Mission Moment: Safe Space — Still Seeking Thrills After All These Spills
Shepherd Center's Complex Concussion Clinic helped Eva Van De Water return to the outdoor adventures she loves.
Eva Van De Water has been thrown from a horse, jostled while wave-jumping on a jet ski, rear-ended in a shuttle bus at a ski resort, and upended while kayaking. Each jolt to her head led her to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, first with a concussion, then with post-concussion syndrome.
After the horseback-riding accident in September 2022, Eva felt dazed but never lost consciousness. She continued to work—as a teacher of environmental science and biology at DeKalb County’s Druid Hills High School — even though she felt nauseous, dizzy, and fatigued. She spent her daily planning period napping on a lab table.
A surgeon friend connected Eva with a neurologist, who referred her to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, which provides concussion care for individuals who are experiencing longer-lasting or more severe symptoms that require additional evaluation and treatment. There, Jared Potter, M.D., diagnosed her concussion and performed a nerve block. Through Shepherd, she began an intensive therapy regimen that included exercises for her eyes, which were not tracking properly. Every staff member she encountered at Shepherd was warm and helpful, she says, from the support staff to Dr. Potter. “They prioritized my goals,” she says. “They validate what you’re feeling and make you an active partner in your treatment.”
Soon after the first concussion, Eva was back to her thrill-seeking ways — mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, and horseback riding. But her active lifestyle takes a toll. When her concussion symptoms return, she finds relief, encouragement, and support at Shepherd Center. “They’ve given me my life back four times,” she says. “I’m really glad Shepherd is so close. But if I had to travel a long way, it would be worth it. It’s the gold standard of service.”
Written by Gayle White
This story is an excerpt from “Mission Moments: 50 Years of Rebuilding Lives One Moment at a Time,” a book celebrating Shepherd’s 50th anniversary in 2025. You can explore the full eBook or purchase a hardcover copy here.
With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.