‘Here to help others’

Alan Loving’s mornings start early. He wakes up around 5:30 a.m., the same time as his wife Courtney, a middle school science teacher. They pack lunches and coffees to-go before heading out the door. He arrives at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), where he works as the manager of volunteer services, by 8 a.m. Most days, his schedule is packed right up until leaving around 5 or 6 p.m. — leading orientation, recruiting new volunteers, and helping nurses find clothes and books for patients. He loves his job. 

But for Alan, UMMC is more than just the place where he works. A few years ago, it was the place that saved his life. 

He was helping out at his parents’ house in Brandon, Mississippi, cleaning leaves and pine straw off the roof. He doesn’t remember exactly how he fell, or the five weeks after his accident, but he knows it went something like this: his mom found him and called for an ambulance, which rushed him to UMMC for treatment. He sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) in his fall, but the doctors at UMMC were able to stabilize him and save his life. 

After five weeks at UMMC, Alan moved to a transitional facility while his family weighed rehabilitation options. Friends who worked in the medical field urged Alan and Courtney to get to Shepherd Center. “It was Shepherd Center or bust,” Alan says. 

While UMMC saved Alan’s life, he credits Shepherd Center with preserving his quality of life. After arriving, he received flap surgery to treat a pressure wound that developed in his previous care facility. He did physical therapy to build upper body strength, and he practiced essential skills like transferring. The Wheelchair Seating and Mobility Clinic helped him understand different wheelchair options. 

“I was blown away by my treatment at Shepherd Center. From the moment I got there to the moment I left, I was treated like family,” Alan says. 

During part of his stay on the fourth floor at Shepherd, Alan’s wife and two daughters, Mary Addison, and Anna Claire, were able to stay in family housing on Shepherd’s campus. When not in housing, his wife would inflate an air mattress in his room at night, and the two would watch their favorite shows like Seinfeld and Ted Lasso. Her support throughout his recovery has been crucial, he said. 

“She’s just incredible. I know everybody says they have the best wife, but they don’t, because I have her,” Alan says. 

After 15 weeks, Alan returned home to Madison, Mississippi, on April 6, 2023. At first, he was still on bed rest for a few hours a day. Once that restriction was lifted, he began thinking about what he wanted to do. He knew he wanted to be there to support his family, but he also didn’t want to stay at home while they were off at work and school. 

He reflected on his career before his injury — he’d worked as a minister for 30 years, earning both a master’s and a doctorate in seminary school in New Orleans. He’s a people person and has lots of empathy. So, when the volunteer services manager role opened at UMMC, he applied. Now, he spends his days combining his experiences from the ministry and being a patient with a spinal cord injury to help patients, families, and visitors at UMMC. 

“I’m able to have a different outlook for the patients here because I was one,” Alan says. “I remember a lot of stuff most people don’t know about. It’s made me a better employee to know what the patients are going through and what we can do to make the best patient experience we can have.” 

The experience has also led to a lot of introspection, Alan says. He often reflects on how experiences in his life have prepared him for where he is now, like how his background in seminary helps in his current job. He was even able to help a fellow patient with a spinal cord injury at UMMC, one of his former students as a minister, get to Shepherd Center. 

“The journey is what it is, and it’s OK. Along the way, you keep moving and keep smiling,” Alan says. “I believe the Lord has a plan for our lives, and I think I’m here to help others and do what I can to increase the quality of other people’s lives.” 

Written by Erin Kenney