareth O. Wick
Mr. Kenneth J. Wilson
Vic Chesnutt
Mr. Charles Moats
Ms. Amanda Traphagan
Albert Samuel Cohen
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Arogeti
Mrs. Phyllis Arogeti
Ricky, Alice, Jeff and Tammy Arogeti
Mrs. Sam Arogeti
Ms. Patricia Ayres and Mr. John
C. Spinrad
Dr. and Mrs. Allan Bleich
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie S. Copeland
Mr. and Mrs. Stanford B. Firestone
Mr. and Mrs. David S. Franco
Ms. Lenora Galanto
Mrs. Carolyn G. Gold
Mr. James O. Goodroe
Ms. Georgette Kleven
Mr. and Mrs. William Leathers
Mr. Dan D. Maslia
Ms. Margaret McGarity
Ms. Marilyn McKinney
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Reiner
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Tenenbaum
Mrs. Phyllis Wapnick Rosenberg
Susan Cohen
Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Kort
Bill Cole
Mr. and Mrs. A. Gerry Borud
Jennifer Coleman – "In Loving Memory"
Ms. Irene Coleman
Abe Grusin
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry A. Broussard
Anne Coggins DeBorde
Coggins Granite Welfare Foundation
Janet DeMille
Louise Denison
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce B. Wilson
Sam Dominey
Mrs. William Schwartz
Cam Dorsey
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Thomas A. Duggan
Dr. John J. Benton
Mrs. DeDe Richardson
Mrs. Ann Ruple
Jason Dukes
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest K. Dukes
Mr. Dean Fichtel
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Miller
Ms. Lauretta B. O'Keefe
Mr. and Mrs. David V. Wallace
Ms. Diane Whitmire
Ms. Marie F. Wilson
Myrtle Dykes
Melaney C. Farr
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Delventura
Heatcraft
Jerry Richard Hamilton
Mr. and Mrs. Jason S. Ivey
Nick Hardage
Ms. Mina Harrouff
Paul Fraser
Mr. John D. Saunders
Joseph Fritsch
Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr.
Mary Brewton Green
Mrs. Charles H. Peterson
Bryan Griffin
Mrs. Sara C. Atwell
Tommy Griffin
Photo By Sara Hand
Jake Conway
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kohntopp
Dennis Cross
Mr. and Mrs. Brett R. Hodge
Andrew B. Crumbley
Ms. Jennith Bernstein
Cile and Charlie Davidson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Davidson III
Dr. Wilbert L. Dawkins, Sr.
Dr. and Mrs. Mark C. Dawkins
Above: Alana Shepherd celebrates with twins Jennings, left, and
James Watkins at their 90th birthday celebration in December 2009.
Jennings is a longtime friend and supporter of Shepherd Center. The
Dorothy W. Watkins Spinal Cord Injury Post-Acute Program Wing in
the Marcus-Woodruff Building is named in memory of his late wife, a
former patient of Shepherd Center.
4 0 Spinal Column
Walter S. Chancellor Hay
Mrs. Janice H. Kane
Peggy David Hayes
Ms. Joanne Hayes
Willeen Hodges
Morton S. Hodgson, Jr.
The Hodgson Charitable Trust
John Holland
Ms. Sandra Kidd
Roberta Rae Hosker
Ms. Sarah L. Hosker
Lucy Irick
Mr. Thomas W. Irick
Thomas W. Irick III
Mr. Thomas W. Irick
Tina Johnson
Ms. Cathy A. Bird
Ronnie Kinard
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Walker, Jr.
Doug King
Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Morrison
Mr. and Mrs. Norm Rather
Mrs. Pauline S. Rivituso
Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Teale
Max Klenberg
Ms. Betty Schaffer
Cara Lambrecht
Mr. David J. Lambrecht
Dr. Donald Peck Leslie
Laura – Daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Simmons Watts
Mr. and Mrs. James C. Davis
Margaret A. Laws
Mavis Pruet Leslie
Mr. and Mrs. Tom G. Wilson
Edmond F. and Lorraine C. Lonergan
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Lonergan
Mary Lunsford
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett L. Davis III
Pen Lybrook
Ms. Phyllis Brooks
Robert F. Mabon
Mrs. Robert Mabon
Seymour “Sy” Marcus
Mr. and Ms. Julian B. Mohr
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Brooks Marsden
Ms. Diane Marsden
Harry C. Marshall
Dr. and Mrs. John R. Castle
Mary Massey
Ms. Patricia Ahlers
Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Crawford
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy
Mrs. Mary Frances Woodside
Robert Julian McCamy, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett L. Davis III
Mrs. Frank S. Goodman
Mr. and Mrs. Billy L. Ivey
Mr. and Mrs. Julian LeCraw, Sr.
Mr. Hugh Richardson, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman
Donald McDaniel
Mr. and Mrs. Lanier H. Adams
Charles McGlamery on Behalf of Chris Bramblett
Mrs. Ruby M. Campbell
Ms. Jane M. Sledge
Dawn McNally
Mr. and Mrs. Randall W. Norris
Naseeb Mickwee
Mr. Robert Azar
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bennett, Jr.
Cedar Club of Atlanta
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff L. Corey
Mrs. Mary S. Crouse
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Miller
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Puckett
Ms. Sherry H. Tobia
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy
Caroline Quin Mitchell
Lethea and Doug Mitchell
Ruth and Roy Mitchell
Jeanne Monroe
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Schaikewitz
Clara Moore
Shepherd Center Volunteer Services
Wesley Moran
The Moran Family Foundation
Otto Morrison
Ralph Murphy
Mrs. Ralph A. Murphy
James T. Nicholson
Mr. Ernest M. Steen
Robert North
Ms. Eileen Alba
Ms. Nancy Bowen
Ms. Sharon Bradley
Ms. Jane Cahn
Ms. Megan Chaney
Ms. Diane R. Colin
Dana Crawford
Mrs. Teri Ellisberg
Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Fuchs
Ms. Patricia Insley
Mr. Lou Kuntz
Ms. Penny Gordon-Larsen
Mr. and Mrs. John Madewell
Mr. Ray Massey
Col. Martin Michlik – West Point Class of 1964
Mr. Andy Olshan
Gloria Thornwell
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Lee Timberlake
Ms. Carol Lathem
Henry B. Troutman, Jr.
Mrs. James T. Porter
Doris Ufford
Mrs. Kimberly Casey
Mr. Joseph Palko
Alex Reiner
Dr. Kira Taylor
Mr. Stephen Weisel
Mrs. Libby Wittneben
Dr. Yu Yan
Ms. Susan Zweighaft
Robert W. Northrop
Mr. and Mrs. Palmer T. Northrop
James Odom
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Medlock
Estelle C. Overstreet
Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr.
Steve Owens
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Mrs. Lola Park
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Laird
Arthur Allen Paty III
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Duggan
William C. “Bill” Peterson
Mr. Hugh D. Peterson
Kent Pierce
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Holmes
Mr. and Mrs. Charile McDuffie
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Plunket, Jr.
at Christmas
Ms. Jane Plunket
Margaret Powell
Mr. John Barton Marks, Jr.
Thomas Gibson Preacher
Jean and Langdon Quin
Michael L. Rae, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rae
Dr. and Mrs. John J. Riordan
Mr. John Riordan
Joe Rose
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Power
Nan Ross
Ms. Julia Burdell
Mr. Ryan Hoyt
Ms. Lindsay E. Licht
Mr. J. Kirkwood Martin
Ms. Shannon Shipley
Nancy Ruiz
Robert Safrin
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Charlie Sayres
Peggy Schwall
Mrs. Pamela E. Midura
Dan Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. J. David Penson
Dixie Shepherd
Mr. Patrick McEwen and Otis
Dr. Iris T. Silvers
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Bernie Sirower
Mr. and Mrs. Victor L. Cohen
Lois Smith
Mrs. William B. Stilwell, Jr.
Douglas A. Spence
Mr. and Mrs. Moses Spence
Jim Spetzer
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
Col. and Mrs. William H. Stubbs
Ms. Elizabeth L. Branch
Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Susano, Sr.
Judge and Mrs. Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Nancy Taffel
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Jerry W. Temple
Ms. Elizabeth Glazebrook
Glenn Thompson
Mrs. Lola Thompson
Virginia Watson
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
Sara Webb
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Moser
Judge James H. Weeks
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence B. Irwin
Joan Dobbs White
Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Abreu
Mrs. Chrissy Anthony
Anthony Law Group
Capital City Club Women’s Golf Association
Ms. Raye H. Coplin
Mrs. Mary Crawford
Mr. and Mrs. Leon H. Delassus
Ms. Mary Louise Floyd
Ms. Mary Fisher Gearon
Mrs. Frank S. Goodman
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Graves
Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Hines V
Mrs. Lindsey Hopkins III
Mrs. Kathryn H. Hutchison
Dr. and Mrs. David G. Jones
Mrs. Valery Voyles and Mr. Rob Jordan
John Wilder
Mr. Ray Bratton
Belva Williams
Mr. C. D. Williams, Jr.
Irwin Winer
Ms. Bernice Mazo
John B. “Jay” Woodruff III
Mr. and Mrs. Andy Farmer
Ms. Adele Lindsey
Mrs. Richard Watkins
Ms. Elizabeth W. Willis
Jay Woodside
Mr. and Mrs. Gary G. Gould
Mr. and Mrs. Addison H. Meriwether
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Woodside, Jr.
Ms. Mary A. Workman
Don and Ida Yancey
Mr. John A. Taylor
Josephine Zachary
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Saul
Photo Courtesy of Delta Air Lines
Above: Georgia Bulldogs Football Coach Mark Richt and his team
visit Shepherd Center patients in late November 2009.
James Everett Vose III
Ms. Elizabeth Burlingame
Mr. Paul Chen and Ms. Rebecca
Ginzburg
Dr. Melissa Hull
Mr. Phillip Knight
Mrs. Penny Kron
Ms. Madelyn Lodge
Mr. and Mrs. Matt Maryak
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Mason
Mr. James Roche
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith
Mrs. Thornton Kennedy
Mr. and Mrs. Stan Kyker
Mr. and Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel
Dr. and Mrs. Hugh C. McLeod III
Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Dudley L. Moore, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. McKee Nunnally
Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus B. Orthwein, Jr.
Planters Garden Club
Mrs. James T. Porter
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Rawson
Mr. and Mrs. J. Mack Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Seydel
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Skinner
Mrs. Meme W. Smith
Ms. Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel
Mr. and Mrs. Herron P. Weems
Above: Shepherd Center patients go on an outing in December
2009 to learn how to navigate the airport and air travel.
Spring 2010 4 1
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Atlanta, GA
Permit No. 1703
Address Service Requested
magazine
Read the e at:
onlin
mn.org
spinalcolu
Photo By Louie Favorite
Shepherd Center Therapists Help
Patient Learn to Skate Again
Shepherd Center spinal cord injury rehabilitation patient Marat Pashkevich, 23, of
Marietta, Ga., is relearning how to rollerblade as he continues to recover from an
incomplete C-5 spinal cord injury he sustained in a diving accident in August 2009.
Physical therapist Anneke Bender and her colleagues have been assisting Marat,
who walks with assistance from a forearm crutch, as he practices rollerblading at
Shepherd. Anneke began the training using a portable harness system called a
LiteGait (pictured at left) to help Marat maintain his balance as he skates.
“Now, we’re using a Guldman hoyer lift that allows free movement of Marat’s legs
as he skates,” Anneke explains. “He’s doing great and progressing very well.”
Marat has played ice hockey since he was a child. Before his injury, Marat played
on a adult men’s hockey team in Atlanta. He hopes to return to the league eventually.
Soon, Shepherd physical therapist Joy Bruce expects to assist Marat on the ice at
an Atlanta rink. She will help him balance using the facility’s ceiling-mounted pulley
system.
“In a relatively short amount of time, I’ve come a long way with my recovery,”
Marat says. “I think I’ve made tremendous progress, especially considering my diagnosis and the damage to my spinal cord.”
Marat recently completed locomotor training in the NeuroRecovery Network
program at Shepherd. This summer, he plans to return to his last semester at Georgia
State University to complete a bachelor’s degree in finance. Then he wants to pursue
an MBA degree. — Jane M. Sanders
Volunteer!
SpinalColumn
Help is needed for
upcoming events.
See Page 2
®
The Magazine of Shepherd Center: Providing Medical Treatment, Research and Rehabilitation | spinalcolumn.org
+
Shepherd Center Junior
Committee announces a
new venue for Atlanta’s
largest Kentucky Derbythemed fundraising event.
DERBY
DAY
On the
Stage
seek equality.
Creative
Funding
Patients' ingenuity
closes the gap.
Patient
Profile
Dentist returns to
practice after injury.
The Slippery
Slopes
Paralympic skier recalls
Shepherd’ s help.
A Focus
on Safety
Researchers assess
safety risks after TBI.
Spring 2010
The Magazine of Shepherd Center
Spring 2010
Photo by Gary Meek
Letter from James Shepherd
SpinalColumn®
Dear Friends,
The past year has been one of the toughest economic times in Shepherd
Center’s history. But true to their remarkable character, our staff and donors
have stepped up to the plate.
Our staff and physicians have worked diligently to improve efficiency. They
have also raised our already-excellent level of customer service. We hear this
from everyone who comes through our doors. Meanwhile, our donors have
continued to give to our fundraising campaigns when it was tough and it truly
hurt to give.
Because of these efforts, Shepherd Center has experienced financial success.
We’re still hiring and have even been able to give raises to our dedicated and
experienced staff. We’re also still expanding our facilities and services.
We are truly grateful to our community of supporters and to our staff
for continuing to engage and encourage our patients through the tough
process of rehabilitation. We also appreciate the behind-the-scenes service
of our ancillary departments, including Engineering, Health Information
Management, Information Systems, Environmental Services, and Food and
Nutrition Services. So many dedicated staff members in these and other
departments work diligently to make things run smoothly at Shepherd Center.
As we start this new fiscal year, we expect to soon begin a major renovation of
the second floor of the Shepherd Building. It will almost double our dedicated
space to meet the growing demand for treatment of patients with brain
injuries. This update will add 28 beds – 20 in private rooms and eight more
in four semi-private rooms – to our Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Unit. Upon
completion, the project will consolidate all of our ABI inpatient services on
the second floors of both the Shepherd and Marcus-Woodruff buildings. The
addition of more private rooms will address infection control issues, as well.
The renovation, which will gut and rebuild the entire second floor of the
Shepherd Building, except for the therapy gym and elevator lobby, is expected
to begin by early summer and take about 18 months to complete.
Our long-term plans call for a similar renovation of the third floor of the
Shepherd Building. Ultimately, we won’t have to turn away patients for lack of
a bed – something we’ve had to do in the recent past.
Having more beds available means Shepherd Center can help even more
people experience outcomes that both exceed their expectations and the
national averages among rehabilitation hospitals. It’s further evidence that
our staff and your gifts continue to “restore hope and rebuild lives.”
Warm regards,
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
[email protected]
Editor
Jane M. Sanders
Design
Soloflight Design
Contributing Writers
Lauren Angelo, Sara Baxter, Amanda
Crowe, Kayla Eubanks, Dean Melcher,
Anne Pearce, Bill Sanders, Scott Sikes,
Brittany Wilson
Contributing Photographers
Ernie Brown, Brad Buckman, Leita
Cowart, Louie Favorite, Jim Fitts, Jerry
Hooks, Gary Meek
Board of Directors
James H. Shepherd, Jr., Chairman
Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., President and CEO
Emory A. Schwall, Vice President
William C. Fowler, Treasurer
Stephen B. Goot, Corporate Secretary
Alana Shepherd, Recording Secretary
Members
Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson,
David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., Brock
Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James
M. Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman,
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.,
Bernie Marcus, Joseph R. Moderow,
Julian B. Mohr, Charles T. Nunnally III,
Sally D. Nunnally, Clyde Shepherd III,
J. Harold Shepherd, Scott H. Sikes*,
James E. Stephenson, James D.
Thompson, Goodloe H. Yancey III†
*
†
Ex Officio
Emeritus
Spinal Column is published quarterly by
Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit
hospital specializing in the treatment
of people with spinal cord injury and
disease, acquired brain injury, multiple
sclerosis and other neuromuscular
disorders, and urological problems.
E-mail change of address information or
request to be removed from our mailing
list to [email protected], or
by mail to Shepherd Center, Attn: Spinal
Column Mailing List, 2020 Peachtree
Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309.
Please include mailing label. Spinal
Column accepts no advertising. Spinal
Column is a registered trademark of
Shepherd Center.
About the Cover: Shepherd Center
supporters attend Derby Day 2009
to help the Junior Committee raise
funds to support the hospital's
therapeutic recreation programs.
Photo by Jonathan Chick

the greatest - Shepherd Center

Transcription

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