“I love everything about swimming,” says the senior on Georgia Tech’s swim team. “It’s just pure love, pure enjoyment. The competitive aspect is sopersonal. You have opponents and you want to win as a team. But it’s really just you against yourself. I love that.”

So, when swimming was taken away from MaryGrace — due to a pair of concussions she sustained in “freak accidents” in the water in 2025 — the pain wasn’t relegated to her brain alone. Thankfully, MaryGrace landed at Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). CCC offers fully integrated, multi-disciplinary treatment for patients whose concussions have produced more complicated, persistent symptoms. The clinic is led by founding director Russell Gore, M.D., an expert in neurotrauma who has significant experience in working with athletes specifically; in fact, this past summer, Dr. Gore served as concussion consultant and advisor for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket himself, he is an assistant professor in the Walter H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.

“Dr. Gore and the whole care team understood how frustrated I was with the symptoms and how hard it was to not be swimming,” MaryGrace says. “They shared it all with me and they really understood the love I have for the sport. I felt like I was really being taken care of, just fully supported.”

Her care included testing, treatments, and exercises to directly address symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, and light sensitivity. MaryGrace also participated in physical therapy and speech therapy to address cognitive issues that were making her academic life more difficult, as well.

“I was kind of re-learning how to do school,” MaryGrace says. “It was learning new study techniques — re-reading chapters before class, writing things down, charting what I knew and what I didn’t know to put markers in place that we could track. It was all about memory recall and retaining things again.”

For the better part of a year, she was fully away from the sport. The absence was painful, but her body was healing. Gradually, things improved. As she could get back in the water again and start training more, her mental health strengthened along with her physical health.

“Being at Shepherd Center and going through this, it sounds so cliché, but it really did make me so much more mentally strong,” MaryGrace shares. “And mentally strong in the water, specifically, as an athlete. Those mental exercises from the clinic carry over to the pool.”

Starting with her senior year this fall, she’ll have two seasons of eligibility left at Georgia Tech. She plans to get her master’s degree during that extra year and consider what comes next after college.

One thing she’s sure of: Swimming will always be part of her life.

“Oh, I’ll keep swimming forever!” MaryGrace says. “I’ve realized that all over again this past year. I’ve also learned more about resilience. This has all just reinforced for me that even the craziest setbacks can make you come back even stronger."

Written by Phillip Jordan

Christy Cogley knows what to expect with a concussion. She’s had 10 of them in her lifetime. 

Her past concussions were from sports injuries, car accidents, and other incidents. But the last one she sustained in June 2025 was different. Her memory of what happened is fuzzy. She believes she got out of bed to check on her dog. Christy only remembers feeling a painful hit to the back of her head then waking up on the floor. Over the next few hours, she felt nauseated and very sweaty. She went to the emergency department, where doctors confirmed a concussion. 

Unlike her past concussions, her symptoms lingered and worsened. Her headaches were more severe. She found herself stuttering, forgetting names and general information, and experiencing vision problems. A return trip to the emergency department showed nothing out of the ordinary. With no relief, Christy was beginning to feel despair. Completing everyday tasks was a challenge. 

Her primary care doctor recommended Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). In July 2025, she met with Russell Gore, M.D., the clinic’s medical director. She says that meeting changed everything. 

“Dr. Gore spent at least 45 minutes just listening and educating me about concussions” she says. “He saw me as a whole person, not just somebody with a concussion. He was so patient, so kind, and gave me science-based information. I left there feeling so much better.” 

Christy, who is the director of exam operations for a licensing association, spent the next few months in cognitive therapy to improve memory and daily task management, speech therapy to reduce stuttering and regain voice control, and physical therapy to regain her balance. She learned strategies to compensate for her symptoms. During her treatment, Dr. Gore also detected an unrelated vision problem and dysautonomia and referred her to specialists. 

“I felt like a weight was lifted off of me,” Christy says of her experience. “Everyone was so reassuring and compassionate. They never minimized what I was experiencing.” 

Christy says she has learned to give herself grace and honor the healing process and says she would advise others to do the same. Being a former collegiate and professional basketball player working harder was always her answer, but she now knows that “working harder doesn’t equal quicker healing. It sometimes prolongs it.” 

Now, almost a year later, Christy says she is “back on track.” Her headaches are less frequent, and her balance and vision have improved. She continues to visit the clinic to work with an occupational therapist and is forever grateful for her care at the CCC. 

“The Concussion Clinic is an amazing place,” Christy says. “The staff listens to you and shares their expertise with you. They are committed to everyone healing.” 

Written by Sara Baxter
 

Veronica Watts, 28, is a passionate communicator and advocate at heart.

After studying international affairs and human rights at the University of Georgia, she worked as a legislative assistant at the Georgia State Capitol and then as an assistant director of state affairs with Emory University. Her path has always involved advocating for healthcare and education through policy and bringing people together. 

On Saturday, Feb. 9, 2024, Veronica experienced something that would change her life and make her an even fiercer advocate for those who need it most. While walking home in Atlanta, she crossed a large intersection. 

“I started to walk while the pedestrian light was flashing, and a car crashed into me. I smashed my head on the windshield. The driver braked, and I was thrown 38 feet while my face skid across the concrete,” Veronica recalls. 

Eight hours later, Veronica woke up at Grady Memorial Hospital with a tube in her throat. Bones in her face and her teeth were broken, and she had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, commonly called a concussion.

When the head is hit hard enough, the brain can be shaken around inside the skull. This movement can cause changes to how brain cells function and communicate. In Veronica’s case, this led to general memory and word memory loss, migraines, sensitivity to light and sound, and motion sickness. The nerves that connect her eyes and ears to her brain were also impacted during the crash.

Veronica spent five days at Grady. Her mom, Laena Karnstedt, a doctor, recognized that she needed specialized care to continue to progress. After researching several programs, she decided the best place for Veronica was Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). 

From the end of February through May 2024, Veronica attended occupational, speech, and physical therapy at the CCC. Among other goals, she wanted to be able to attend a loud live music show, hike, and use a bright computer screen or go to a grocery store without wearing sunglasses.

“I can go on and on about how grateful I am that my mom pushed me to go to the CCC,” Veronica says. “They were experts. It wasn't as much, ‘This is the plan and how we’re doing it,’ but more, ‘What do you need, and we'll go from there.’ They put lots of emphasis on you being your own person and not grouping everyone into one way of doing things.”

In speech therapy, Veronica worked on memory activities and communication. Occupational therapy focused on vision therapy. As she puts it, “We were literally exercising my eyeballs. Moving left to right to up and down.” Physical therapy was hands-on and offered some unique experiences.

“I was really impressed by some of the technology there. There was this balance machine. I remember being like, ‘What the heck is this giant circular thing in the corner? Woah!’” she laughs. “I've been in PT before, but not anything like this.”

As Veronica progressed, another unthinkable event happened. Tragically, her mom Laena passed away unexpectedly.

“I was in the bathroom at the CCC when I found out my mom died,” she recalls. “I was with three of my therapists and every single one of them was so understanding. We were able to work through both grief and rehabilitation therapy. That’s not their expertise, but in a way, it helped me not only heal in my injury, but also my grief. It was hard, but every time I went in the CCC, everybody was really so kind.”

Veronica graduated from Shepherd’s program and put her energy into healing from grief. Ever the advocate, she also engrossed herself in research on pedestrian and cyclist safety in Georgia.

“Every part of the system that was supposed to help me in cases like this let me down. This is still considered only a traffic violation,” she explains.

She decided to create a resolution in partnership with a Georgia senator and lawyers at the Georgia State Capitol. While the resolution was not prioritized during this cycle, Veronica plans to continue the conversation about pedestrian and cyclist safety so that it gains traction.

“My dream is to work with experts to create and run mental health programs where people can feel safe to be vulnerable,” she says. “Whether that’s through creating connections or helping enact policy, I want to improve people’s opportunities to grow and flourish.”

Today, Veronica says she’s fully healed from her traumatic injury symptoms. She is currently attending the University of Toronto, pursuing a master’s degree in social justice education and development, policy, and power.

“A lot of really life-changing things happened to me in a short time. It was a frustrating and hard process, but it was worth pushing through,” she says. “If I can use my story to help somebody who may not have the resources or the same mindset in a similar situation, that’s what I want to be doing.”  

Written by Damjana Alverson

Featured Photo by Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Shepherd Center recently welcomed Hayley Shade, M.D., to its medical staff. A sports neurotrauma–trained physician specializing in the diagnosis, management, and long-term care of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, Dr. Shade will provide care for clients at Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, allowing the program to expand by providing care and rehabilitation for additional military veterans, service members, and first responders who struggle with traumatic brain injuries and mental health concerns.

“Dr. Shade’s collaborative, patient-centered approach to care makes her an excellent fit for our culture, and her extensive training will allow us to expand access to Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative,” said Michael Yochelson, M.D., MBA, chief medical officer at Shepherd Center. “She is an excellent addition to Shepherd Center’s medical staff.”

Dr. Shade will also see patients at Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, which provides comprehensive, research-based evaluation and treatment to help patients get back to work, school, and play faster and with fewer long-term complications after a complex concussion. 

Originally from DeSoto, Texas, Dr. Shade has an undergraduate degree in biology from Texas Christian University and a master’s in biomedical sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and completed a neurology residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville. She then completed a neurotrauma fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

“I was drawn to Shepherd Center for its national reputation in neurorehabilitation and its commitment to helping patients reclaim independence and quality of life,” said Dr. Shade. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment, which not only supports provider growth but also ensures the best outcomes for patients.”

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. 

Mandy Psiaki and her husband, David, have three children, ages two to 10. Right now, the family has five dogs, but since they foster for the Atlanta Humane Society, add one mama and her puppies, and that number could easily rise to more than a dozen.

Mandy, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq, works full-time at Chick-fil-A’s corporate headquarters. She oversees around 70 company-operated restaurants throughout the country, a job that requires her to travel regularly.

But when Mandy sustained a severe concussion in November of last year, her busy routine came to an abrupt halt. The night of her injury, Mandy got up in the middle of the night and tried to massage a severe pain in her neck. The next thing she remembers is waking up with her cheek against the floor of her bathroom and a bleeding cut on her head. She and her husband couldn’t fully piece together what had happened.

After a trip to her primary care physician, Mandy tried to resume her life but still wasn’t feeling quite like herself. A few days later, when she arrived at her dentist’s office, she made it only a short way from her car before she was so dizzy that she had to lie down in the parking deck and call 911. Over the next few weeks, doctors ran many tests on Mandy’s brain and heart — CT scans, a carotid artery ultrasound, an MRI scan of her brain, an electroencephalogram (EEG), an echocardiogram, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). Still, none of them revealed the cause of her fall or the symptoms she was experiencing.

“I was so dizzy,” Mandy recalls. “Extremely nauseous. I had a terrible time with light and noise sensitivity. I felt like my brain was just shaking. I had terrible tingling all over my body — I was in terrible shape. I couldn't do anything really. I didn't sleep. It was awful. “

A Turning Point

Finally, Mandy’s cardiologist suggested that her fall could have resulted from a vagal response — a reaction when the vagus nerve is stimulated, causing a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure.  When Mandy put a lot of pressure on the vagus nerve while rubbing her neck, it led her to faint and hit her head. Her cardiologist suspected the symptoms she was experiencing were due to a concussion she sustained in the fall.

“He was the first doctor who ever brought up concussion — and that was when I decided, ‘I'm going to find a way to treat a concussion.’ I Googled and found the Shepherd Center’s concussion clinic,” Mandy says.

When Mandy arrived for her first appointment at the Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC), she immediately sensed a difference.

“Before then, I could barely make it through an appointment. It was just so hard to be anywhere — every place you go into, there is so much noise and stimulation in just a waiting room,” she explains. “And so, getting to Shepherd Center, there were no TVs, the lights were dimmer, and then Cheryl (Appleberry), I just remember, her voice was so soft and kind. She ran a bunch of tests, and I felt horrible when we started. And then, as we ran tests, somehow, I started feeling better. It was eye tests, memory tests — things that were stressing my brain. But as my brain got stressed, it didn't get worse; it actually got a bit better.”

The CCC team recommended that Mandy participate in physical, occupational, and speech therapy and meet with a psychologist.

“I left there feeling so hopeful,” she says. “Just, ‘Wow, someone knows what's wrong with me.’ I'd been in limbo — every time I’d go somewhere, I'd leave feeling like I’d gotten nothing accomplished. And now I finally had a sense of the next step and hope for improvement.”

Putting in the Work

Mandy had PT, OT, and speech therapy, often back-to-back, twice a week. When she wasn’t at the Complex Concussion Clinic, she was still using the exercises, tools, and strategies her therapists gave her.

“Nothing that they told me to do was easy. It was hard, and you have to push through the ‘This is uncomfortable, but I know this is helping me,’” she recalls. “There were incredible people who have knowledge and expertise in concussions, and they have a path forward and a plan and can help you through.”

In PT, Mandy’s therapist, Rachel Frank, helped her work on balance and treated the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) that had been so debilitating. Her occupational therapist, Bekah Odom, helped her address issues she was having with her right eye. Her speech therapist, Matthew Brown, focused on helping Mandy regain her cognitive abilities, including her memory, and develop strategies to get back to her life, even in activities where the high level of stimulation made the situation uncomfortable.

“Like going to my kids’ sporting events, making phone calls, walking in the grocery store — anything I enjoyed or needed to do for my family. He really helped me with all of that. So, not speech in the sense of, I couldn't speak, but cognitively, my brain wasn't able to process things in the way that it used to, and I needed help getting back to that,” she explains.

Mandy especially appreciates how her therapists worked together to determine the best ways to support her recovery.

“The fact that they all communicate with one another, I never had to go to an appointment and say, well, here's what I've been doing for the last four weeks with someone else in some other facility,” she explains. “Everyone is there. They're all talking about your treatment plan and how you can get better and working with one another.”

Getting Back to Life

After about three months of therapy, Mandy was able to return to work. She has started gradually and uses tools like a timer to remind her to take frequent breaks to step away from her computer screen and move. She says she still gets fatigued by the end of the workday, as she rebuilds her stamina, but she has learned to plan for situations that might be taxing.

“Matthew walked me through an exercise where you think ahead of time about what the stressors are going to be and what you need to plan for based on what you expect to experience. And do I perfectly walk through it written down every time? No. But it helps me mentally think through, ‘Okay, how do I prepare for a situation that I know could be hard?’ Maybe the first time, I just survive, and the second time, I can be more engaged, and then the third time, I can finally enjoy it and be myself. And maybe it's not perfectly one, two, three, but I’m getting to a place where it doesn't feel so hard to be there or to do the thing.”

Mandy has started swimming again, an activity she loves, and she and her family just took a trip for fun, which she says will help her prepare to return to travel for work.

As Mandy reflects on the months following her concussion, she underscores just how much the injury upended her life. “I’ve faced many tough challenges in my life,” she says, “But nothing was as difficult as recovering from my concussion.

“The suddenness and uncertainty made it incredibly challenging, but the hardest part was how it affected every aspect of my life. For the first time, I couldn’t simply ‘tough it out’ or push through with a ‘mind over matter’ mentality. I had never felt so physically and mentally incapable.”

Mandy relied on her faith as she worked to recover. She says she’s grateful for her family's unwavering support and Shepherd Center’s compassionate care.

“I love Shepherd Center so much. I truly am so appreciative, and gosh, I don't think I'd be where I am today. I know I wouldn't be — if it weren't for the amazing, amazing people I got to work with,” she says. “Every person I met had just such care and desire to help me get better and was so engaged and involved in my journey that I just felt like, ‘Man, I can't imagine doing this without this amazing team who is supporting me.’”

Written by Ruth Underwood

On Aug. 26, 2023, Elizabeth Newton fell, resulting in a shattered wrist, misaligned jaw, split open chin, and multiple bruises on her face. The broken wrist required surgery. As she recovered, she continued to experience dizziness, double vision, memory problems, and extreme fatigue. She chalked it up to side effects from the medications prescribed to her post-surgery. 

Things did not improve. She was sensitive to light and noise in a way she never had before. She felt like she was floating and wasn’t sure what was wrong. In her professional life, Elizabeth is a jewelry designer who founded enewton design, a popular jewelry company. But after her injury, she was unable to work.

When she went to see a doctor for ear pain due to her misaligned jaw, he told her she most likely had a concussion.

“I was surprised,” she says. “At the hospital, they did an MRI to rule out a brain bleed, but I didn’t know I had sustained a concussion.”

The doctor referred her to Shepherd Center's Complex Concussion Clinic, where she began therapy to address her symptoms. Right away, she was impressed with Shepherd Center. 

“The experience was very specialized to my needs,” Elizabeth says. “They took the time to listen to me and figure out what was going on, and then they tailored an individualized plan to get me where I was before the fall.”

Elizabeth worked with occupational, physical, and speech therapists on memory, balance, and strength issues and slowly began to see improvements.

“I liked how they measured my progress. Some weeks it was hard for me to feel a difference. Being able to see measured progress helped me stay positive throughout my concussion," Elizabeth says. “It was also nice to be in a clinic where they were focused on one thing — getting me better.”

Now, more than a year later, Elizabeth has nearly fully recovered and is back at the helm of her company full time.

“I’m a fifth-generation Atlantan ,” Elizabeth says. “I knew Shepherd Center was here, but I didn’t really know what it was about. We are so blessed to have a place like Shepherd Center in Atlanta.” 

By Sara Baxter

In this issue of Spinal Column, we delve into the stories of patients and families who have come full circle, reflecting on how their time at Shepherd Center instilled in them an unwavering determination to pay it forward, either by supporting Shepherd directly or by making a difference in the broader disability community. While her mom was a patient at Shepherd Center, Raeda Anderson, Ph.D., made it a personal goal to return to Shepherd to work in research. More than two decades ago, David Martin, then Delta Air Lines’ disability access manager, helped establish Shepherd’s airport outing program. This year, he attended the outing as a patient. And Brandon Winfield turned his experience after sustaining a spinal cord injury into an app that helps people with accessibility needs find new places to explore.

The magazine also features these stories, among other patient profiles, staff highlights, honorariums, and memorials:

More than a Job … Following her Heart

Soon after her son sustained a brain injury, Kim Ross felt so much love and support that she knew that she wanted to give back.

Buoyed by Community

After sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI), Eden Schroeder rediscovered her love for swimming and built a supportive community around herself.

Training and Teamwork

Wound care services at Shepherd Center include specialized care teams and education for patients, caregivers, and staff.

Subscribe here for Shepherd Center's Spinal Column magazine print and/or e-newsletter versions.

In September 2022, Eva fell during a horseback riding lesson. She left the ring saying she was fine, but a few days later, she began experiencing nausea, light sensitivity, and headaches. After a trip to the emergency room, she learned she had a concussion. She made an appointment with a specialist, but there was a two-month wait for an appointment.

She continued to experience dizziness, headaches, and extreme fatigue. An incredibly active person, Eva had to put all activities on hold as she recovered. Her symptoms also affected her job as a high school science teacher. When she heard about the Complex Concussion Clinic at Shepherd Center, she got an appointment within a week.

After an initial assessment, Eva’s care team prescribed medication, and she began working with physical, occupational, and speech therapists weekly.

She worked on eye tracking for the dizziness and did exercises for balance and strength. Learning to organize tasks minimized her fatigue.

“It was helpful for me to know I was working toward something,” she says. “I was motivated to get my life back.”

She had a goal of joining her friends on a ski trip in Colorado that February.

“The therapists worked with me on all the pieces,” she says. “And I was able to go and ski.”

Competing in a whitewater kayak slalom race as part of the Alabama Cup Races was next.

In July, when Eva was back on track, she bumped her head on a window sill. Again, at first, she seemed fine. But two weeks later, after an afternoon of jet skiing on a lake, she felt those familiar symptoms. She believes it was a combination of both incidents that landed her back at the CCC, where she was once again diagnosed with a concussion. She spent the next six weeks working with therapists and, once again, was able to return to her active lifestyle.

“Both times, the team at Shepherd was dedicated to making me better,” Eva says. “I was in a partnership with each of the therapists. I am really grateful to all of them for getting me in a good spot to return to life.”

Written by Sara Baxter 

He next went to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, where he spent the next five months working on regaining his strength and balance and addressing memory issues.

The staff reviewed his medications and recommended he stop taking them since they can mask symptoms.

“Things got worse before they got better,” Peter admits. “I had ringing in my ears and a lot of pain.”

He spent three days a week at Shepherd Center, participating in various forms of therapy. When he wasn’t in therapy, he worked on exercises at home.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Peter says of his recovery. “But I was committed to getting better. The staff was so supportive, and they motivated me to keep working. I didn’t want to let them down.”

Slowly, he saw progress. His short-term memory improved. He could walk in a straight line. Strength returned to his right side. He tapered off his therapy sessions to weekly visits to Shepherd Center.

The most significant victory was when Peter was cleared to drive. At first, he was allowed to drive only short distances, and his wife had to be in the car. As he built up the hours, he could eventually drive part of the way on a trip to Florida. Then, he was cleared to return to work — once again in small increments.

Peter says life has returned to normal and credits his family, his faith, and Shepherd Center.

“Shepherd Center saved my mind and quality of life,” he says. “The people there care about you and show that in everything they do. I would recommend it to anybody going through what I did. I thank them for the support and what they did for me.”

Written by Sara Baxter

1. A Better Frame of Mind

From a terrifying fall on an Icelandic mountain to rising above his doubts — Daniel Hund credits Shepherd Center with putting him on a more positive path to the future.

2. Still Dancing and Dreaming

In her desire to help others, Mo Maxwell has always wanted to be a nurse. Her experience at Shepherd Center may help that dream come true. 

3. From Uncertainty to Clarity

Iliana Bermudez says the care of the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute staff at Shepherd Center helped her understand and manage her autoimmune disease, neuromyelitis optica (NMO).

4. Persevering Through PTSD: A Veteran’s Journey

At Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, Marine Corps veteran, Michael Cataldi, learned to cope with the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

5. From Idea to App

With hard work and a willingness to take a risk, Brandon Winfield turned his experience after sustaining a spinal cord injury into an app that helps people with accessibility needs find new places to explore.

6. Finding Balance

Care from Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic helps Jana Smith get back to what she loves.

7. Making Progress – and a Proposal: Kaytlin Marquess’ Story

During rehabilitation for a spinal cord injury at Shepherd Center, Kaytlin Marquess’ therapy team helped her pop the question.

8. Construction Connections: Taylor Nester’s Story

As project manager for Shepherd Center’s Arthur M. Blank Family Residences building, Taylor Nester is helping build hope for others like Shepherd helped build hope for her dad.

9. Dr. Woody Morgan Returns to Shepherd Center – This Time as a Doctor. 

Former spinal cord injury patient Woody Morgan returned to Shepherd this year, where he now leads the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit.

10. Finding Community

After Amy Ewing sustained a spinal cord injury, she found a community she has returned to again and again for a physical and emotional boost. 

Soon after her surgery, Jana began training to be a yoga teacher. She finds significant meaning in sharing yoga with others.

“I can't fully smile on the outside, but I don't feel it anymore. Helping others grow and be stronger helped me love myself in a different way,” she explains.

Last year, during a bout with Covid, Jana got up in the middle of the night and fainted, hitting her head near where part of her skull had been removed years earlier. She sustained a concussion which resulted in severe vertigo.

Her neighbor, a neurologist, recommended the Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC) at Shepherd Center. The team at the CCC began planning how to treat her vertigo, using infrared videonystagmography (VNG) goggles to detect Jana’s eye movements and measure central motor function.

Jana visited the CCC two to three times a week for physical therapy.

“We did tons of exercises, and it was neat because I had such good balance from practicing yoga, they had to put me on a big foam block to challenge me more,” she explains.

Russell Gore, M.D., medical director of the CCC, also gave her a series of nerve blocks to reduce the pain in the back of her head.

Finally, she was able to return to teaching yoga. Unfortunately, vertigo returned, so Jana returned to the CCC for more physical therapy. Her physical therapist taught her exercises she could do at home. Now Jana’s feeling better and back to doing what she loves. And she continues to share her story.

“It's amazing to think back to what a long way I've come. I don't know what I would have done without everyone at the CCC. With all the different things that have happened to me, I try to teach people that you can overcome obstacles and get stronger.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign. Click here to learn more.

WHAT IS A CONCUSSION? 

Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head and can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion, and light sensitivity, among others. Typically, concussions resolve within a few weeks as headaches, and other symptoms subside. People return to work, school, and/or athletic activities, often feeling as capable as they did before their injury. For individuals with complicated co-occurring conditions or risk factors for a more protracted recovery, a specialized assessment and treatment with rehabilitation may speed and improve recovery. 

HOW DOES SHEPHERD CENTER’S CCC TREAT PATIENTS WITH COMPLEX CONCUSSIONS? 

Shepherd Center takes a wholistic approach so patients can receive an individualized treatment plan in one centralized location. 

“We have a multi-disciplinary approach to care,” says Russell Gore, M.D., medical director of the CCC. “All our disciplines, including neurology, neuropsychology, physiatry, sports psychology, athletic training, speech, occupational, and physical therapy, are under one roof working as a team. That is unique in the neurorehabilitation field.” 

The various disciplines communicate regularly to ensure the highest quality of care. 

“We have patient-centered goals,” says Cheryl Appleberry, MS, ATC, clinic coordinator for the CCC, who has worked there with Dr. Gore since its inception in 2016. “We meet several times each week to keep those goals at the forefront and discuss whether changes need to be made to the plan of care. We’re looking at all factors, including return to activity and play, return to school and work, and return to driving.” 

All patients receive an initial evaluation. Because impairments in specific areas tend to respond best to certain types of treatment, these tests help determine what the treatment team should focus on with each patient. Based on that information, the team develops a plan to aid the patient’s recovery. This can include cognitive rehabilitation, vision services, vestibular physical therapy, psychological counseling, advanced neurological diagnostics, and more. 

Treatment duration varies but may include outpatient visits ranging from four to 12 weeks. The CCC performs regular evaluations throughout to measure how the patient is improving. 

WHAT’S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT CONCUSSIONS? 

According to Dr. Gore, one of the most common misconceptions about concussions is something that is a relatively new concept. 

“Not too long ago, we thought that the only treatment for concussion was rest,” Dr. Gore says. “We now know that long periods of rest are not an appropriate treatment for concussion, especially among high functioning, active adolescents and adults. Immediately following a concussion, we strictly rest folks for only 48 to 72 hours, and then we want to start doing light activity. That’s where our team can help the most. Our team of therapists help people get back to school or work and physical activity as soon as possible with accommodations and treatment because getting back to activity predicts a faster, more complete recovery.” 

HOW CAN YOU SET AN APPOINTMENT? 

For most concussions, people should rely on their primary care providers and/or athletic trainers. For injuries that have occurred in the past six months with ongoing or complex symptoms, or with risk factors for a longer recovery, an assessment at Shepherd Center’s CCC is appropriate for diagnosis and treatment. 

Patients can either be referred to the CCC by their primary care provider or contact the office directly at cccadmissions@shepherd.org. Contact Dina Forehand, MS, CCM at 404-603-4314 or Cheryl Appleberry, MS, ATC, at 404-603-4980. 

Written by Damjana Alverson

So, she admits it’s “a little embarrassing” to recount the day in July 2017 when she decided to try a kick scooter for the first time.

“I’d never ridden one before, and it started going so fast,” she recalls. “A little bit of a decline down my front driveway, and I ended up in the road in front of my house, having landed basically on my face.”

Catherine didn’t lose consciousness – she picked herself up and went inside to get cleaned up. It wasn’t until almost a week later that she decided to seek treatment.

“I began not to think as clearly. Something wasn’t right, and I knew it,” she says.

Catherine was taken to the emergency room and found out she had sustained a concussion, along with several complications. She was immediately admitted to the ICU.

“I began to learn a lot about what can happen under the umbrella of concussions – migraines, disequilibrium, and a variety of ocular-vestibular symptoms,” she explains. “I had a real eye-opener about how much more injured I could have been by not wearing a helmet that day.”

Catherine was discharged after a week of hospitalization. Then, a friend, a patient advocate and nurse, recommended Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). The clinic, led by Russell Gore, M.D., works with clients experiencing symptoms from a concussion that don’t resolve within a few weeks after their injury. It provides comprehensive care, addressing each client’s specific physical, emotional, cognitive, and sleep symptoms, some of which can be hard to detect without specialized diagnostic equipment and expertise.

In her initial assessment at the CCC, Catherine says she scored poorly on balance, memory, and organizational capacity. So, her care team got to work, setting up a program to aid Catherine in her recovery.

“The amount of time and attention to subtle signs and symptoms was impressive,” she says. “They were able to bridge the gap between where I was and what they know to take me further toward recovery.”

In addition to the Shepherd team, Catherine credits her recovery to her partner, Debbie Mosure’s, unwavering support, advocacy, and team-based philosophy. Debbie established a team and coordinated between physicians, nurses, and loved ones. Catherine recalls how friends and neighbors each had a role, checking on her, driving her to appointments, and helping her maintain exercise routines, all focused on her health and recovery.

“We have an unbelievable community of friends and loved ones, near and far, who were difference-makers, each one of them,” Catherine reflects.

Debbie was equally impressed with the care the CCC provided.

“This wasn’t just about getting better so she could function. It was really practical skill-building, teaching us about new ways to live our lives even more fully and successfully.”

Catherine resumed work at the CDC almost four months after sustaining the concussion.

“I am so grateful each day to have a level of function, as well as self-awareness and mental health, well above where I was before the concussion. I am even more committed to my work at the CDC and federal public service. I don’t want to waste a minute of what I almost lost,” Catherine says.

Recently, she returned to the clinic after some of her symptoms began recurring.

“They did an assessment, and Dr. Gore said, ‘This is not surprising in the era of COVID when we have all retreated some.’ He said, ‘We just need to plug you back into structured therapy,’” she explains.

Now, as the world begins to open, Catherine can enjoy activities, like attending an Atlanta Braves game with friends, that might have felt overstimulating and uncomfortable before therapy.

“With the CCC, it's about the scientific knowledge Dr. Gore and his team are advancing. They are making services accessible to more people and in real-time,” she says. “My hope is that people the country over can have access to this kind of high-quality care from an extraordinary team.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

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“Any change in an acceleration that occurs in the head can cause the brain to slosh around a little bit, and someone can sustain a concussion,” Dr. Gore says.

Dr. Gore is the medical director of vestibular neurology and joined the medical staff of Shepherd Center in December 2015. As director of vestibular neurology at Shepherd Center, Dr. Gore cares for patients who have dizziness and balance challenges resulting from spinal cord or brain injury. Dr. Gore sees patients on an outpatient basis in Shepherd Center's Multi-Specialty Clinic and also does inpatient consultations. He is also the medical director of Shepherd Center's SHARE Military Initiative and the director of the hospital's Complex Concussion Clinic.

Dr. Gore received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University, after which he earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. After an internship at Emory, Dr. Gore served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force for eight years.