Mission Moment: My Shepherd Mission
A Poem by Rickie Bauer
My Shepherd Mission
In the heart of healing, hope’s embrace,
Shepherd’s mission finds its place.
To mend the broken, both strong and weak,
With courage and dignity, that they seek.
Through trials of injury, and disease’s test,
They guide their way to a future blessed.
They foster dreams that will take them far.
With independence as their guiding star,
In every struggle, and every fight,
They champion inclusion, day and night.
They advocate for a world that’s safe and sound,
Where every soul finds solid ground.
Rebuilding lives with strength anew,
A tapestry of resilience woven through.
With hope as the compass, that leads the way,
For a brighter tomorrow, come what may.
To give quality care with precision
Will always be My Shepherd Mission.
Written by Rickie Bauer
This poem 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.
Rickie Bauer works in Shepherd Center’s Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program. He has written poetry since childhood, though this is his first published work.
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.