On this morning, Dave is working with his occupational therapist, Kelsey Taylor, MHS, OTR/L, to learn how to dress himself. Dave’s girlfriend, Amelia Hepner, and his mom, Dana Vanderplank, attend the session with him. They have already learned a lot and look like pros, helping him transfer from his wheelchair to the mat using a lift. Dave jokingly refers to them as his pit crew.

Kelsey has an oversized pair of red shorts for Dave to put on over his own shorts as practice for getting himself dressed. She explains that another patient had the shorts customized as a joke. She holds them up to reveal the words “Hot Pants” emblazoned on the seat.

Kelsey positions a backrest on the mat behind Dave for support in case he needs to take a break. He starts with some stretches for his shoulders and legs.

Amelia pulls Dave’s hair back for him and gives him some fingerless gloves that keep his hands from sliding on the mat. Then Kelsey talks him through how to position himself using his shoulder strength. She demonstrates the process of putting on the shorts, with step-by-step instructions on how to position his arms and legs.

“The goals are to practice coming forward, getting your legs up in order to drag on your pants,” Kelsey explains. “I find that people have the most success, kind of getting a forearm underneath. So, we'll have one arm back behind as a prop. Get your forearm underneath, and then you can just lean back until your foot lands, is the goal.”

“Okay, I love it,” Dave says.

As Dave works through the process of pulling on the shorts, Kelsey offers him different adaptive tools, like a chain of nylon loops he can place around his foot, to try and see what works best.

“This is one of the first times we've really worked on this [putting on shorts], so I'm going to verbally coach him through it and try to physically assist the least amount that I have to, to give him the technique,” Kelsey explains. “But then, next time I'll just help you to the mat and give you some pants.”

Dave’s mom, Dana, says that Dave has always been a problem-solver, evaluating obstacles from many different angles with a curiosity about how things work — a trait that is proving useful as he figures out new ways to complete everyday activities.

She remarks on how the therapists work with Dave and says it’s like parenting in some ways, since parents often have to let their child struggle a bit to learn, but not so much that they get overwhelmed and don’t want to try again.

“I can see that's what the therapists are all doing,” she observes. “Work it out, and then at the right moments, they’ll come and give that little push or tweak, or verbal instruction.”

As Dave works on putting on the shorts, Kelsey talks to him about how he might be able to use spasms to his advantage. For instance, with some experimentation, he may learn how to trigger a spasm to lift his foot into the shorts.

When Dave has wriggled into the shorts, everyone cheers. He’s pleased, but also ready to tackle the next task — putting on a shirt. He has selected a Hawaiian shirt so he can practice buttoning it. When Kelsey starts to demonstrate how to use a tool to button one of the top buttons, Dave protests with a laugh.

“Wait, we can't do that button with a Hawaiian shirt. It’s got to be lower,” he says.

Before the 90-minute session ends, Dave is wearing his Hawaiian shirt and the “hot pants.” He reflects on how all the elements of therapy are coming together to help him meet functional goals.

“It's fun seeing all the goals blend together. So, putting on the shorts … will become more rolling. I've been working on rolling in PT and OT — just how to move and how to forward balance, how to forward sit. I'm seeing a lot of those come together, and then once I can roll to sit myself up, then I could get a slideboard … to slide myself to and from a chair and bed without having to use the lift. So, it's fun seeing all the little goals … all kind of combined together to get dressed, sit up, get to a chair. … It's a lot of things that all build.”

“I like to describe it as a pyramid,” Kelsey says. “We set the foundation, and we're just making these building blocks so that big goal is at the top. And that doesn't stop with inpatient, we just kind of keep adding to the pyramid from there.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) and acquired brain injuries (ABI) can happen in an instant. They may stem from a diving accident or vehicle collision, or result from neurological conditions like transverse myelitis. The injuries and their impacts are life-changing, even with a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. But for people without health insurance, the challenges these injuries present can feel insurmountable. 

1.2 million Georgians don’t have health insurance, and thousands more are underinsured, meaning their insurance wouldn’t cover services needed for full rehabilitation after an ABI or SCI. Many uninsured patients who sustain an SCI or ABI are discharged home from an acute care hospital, meaning they don’t receive the rehabilitation, mobility devices, medical equipment, or transition support needed after injury. 

That’s where Georgia Rehabilitation Services Volunteer Partnership (RSVP) Clinic comes in. 

Georgia RSVP Clinic offers free, high-quality outpatient rehabilitation services to uninsured and underinsured people recovering from brain injury, stroke, or spinal cord injury. The group offers a comprehensive, holistic approach to rehabilitation — including not just clinical services like physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, but also resources to help people with disabilities secure transportation, housing, primary care, and access to specialty care. This year, the clinic celebrates its fifth anniversary. 

“This year marks our five-year anniversary as we celebrate the opening of the clinic. It has been amazing to witness the GA RSVP clients and their families rediscover hope and take steps toward reclaiming their lives, reminding me of the strength and determination that resides within us all, when given a chance,” says Susan Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP, founder of Georgia RSVP Clinic. “What makes us unique is the compassion of our volunteers and donors who support our mission for caring for this vulnerable population.”

Johnson, Shepherd Center’s former director of Brain Injury Services, started the clinic in 2020. As she neared her retirement from Shepherd, she attended a conference in Colorado.
 
“There was an occupational therapist who had a poster presentation on their free clinic, and I spent some time with her and said, ‘Well, that’s what I want to do when I grow up, is run a free clinic,’” Johnson says. 

She got to work on forming the Georgia RSVP Clinic alongside several other Shepherd clinicians. Shepherd Center offered space — the third-floor SCI Day Program gym — as well as some monetary support. Shepherd therapists, physicians, and nurses volunteered their skills. And the monthly RSVP Clinic was born. 

In the five years since its founding, the organization has served nearly 100 clients, providing expert medical, nursing, and therapy services; outfitting them with appropriate wheelchairs or mobility devices; and connecting them with peer support for emotional resilience and shared experience. It also delivers comprehensive case management that navigates the healthcare system, connects clients to vital resources, helps them understand and apply for benefits, and addresses critical social needs such as housing and transportation. Every service is rooted in compassionate, individualized care.

This year, the group has expanded its team, hiring a community resource coordinator, volunteer recruiter, and bringing on a new executive director, Viktoriya Antonov, MS OTR/L. Antonov worked as an occupational therapist at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, before moving to Atlanta to pursue her master’s in public health at Emory University. She also works in a PRN role at Shepherd, meaning she fills in for full-time staff when needed.

“I decided to [pursue my master’s] because I hoped to be part of developing programs so people could get services they traditionally wouldn’t have access to,” Antonov says. “When I heard about the [executive director role at Georgia RSVP Clinic], I found it to be the perfect blend of exactly what I wanted to do.” 

Looking ahead, Johnson and Antonov hope to expand awareness of the challenges faced by the uninsured and underinsured, particularly in the face of spinal cord injuries or brain injuries. They plan to grow their volunteer force, deepen their allied health student program, expand the depth of services offered to clients, and reach even more lives in need. Above all, they remain steadfast in pursuing the vision of “ability for all,” ensuring that everyone, regardless of circumstances, deserves hope and the promise of a meaningful quality of life.

To volunteer with Georgia RSVP Clinic, refer a client, or learn more, you can visit https://www.garsvpclinic.org/impact. 

Written by Erin Kenney

To understand how far Jonathan Horna has come since his life-altering car accident in 2021, you need to know that horrific crash is now only the second-most impactful hit of his life. The first? That came about a year and a half later, when Jonathan rolled onto the wheelchair rugby court at Shepherd Center for his first taste of a high-contact sport famously nicknamed murderball. 

“Oh, man, when we started running that first play, I immediately got slammed into — you know, ‘teach the rookie how it is,’” Jonathan says with a laugh. “My first thought was ‘wow, what just happened?’ But it was exhilarating. I didn’t expect to ever get back into truly competitive sports again, so that was a huge moment. It changed so much for me in terms of my confidence and who I could be once again.” 

Jonathan, now 25, was a pre-med student and a member of Georgia State University’s soccer team back in 2021. On Feb.17 of that year, another vehicle collided into Jonathan’s car. The accident resulted in a litany of injuries for the student, including an L1 spinal cord injury. After surgeries at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital — including the amputation of his left leg at the knee — Jonathan arrived at Shepherd Center in March of 2021. 

The physical challenges were intense, Jonathan explains. But they were nothing compared to the mental and emotional hurdles he faced. 

“I was used to being the helper,” Jonathan says. “When my parents needed something, I did it well, and fast. When I could help at church, I did that. That’s who I liked to be — for them, for myself, for everyone around me. 

“Suddenly being put in this completely different situation, it was a little bit humiliating. What I had to learn was taking that humiliation and turning it into humility instead. To understand that I wasn’t on my own. And to understand that there are times when you have to let others be there for you.” 

Jonathan says he couldn’t have flipped that switch mentally without the support of his family, his home church at Holy Cross Catholic Church, in Tucker, Georgia, and especially his Shepherd Center care team. 

“From the nurses to the therapists and chaplains, they all helped a lot with the mental side of things,” Jonathan says. “They got me going, got me active, helped change my mindset.” 

Most importantly, he says, “They were super open to someone who was very closed off.” 

Slowly, Jonathan started to open up once again — talking, sharing, being vulnerable. The peer support of his fellow patients was a big part of that progress, too. 

“Just being around other young people going through similar things,” he says. “I remember at the beginning, there was no way to hide and mope. The other patients would just come and say, ‘Hey, new kid, what are you in here for?’  When I look back, I realize it was a beautiful experience, a stepping stone to where I am now. That time in my life is an essential part of who I am now and what I plan to keep pursuing.” 

And, yes, those pursuits now include playing for the Shepherd Smash, Shepherd Center’s quad rugby team. 

“It’s funny because I wasn’t very good with my hands before, which is why I did soccer!” Jonathan says. “So, especially with limited functionality post-injury, I can’t believe I said ‘yes’ to even trying it. But it spoke to me. It’s an amazing sport, an amazing team here at Shepherd Center, and amazing resources all around you. Quad rugby is something I couldn’t live without now.” 

Jonathan is also moving forward in other areas of life. He’s volunteering at his church, teaching youth catechism. He’s also got a new vision for his career, having just earned an associate’s degree in accounting and now heading back to Georgia State for his bachelor’s. He’s ready for GSU’s vast downtown campus, too. With the aid of a new “smart prosthetic” and continued physical therapy, he’s progressed to walking only with the aid of a hand crutch. 

“I have so much to thank Shepherd for everything they’ve done,” Jonathan says. “To be honest, realizing that a place like Shepherd Center even existed in my time of need was bizarre. I couldn’t believe there was a place like that, with all those resources and experts, it really was unbelievable at first. It’s so heartwarming to be able to let go and know you’re not alone. That you’re surrounded by people who are there for you.” 

Written by Phillip Jordan

“SCI impacts our bodies, not our minds.” — Chris Port 

“If you say that something is wheelchair accessible, please make sure that any and all wheelchairs are able to fit or be allowed to experience the same thing. Not every wheelchair is the same.” — Jordynn Woods

A misconception: “Thinking that ADA accessible is the same as accessible for my paralyzed husband.” — Ashley Buttersworth

“Handicap parking lines are for wheelchairs to exit, not for others to park on!” — Star Wolf

“Not all paralyzed people don’t have sensation, and everyone is always surprised that I have sensation. Some people say, well, you can’t feel it, but I can, and people think I am lying.” — Dakota Walls

“Never question whether I'm telling the truth or not, especially when it comes to my injury, because I know about my body and what I need to improve, so if I'm advocating for myself, don't assume that I'm lying to get out of something.” — Jordynn Woods

“After my injury, daily tasks became a challenge, requiring the development of new skills…It allowed a shift in focus from what my body couldn’t do, to new possibilities and routines!” — Libby Presnell

“I wish people knew how time-consuming care is. Often, family members and others just aren't aware of how long it takes to shower, bowel program, and get in bed. — Dakota Walls

“I think it’s very important for people with new injuries to surround themselves with like-minded people with similar injuries to show them the way. Today, I’m the old guy helping people transition from the awkward rehab-to-home period that we all go through, and that’s because of the people before me.” — Clint Cook

“I love answering questions about what happened, but please don't be abrasive.” — Jordynn Woods

“A way for people to be helpful is to ask before doing, because sometimes, a wheelchair user gives themselves a challenge to see if they can do it to gain independence. Also, people should ask because they could do something wrong or make the situation harder due to having to fix the mistake.” — A.K. Spangler

“If you are working with someone for a long time who is in a wheelchair, walks with assistance, etc., and you DON'T ask how it happened, it is weirder than asking.” — Chris Port

“For wheelchair etiquette, people need to be aware of all the attachments that are on a person’s chair to prevent accidental damage to the chair when driving or even sitting in the chair. People also need to keep a little distance, if possible, to avoid bumping the chair because it can risk damaging. If a person wants to stand close to the chair, be sure to have the wheelchair user turn the chair off or have the person standing be aware of the controller. This prevents any damage or harm to the chair and/or to the person if the chair accidentally gets bumped and hits a person.” — A.K. Spangler 

“I really dislike it when somebody I don’t know intentionally touches my chair over and over. For example, someone would put their feet on my chair because my wife was doing it for a few days. She can do it, but when someone else did, it was definitely weird.” — Dakota Walls 

“There are two different types of SCI - complete and incomplete.”  — Maria Stewart

“Despite the fact that people could be on the same level, everyone's body is different, and some people recover faster than others.” — Jordynn Woods

“Jump in the game with us. I meet too many people who give up skiing and other sports because of "bad knees". Take up an adaptive sport. You may find you have even more fun.” — Chris Port

“Life doesn’t stop after injury.” — Maria Stewart

“I want people to see wheelchair users as normal people who just need a little bit of help. I do not want people to be nervous to talk with us just because we are in a different state than they are. Wheelchair users have had to learn how to adapt to things, so we can be as normal as possible.” — A.K. Spangler 

“If we fall and laugh, laugh with us, help us up, and let's keep going!” — Chris Port

Kinemo, a wearable input controller, aims to combine controls for power wheelchairs and devices like phones, computers, tablets, and smart TVs into one easy-to-use device. The device allows people with limited upper body mobility, including those with high-level paralysis, to access digital devices and drive their power wheelchairs using small tracers that detect body gestures. These tracers can be worn anywhere on the body, from the back of the head to a finger, and translate subtle movements to move a cursor, send a mouse click, scroll through a document, drive a wheelchair, or even perform a weight shift in a wheelchair, among other capabilities. Kinemo’s core technology was developed with funding from the Georgia Research Alliance, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), Georgia Tech Create-X, Biolocity, and with the support from the MIT’s The Engine Accelerator and TiE Atlanta.

For Earle, a lawyer who completed rehabilitation for a spinal cord injury at Shepherd Center, the device sounded like an upgrade from his current assistive technology device that relied on a bite switch.

“The idea that I wouldn’t have to have something in my mouth appealed to me. That immediately sparked my interest,” Earle says.

Earle, along with three other former Shepherd Center patients, signed up for a user study to test the Kinemo device with the AURC. This user testing, which was made possible by a Small Business Innovation Research grant funded by the NIDILRR, was done in collaboration with Kinemo’s co-founders: chief executive officer Nordine Sebkhi and chief technology officer Arpan Bhavsar. Both were previously research engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, but their decision to partner with Shepherd Center was more than just geographical.

“Shepherd is really good about having a holistic perspective on what a patient [with paralysis] should be going home with,” Bhavsar says. “They shouldn’t just be going home with a wheelchair, they should also be going home with personalized assistive technology solutions to help them become more independent. Shepherd is great about having access to the latest assistive technology to recommend to their patients.”

After an initial session to calibrate the device, Earle could use it for much of his digital activity at work — he says with the device, he can create a legal document from start to finish, check his calendar, and draft and respond to emails.

As the four-month testing neared its end, Earle used the Kinemo device in one of his cases during a court proceeding. The results were a game-changer. Earle says the device allowed him to freely move between his legal documents on his laptop while arguing his motion. Because he didn’t have a bite switch in his mouth to control his computer, Earle says he was able to argue his motion freely.

"I was able to argue my motion and respond to questions from the judge without having the bite switch in my mouth, which directly affected my ability to speak clearly, so that the judge and opposing counsel could hear me and understand what I was saying,” he says. “[The Kinemo device] allows me to be able to practice law — I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the user testing."

Other former Shepherd patients who tested the device had a similar experience — one participant in the study can now navigate his smart TV without assistance. Participants and clinicians alike enjoy the device because of its low profile and wearability — it doesn’t require as many adjustments as similar devices mounted to power wheelchairs. And because it doesn’t use a mouth switch, it’s more compatible with voice-activated assistants like Siri or Alexa.

“We don’t want to say that users should control all of their devices with our system — we want it to work with other types of alternative device controls,” Sebkhi says. “That’s the beauty of Kinemo. It works well with other systems to augment the user’s independence in device control.”

Earle continues to use the device, and Sebkhi and Bhavsar are set on making more improvements based on his feedback. They’ll need more rounds of testing, especially with using the Kinemo for wheelchair controls, but they’re hopeful about the future and making the device more widely available.

“Everything we learned from this user testing with Shepherd will be used to refine our device,” Sebkhi says. “This user testing showed us people love the system … there’s a value to it they haven’t found with other assistive technologies.”

By Erin Kenney

“Being a materialistic person at a young age, I always thought, ‘Well, I'm not giving my stuff away!’” Clint laughs. “What my dad really meant was you’ll always feel fulfilled if you give to others. If you're someone like me who has lived with a spinal cord injury for 36 years, you need to tell someone who’s new to spinal cord injury how you got to where you are today. When I do that, it comes back to me ten-fold.”

That spirit of giving back to the spinal cord injury (SCI) community has shaped Clint’s life, and it all began on the evening of April 8, 1988.

“It was a normal day. I went to work, came home, washed my car. I was 20 years old and unfortunately decided to do the wrong thing. I had been out drinking at the pool hall and decided to race a buddy of mine in my new Trans Am.”

Clint went around a curve too fast and lost control of the car. Because he was not wearing a seatbelt, he was ejected on impact. The car continued to flip and landed on top of him, wrapping him between the front tire and engine, resulting in severe burns on his back and an incomplete C-5 SCI.

After three months in the ICU, Clint transferred to Shepherd Center. He received a skin graft at Piedmont Hospital to replace the burnt skin on his back. Once he was cleared medically, he began his rehabilitation journey in Shepherd’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program.

“My first memory of Shepherd was how excited and happy everybody was,” Clint says. “You are dealing with a traumatic injury, and I was amazed at how positive and professional my care was.”

 After a day of physical and occupational therapy, Clint was surprised when a Shepherd staff member he hadn’t met came to his room.  

“An employee around my age with an SCI comes in after he already finished his day at work to talk about life after SCI,” Clint explains. “I looked up to him as a mentor. I felt so fortunate that this guy spent his own time just to tell me that it was going to be okay. There would be life after this.”

Clint had the opportunity to plan what life after SCI would look like with his vocational rehabilitation therapist.

“Vocational rehabilitation was life-changing,” Clint says. “The therapist helped me focus on what I was able to do today and what would make me happy.”

Clint shared that he loved music and wouldn’t mind working in the music industry but didn’t know how he would realistically be able to attend college.

“College was never a thing for me – I didn’t think I could pay for it, and I thought learning a trade was my destiny just like my father, his father, and down the line,” Clint says. “My vocational rehab therapist showed me how the state of Georgia could help me pay for school, and I said, ‘Where do I sign up?’”

Clint discharged from Shepherd in October 1988 and started college at the Atlanta Art Institute in March 1989. He obtained his associate degree in two years and began working at his dream job doing music production and research at local Atlanta radio station, 96 Rock. He now works in the medical sales industry but looks back fondly on the experience and confidence he gained in his first job after sustaining his injury.

Clint has lived a rich life since that fateful car crash. He started the first wheelchair rugby team on the East Coast at Shepherd Center, now known as the Shepherd Smash, and played on the team until 1996. He served as president of the United Spinal Association of Georgia for three years. In 2017, he even founded a nonprofit called Spinal Cord Injury USA that helps connect people with SCI to talk about all aspects of living with SCI online and during in-person events. The group started with Clint posing questions to a Facebook group to get discussions going. It has taken on a life of its own, growing to nearly 15,000 members.

Above all, Clint’s focus has been to “live happy,” and encouraging others to do the same remains his passion.

“I’ll never stop being involved in the SCI community. When you help someone, you gain so much personally, too,” Clint says. “For the newly injured or anyone who may be struggling with their situation, I just want to say, ‘Don’t wait until tomorrow to start living. Start today.’”

By Damjana Alverson

This story first appeared in the special 50th anniversary issue of Spinal Column magazine.

A rehabilitation hospital might be an unexpected incubator for romance, but relationships—both new and long-lasting—have flourished at Shepherd Center, from the first sparks of attraction to marriage proposals, on-site weddings, and renewed appreciation for a longtime partner. That’s because Shepherd staff members understand that the desire for love and intimacy—and all that it entails—does not disappear because of an injury. They also know that patients may feel insecure because of how their bodies have changed due to injury or illness. 

From its inception, Shepherd Center has addressed the entire range of human needs and desires. Part of the holistic approach has always been tackling the emotional and physical impact of an injury on relationships, from dating to intimacy. That can mean a frank discussion with an adolescent with parents’ consent or a counseling session with a married couple. 

Each patient is “a whole person, with a life before their injury,” says Kimnesha Polard, PT, DPT, NCS. “So how do you get them back to where they were before?” Kimnesha, a manager in the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, is on the front lines of Shepherd’s efforts to address the physical aspects of relationships. As it so often is, Shepherd is a leader among rehabilitation hospitals, continually improving existing programs and adding new resources. 

Kimnesha and Kathryn Farris, OTR/L, education coordinator, collaborated with the Acquired Brain Injury leadership team to produce material that equips staff to support patients and their partners with sexuality and intimacy challenges. This material, originally created by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems group, was enhanced and implemented for the acquired brain injury continuum at Shepherd. 

“It really means providing quality of life for our clients,” Kimnesha says. And Shepherd is sharing material with a consortium of rehabilitation hospitals. 

“Just because parts of our body don’t work the way they used to doesn’t mean that we’re less of a person,” says Minna Hong, who retired six years ago as Shepherd’s peer support manager. Minna herself sustained a spinal cord injury in a 1999 car wreck. Her first husband did not survive the wreck, and suddenly, she was, at 35 years old, widowed with two children. She met her current husband, Wayne Ware, when both were on staff at Shepherd. She asked him out for their first date. 

“I’m not going to discount myself just so I can be with someone,” she says. “I’m friends with my wheelchair, but I’m not going to let it define who I am and what my capabilities are, and I think that’s the same for any relationship, whether it’s sexual or friendship.” 

Educational material on relationships is helpful for spinal injury patients, she says, and connecting with peers through Shepherd’s Peer Support Program is even more effective. “Reading a book is one thing, but actually talking to someone who lives it on a daily basis is much, much more impactful.” 

A ground-breaking video series, called “Women With SCI,” produced by Shepherd and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation in 2019, features women speaking candidly on topics from dating to pregnancy and delivery. All have been well received, especially one on intimacy, which has attracted more than 240,000 views. The series is one of many examples of how Shepherd is reaching an audience outside its walls. Two takeaways: be honest and have a sense of humor. 

Armed with this advice, thousands of Shepherd Center’s alums have found love and built or sustained successful relationships. 

When Shepherd patient David Carter, who had sustained a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle crash, met a volunteer at Shepherd’s Adventure Skills Workshop in 2014, he thought she was “awesome.” Conversation revealed that she had a “great big heart,” he says. Brittany, the volunteer, says she was attracted by his engaging personality and didn’t even think about his wheelchair. “I just had to get to know him more,” she says. 

She did, and they married and have two sons. David works in Peer Support at Shepherd Center, where he encourages newly injured patients to reclaim their lives. But Brittany has her own advice for patients. In a Shepherd publication called “Romance After Injury,” Brittany said: “How you choose to move forward and change your mindset is what really counts. When you learn to love yourself regardless of what has happened to you, you’ll attract people that are worthy of your love who will see you for who you really are and not for what you have been through in the past.” 

That seems like good counsel for anyone, with or without an injury.

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. 

I've been at Shepherd for just over three years, and I’m a recreational therapist in the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program. My job is to help people get back into what they like to do for fun and other aspects of their lives, along with their PT (physical therapist), OT (occupational therapist), and speech-language pathologist.

A lot of the goals that I'm trying to help people reach feel really unrealistic to patients because they are still dealing with medical issues and think, ‘There's no way I'm going to be able to do some of these things.’ But it's my job to show them that they can do the things they used to do in their leisure life, or if they can't do it exactly the same way, they can get back to it in an adaptive way.

Another battle is stigma issues. A lot of people don't really want to be seen in a wheelchair just yet or even have that experience where they're not able to get into a chair at a restaurant. It's just something hard to think through. So, we have to push it a little bit and explain why getting out into the community is beneficial. I always encourage patients to try things while they’re here with staff because it's definitely a lot harder when you're by yourself.

What made you want to work at Shepherd?

I went to a conference for recreational therapy that was hosted at Shepherd Center. After that conference, I was like, ‘I need to get a job at Shepherd,’ because the things that the program does are amazing and honestly above a lot of what other facilities are doing.

What do you like most about your job?

One of my favorite parts of my job is the outings that we do here at Shepherd. One of my jobs is community reintegration, showing people that they can get out and about and still go out and do things even if they’re using a wheelchair, a walker, a cane — whatever the adaptive equipment might be. We work with people right after their traumatic injury, and a lot of people haven't even been outside since they've been injured, so I get to take people outside for the first time, which is also one of my favorite parts. People are really thankful when I take them outside, and I tell them, ‘Don't be thankful for this; this is what I'm here for, and we can do this whenever you want.’ It's just great to help people get outside and into fresh air.

How do you introduce recreational therapy to patients?

The first time I meet somebody, I take them on a tour of the hospital and just chitchat with them and get to know them, get to know their interests. And the garden is one of the stops of my tour. I tell them, ‘There's a Chick-fil-A up the street, there's a coffee shop, there's a grocery store, a CVS, the next time we’re together, if you want to get out, let's get out and do something.’ Then I explain that we do evening and weekend outings here as recreational therapists, too. I explain to them how those work, and I really encourage people to get out and about and to take advantage of what we have to offer here.

Describe a great day at work.

We do an outing to the Georgia Aquarium, and the patients get in the tank with the whale sharks. I got to do that with one of my patients, and I was paired with a PT from my team as well. It was nice to do that because you grow a special bond with the people you work with every day, especially in this field. We talk a lot about just life, and we're with the same patients every day. So, it was nice to have that experience with not only somebody I was close with as a coworker but also a patient who I knew pretty well. He was super sick when I first met him, and at this point, he was in the Day Program, and he had come a really long way. Seeing him swimming in a massive fish tank was just a cool experience.

How do you think your role impacts patients and families?

I feel like, as a recreational therapist, my role impacts patients and families a lot because I show them that they can get back to doing things that they used to do
for fun, whether it be sports, gardening, showing them different ways they can paint,
our aquatics program — a lot of people don't realize all the programs we have to offer. Watching family members see their loved ones do those things again, how thankful they are, and how excited their faces are when they see them participating in things is a great part of my job.

Education

• Slippery Rock University, Bachelor of Science, Recreational Therapy

Fun Facts

• At 6’5”, Jacob is the tallest person in his family.
• He has one sister, and they are eleven months apart, so they grew up doing everything together.
• Jacob loves sports and participates in adult volleyball and bowling leagues.
• He grew up on the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and loves to get out on the water, boating, tubing, and jet skiing. 

Interview by Ruth Underwood

On Jan. 30, 2020, Tyler sustained multiple injuries, including a high-level spinal cord injury while at work as a forklift technician in Macon, Georgia.

After three surgeries and a week in the ICU at Atrium Health Navicent in Macon, Tyler transferred to the ICU at Shepherd Center on Feb. 7, 2020.

It wasn’t the first time Tyler, who grew up in Monticello, Georgia, had heard of Shepherd Center. A year before, a police officer in a nearby town sustained a brain injury, and Tyler, an avid motorcyclist, participated in a benefit ride to show support. He also had a friend who was a Shepherd patient shortly before he arrived at the hospital.

“It was on the radar from the very beginning,” Star explains.

Tyler spent most of the year at Shepherd. He had several medical complications requiring surgeries, so until he could go to the gym for therapy, his therapists worked with him on stretching and range of motion exercises in his room.

Once he started at the gym, Tyler recalls fear was one of his biggest challenges.

“I was scared to try a lot of things — like I knew if I fell, I didn't know how to get back to sitting upright if I were to fall a certain way,” he explains. “A lot of it was just being scared of something happening while I was trying to figure out how to do things with what I had.”

Star, who was his fiancée at the time, says she saw the therapists build trust with Tyler while they pushed him during therapy sessions.

“They were a pain in his butt most days,” she laughs, “but he would call them for anything now.”

She says they still lean on what they learned at Shepherd Center even four years after Tyler's injury.

“We still say Maddie would say this, or Christina, my respiratory therapist, would have said this. I feel like they were awesome,” Star reflects. And she says the care extended to the whole family.

“Dr. Rahman was his mental health counselor. She's amazing. Not only did she check in with Tyler, but she would text me,” she recalls. “She still texted me after we left to make sure that I was okay too or that his mom was okay. They're really good about checking on the whole family because it is a big change.”

Because Tyler was at Shepherd during the COVID-19 pandemic, outings weren’t as feasible, but the staff set up some date nights, including a movie night and bowling date for the pair, who have been sweethearts since middle school.

When Tyler finished inpatient rehabilitation at Shepherd, he continued rehabilitation in the Day Program. Six months after discharge from inpatient, Tyler and Star married in his grandfather’s backyard.

Since then, they bought a house where you’ll often find some of his seven siblings, who live nearby, hanging out. Tyler likes to cook and play Xbox. He especially enjoys cooking meat on a smoker which he controls from his phone.

Star is a math teacher at the high school where they graduated, and she says she often drags Tyler along to school events. They’ve also made trips to the beach, where Tyler uses an all-terrain track chair. They document some of their adventures and experiences on TikTok @thewolfs0612.

This month, Tyler’s looking forward to a different kind of adventure — completing another tattoo — his sixth.

Other plans for the future? “That I don’t kick the bucket no time soon,” he laughs. “We do a lot of dark humor here.”
 

Written by Ruth Underwood

Indeed, many young adults arrive at Shepherd Center just as they’re poised to launch into the next phase of their lives — whether that’s college, the workforce, the military, a committed relationship, or something else.

“‘Adulting’ for anyone is daunting,” says Tayla Mangus, MS, OTR/L, an occupational therapist at Shepherd Center. “Throw in a life-changing spinal cord injury, and it seems even more overwhelming.”

That’s why Shepherd Center created the Adulting Program for those who are beyond high school (so they’ve aged out of Shepherd Center’s adolescent program), but still navigating life as young adults. The program offers mixers and outings designed to get patients talking about topics ranging from financial planning and health literacy to partner intimacy and travel advice.

“I love to see the organic conversations that happen between patients when we’re on an outing,” Mangus says. “They become a little more vulnerable with each other and they are able to discuss their injuries, their plans for after discharge, their dreams for careers or living independently, and the friends and significant others they miss back home.”

Alexi Dodson agrees. The 23-year-old resident of Norcross, Georgia, is currently in Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program — and taking advantage of the Adulting Program, as well.

“Just having an open and honest environment for talking about things like dating, sex after injury, independence, that’s what I’ve enjoyed the most,” Alexi says. “Doing this with peers makes it easier to get more personal questions answered without it feeling uncomfortable or intrusive.”

As part of the program, she’s also gone on a group outing to an Atlanta United soccer match. While there, Alexi enjoyed a meal of salmon and fried rice, spinach artichoke dip, and tiramisu. And she ate it without assistance.

Maybe that doesn’t seem like much, but for Alexi, it was momentous. 

“You want to know that you can go out and do normal things again,” she says. “Feeding myself there at the game — that was a big moment. There was a long stretch where I couldn’t have imagined doing that in a million years.”

 
Feeling prepared and feeling confident about engaging with the world around you — that’s what anyone wants as they grow into adulthood. And the goal of Shepherd Center’s Adulting Program is no different.

“Before doing this, I kind of just wanted to keep to myself,” Alexi says. “But I’m feeling comfortable opening up more, making plans, getting out. I’m more excited to live, honestly, than just exist.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

While at Shepherd Center, Skylar became proficient in using his new wheelchair. And his employer became proficient in supporting Skylar.

Ten days before the injury, Skylar had gotten a new position at PDI Kitchen, Bath, and Lighting that was a perfect fit. But the job required a great deal of mobility — he was a showroom manager at PDI’s Atlanta location, overseeing sales of bathroom, kitchen, and lighting fixtures.

Thanks to Shepherd Center’s expertise, the job remained a perfect fit post-injury.

“My counselors had great conversations with my employers to come up with a game plan for my return,” Skylar says. “And my boss was on board. He said, ‘I didn’t hire you to do this job because you could walk. I hired you because you could do the job.’”

By his first day back, Skylar’s company had moved his desk to a spot that was easier to get in and out of, rearranged floor items to make it easier for Skyler to navigate the showroom, and even ripped out a vanity sink in the bathroom to install a wall-hung sink that Skylar could get his wheelchair underneath.

 “It was a brand-new job with a brand-new body, essentially, but it went as smoothly as possible,” Skylar says.

Less than two years after returning to work, Skylar was assigned to PDI’s Alpharetta location — a higher-volume store and one of the company’s top showrooms. He also now volunteers as a guest speaker in Shepherd Center’s return-to-work classes, sharing his journey with current patients.

“Shepherd Center just prepares you so well to return to daily life,” Skylar says. “I remember Laura (McDowell) was such a great advocate and so good at taking my anxiety away. She would say, ‘Hey, you’re still you. It’s about what’s up here, not anything else. Your mind, your abilities will shine through.’”

***

The Genuine Parts Company Vocational Rehabilitation Program at Shepherd Center is unique in a couple of ways. First of all, in addition to GPC’s philanthropic support, the company also hosts tours for Shepherd Center patients to give them in-person experiences navigating office, retail, and warehouse environments. Secondly, vocational services at Shepherd Center are offered early in each patient’s stay — within the rehabilitation setting. This approach allows Shepherd Center staff to collaborate closely with other members of a patient’s treatment team and clearly communicate the paths forward for each patient.

“I think the most important thing we do is demystify the process of returning to work after a catastrophic injury,” says McDowell. “Many patients, especially early on, think there is no way they will be able to work again. But our process helps to open their eyes to new ways of approaching the work.”

And, sometimes, it works the other way around – with patients initiating the fresh approaches.

Cynthia Trawick is the director of TRIO and public health programs at Morehouse College. In January 2023, Trawick sustained a hemorrhagic stroke while playing tennis. After just four days in the intensive care unit at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, she began Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program. As Trawick’s speech and motor skills returned, she found herself itching to work again.

“I lobbied to start working while still inpatient,” Trawick says with a laugh. “To Shepherd Center’s credit, they allowed me to do it.”

Her vocational, physical, and speech therapists observed her in the process — communicating on Zoom, writing on her computer, researching grant proposals — and identified the cognitive gaps she was still experiencing.

“It was very helpful,” Trawick says. “By watching me work, they figured out what I needed to work on the most based on the type of work I do. There probably aren’t many places that would do that!”

Once it was time for her to leave Shepherd Center and return to campus, Trawick received the same type of support that Dominique Ross did when returning to school. Trawick’s vocational rehabilitation specialist — Zac Bradley, MS, CRC, NCC, CVE — got on the phone with her boss, as well as Morehouse’s HR director and facilities director. Together, they mapped out a plan for her return, which would eventually include a more accessible office.

“Zac was awesome in advocating for me,” Trawick recalls. “Everyone at Shepherd Center, what they do for patients just shows how much they care. They make you feel confident, and it’s such a holistic approach. I have so much respect for what they do.”

“I know we’re talking about work,” Bradley says, “but my role is really to assist folks in getting back to life. Because our lives revolve around our work. My goal is to make the path clearer, less confusing. To ease people’s minds and clear the hurdles between where they are and where they want to be.”

And where Trawick is today is far, far removed from the Atlanta tennis court where she collapsed that winter afternoon. Literally, far. When reached for an interview for this story, Trawick was on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, helping lead a group of Upward Bound pre-college students on a cultural tour of the islands. She secured the grant that funded the trip, too.

“This is what I love,” Trawick says. “These are first-generation college students who have never been on a flight before. Now, they’re being exposed to experiences that let them know there’s a whole world beyond their home communities.

“I’m so thankful to still be doing this. I may be a work in progress, but I know I wouldn’t be here right now if not for Shepherd Center.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

In the summer of 2023, however, Dominique assumed her sewing days — and much more — were behind her. That June, in a terrifying incident, she was shot 13 times in a case of mistaken identity. Two of the bullets lodged in her spinal column — a full shell in her L-2 vertebra and another fragment between her T-7 and T-8 vertebrae.

Her rehabilitation led her to Shepherd Center. Here, Dominique dedicated herself to her multiple modes of therapy, including physical, occupational, and recreational therapy, slowly regaining her independence and learning to accomplish tasks in new ways. One example: Shepherd Center found a sewing machine that Dominique could operate without having to use a foot pedal. In no time, she was making clothes again — including a red jumpsuit for Shepherd Center’s adolescent program rehabilitation counselor, Cheryl Linden, MA, LPC; MS, OT/L.

But in the back of Dominique’s mind, she still worried about how she would return to school and, most importantly, how she would get around the theater that was home to her beloved drama classes.

Enter Shepherd Center’s transitional program, No Obstacles, which was created to alleviate adolescents’ concerns about returning to school. One of the program's most impactful elements is the collaboration between Shepherd Center staff and each student’s school.

In Dominique’s case, that took the form of a meeting between Kelsey Shearman, MA, — an academic coordinator in Shepherd Center’s Adolescent Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program — and Dominique’s teachers, drama department, and principal. Shearman went over what Dominique would need to succeed: assistance with note-taking, a seat in the back of class to give Dominique the freedom to move around frequently, accessibility improvements in the theater, and renovated bathrooms.

 “It was a lot that went into it,” Dominique recalls. “Kelsey was so helpful. The whole staff was. I mean, my OT and PT therapists were measuring me for new tables at school. It was that level of support.”

And it’s made a world of difference. Dominique is thriving back at Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. She’s aiming to graduate cum laude in this, her senior year. But she’s even more excited about performing in her first school musical this fall. Oh, and she just started a new job at — get this — a local comic book shop. Life is, again, good.

“For the first time in my life, I’m thinking I might go to college,” Dominique says.

She envisions herself studying theatre and film. Maybe costume design. After all, somebody’s going to have to make the next generation of Spider-Man costumes for the big screen.

***

Anxiety about returning to school or work is a nearly universal concern for patients who have experienced life-altering events such as brain and spinal cord injuries. Thankfully, Dominique Ross is one among thousands of patients — adolescents and adults alike — who have benefitted from Shepherd Center’s innovative programs that help ease the transition back to work, school, or even into adulthood itself.

Each program utilizes a person-centered approach that meets the unique goals and needs of each individual. That may include assistive technology and adaptive programs they’ll eventually use in the classroom or office. And it always includes advocacy on behalf of each patient with their school, employer, or other affiliated organizations, as well as teaching patients and families to advocate for themselves.

Returning to work or the classroom might not be the first thing on someone’s mind after a catastrophic injury. But as recovery progresses, it often becomes the most important goal looking forward.

“It’s easy to forget how essential working is to our human experience,” says Laura McDowell, MS, CRC, CVE, a vocational rehabilitation counselor at Shepherd Center. “It’s about our ability to participate in our culture, provide for ourselves and our loved ones, and to feel productive and valuable in our society.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Robby went first to Vanderbilt University Hospital, where he spent three weeks in the ICU before transferring briefly to a local rehabilitation facility and then to Shepherd Center. When Robby arrived at Shepherd, he still used a ventilator to assist with breathing.

“Prior to Shepherd, I was having a hard time coming off the vent. It was an agonizing process. I think I was completely off the vent two and a half weeks after I got to Shepherd. I remember drinking water and eating for the first time, and it was the greatest thing in the world for me at the time,” Robby recalls.

While in Shepherd’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, Robby tried to soak up all the education offered. He learned to care for his skin, shifting his weight to prevent pressure sores. He worked on a bowel and bladder program and explored assistive technology options.

“The adaptive tech that I learned about gave me a lot of hope because I realized I can work again,” Robby explains. “I can do things. I'm not just a body. Now, I use a lot of technology to make my life work.”

Robby participated in outings to the airport, a sporting event, and brunches at local restaurants.

“Right after my accident, I was so afraid of going out in public and what people would think of me. And I remember heading down Peachtree Road and my therapist, Alexis, guiding me into a restaurant. That stuff set the tone for me being comfortable in my new body going forward,” he recalls.

Once he returned home, Robby began to feel the pressure of his mortgage and medical and caregiver expenses. He felt ready to rejoin the workforce. That’s when he discovered another obstacle to building the life he hoped for. Tennessee was one of a handful of states without a Medicaid buy-in program. A buy-in program allows participants to earn income and have assets while paying a premium to Medicaid. Because no such buy-in program existed as part of TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, Robby faced income limits of $2,829 per month and asset limits of $2000 to receive Medicaid — insurance coverage essential for his care.

Through a former coach and mentor, Robby met Josh Basile, a disability lawyer, and discovered a mission that would occupy the next several months of his life and change how he views himself.

Robby learned that Josh, who also has tetraplegia, has a job, bought a house with his partner, and has two kids.

“After the first conversation with Josh, so much hope came into my life,” Robby says. “I thought a lot of those life events were unattainable for me because of my injury. Our conversation lit the fire,” he explains.

Robby and Josh talked about the barriers Robby was facing with insurance coverage and his hope to return to work.

“Josh told me that the law could be changed,” Robby recalls. “I immediately started researching everything about those laws and how people have advocated for changes in the past.”

Robby spent the next several months making connections, building a task force, and trying to drum up support to change the law that made him feel he had to choose between work and health insurance. He started a nonprofit, Music City Wheels, to highlight the issue. He worked with the Tennessee Disability Coalition, which connected him with Tennessee State Rep. Darren Jernigan, who also has a spinal cord injury and supported Robby’s efforts. Robby reached out to experts to help him make the case for changing the law by gathering data and crunching numbers for the budget. He also worked, alongside others, to get sponsors for the bill in the Tennessee House and Senate.

“I want to save money to have a home and a family and support this new life,” Robby says. “I feel like it's every human’s right to be able to earn income and also get the health care that they need. This is about affirming the dignity and potential of every Tennessean, empowering us not just to survive, but to thrive.”

All the hard work paid off, and on April 24, 2024, with sponsors Senator Bo Watson and Representative Tim Hicks, the TennCare for Working Individuals with Disabilities Act became law, allowing qualified individuals with disabilities to pay a premium to access Medicaid's long-term support services, even if their income exceeds the current Medicaid eligibility requirements.

Robby is thrilled with the outcome in Tennessee.

“This bill marks a historic step forward,” he says. “It ensures that individuals with disabilities no longer have to choose between maintaining health coverage and pursuing their career aspirations or personal happiness, such as marriage. As someone who has lived through the limitations of the previous system, this change isn’t just policy to me, it’s personal. It represents a future where disabilities do not define our capacities to contribute, to succeed, and to build lives of fulfillment,” he explains.

And Robby is enjoying the benefits of his advocacy. He recently started a full-time job in corporate finance with NuMotion, a wheelchair and mobility equipment company. 

He’s continuing his advocacy work, connecting with organizations in Louisiana and Utah to improve laws surrounding working with a disability.

“I never really thought advocacy would be a big part of my life,” Robby says. “But I really like it — it kind of makes everything make sense. I always want to be in this disability arena, giving back.”

Written by Ruth Underwood 

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.

“That's when I fell in love with swimming again,” recalls Eden, “And it’s become a huge part of my life.”

For a while, swimming didn’t seem to be in the cards anymore for Eden. In November 2020, Eden sustained a C5 - C6 level spinal cord injury (SCI) when she and her friends were boating off the coast of Naples, Florida. Eden dove off the boat and hit a sandbar. She spent about two weeks in the ICU at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, before transferring to Shepherd Center.

“I was excited to be at Shepherd,” she says. “It sounds strange, but you’re going from the ICU, lying down and not doing anything — to a place where people are happy to see you, and they make the environment fun. They have great attitudes and have seen this happen before, so you’re not the only one going through it. I think one of the biggest things about inpatient is that you feel so seen, and people understand the challenges that you're going through, but they also see you as a person, so they don't just see you for your disability.”

Eden spent three months in the Adolescent Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, followed by three months in the Day Program. After some time at home, she returned to the Day Program, where she says her therapist, Heather Jones, DPT, helped her get her life together beyond Shepherd’s walls.

Eden has always been athletic, enjoying sports and the outdoors, so she tried adaptive sports, including hand cycling and sit skiing.

But swimming tops her list.

“I’ve fallen in love with swimming. It’s the closest I've been able to get to able-bodied exercise because I'm getting my heart rate up, and my body weight doesn’t hold me down. I'm going to continue to swim for as long as I can.”

And that passion has led to experiences Eden never imagined that day in the Shepherd Center pool. In March 2023, she started swimming with the Shepherd Sharks, part of the Fred, Shaler, and Andrew Alias Sports Teams program. In December, she competed in the 2023 U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships in Orlando, Florida, where she set American records in both the 50- and 100-meter backstroke.

“It was an amazing experience — really exciting and kind of overwhelming — because I had never been to something that big before,” she explains. “But even in that environment, it's very similar to Shepherd, and everyone has a disability, so no one sees you as any different.”

Beyond swim practices and weight training, Eden is in her junior year at Georgia State University. She’s majoring in psychology and hopes to continue her studies to earn a doctorate in rehabilitation psychology.

She says conversations with adolescent program rehabilitation counselor Cheryl Linden, MA, LPC; MS OT/L, planted the seeds for her interest in the field.

“I worked most of my adolescence, and I asked Cheryl, ‘What can I do now? How can I go back to work? My hands don't work. My body doesn't work.’ She asked if I had thought about counseling. And I realized that when I met people going through the same injury as me, I was helping them process. I would love a career where I could help people who have experienced this or other traumatic injuries.”

Eden is already giving back to others as a peer mentor in Shepherd's Keeping Adolescents and Young Adults Connected (KAYAC) program.

“That has been a great avenue for me to meet people in person. I've made amazing connections. Families tell me it's so good to see a young person transitioning through injury, returning to school, participating in sports, and continuing life. One person was a swimmer who wanted to get back into the sport, and I helped get him back into the pool,” she recalls. “I love that so much!”

Eden reaches many people — even those she doesn’t meet face to face — through social media, including her TikTok account h0twheels2.0, where she has close to 300,000 followers.

“I started my TikTok account to show that people with spinal cord injuries still live very normal lives. By posting what I am doing, I'm spreading awareness, so people know we still get out there. It's nice to hear from someone who doesn't have a disability, but when people who have disabilities say that they see what I'm doing and they want to try things as well, that's what's important to me,” she explains.

For now, Eden is focusing on school and swimming. In April, she competed in an international swim meet in Indiana, the Citi Para Swimming World Series USA. There, she swam her best times yet in all four of her events and got internationally classified, which means she will be able to compete in more big events. She swam with the Shepherd Sharks at the Bill Keating Jr. Memorial Cincinnati Para-Swimming Open in May and has her sights set on competing with Team USA for meets in the future.

As she trains, she’s grateful for the embrace of her Shepherd community, the support of Alias family, whose generosity has elevated Shepherd’s sports programs, and for the connections she has made.

“Shepherd has been a great vessel for me to build a support system. I've made friends who have turned into my family. At Shepherd, I don’t have the excuse of, ‘Oh, I can't do this because of my disability,’ because everyone there knows how to help me figure things out. It went from a hospital setting that should have been very traumatic and turned into a place of support, love, and family.”

Written by Ruth Underwood 

Brandon grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. As a child, he dreamed of being a professional motocross rider. He traveled for motocross competitions and even switched to home-schooling to allow more flexibility and time to focus on the sport. But when he was 14, he sustained a T-7-T-8 spinal cord injury in a crash at a motocross event in Tennessee, which resulted in paralysis from his chest down.

After spending time in a hospital in Memphis, Brandon transferred to Shepherd Center for rehabilitation, but as soon as he arrived, he wanted to leave.

“I couldn't wait to get out of there at first. I had been hurt racing motocross plenty of times, which helped me wrap my head around the injury,” he recalls. “But my time at Shepherd was great. My therapists were amazing, and as soon as I got home, I missed Shepherd Center. Everything was so easy and accessible there.”  

As Brandon returned to life as an active teenager, including re-connecting with his motocross community, he realized that finding accessible parking spaces, bathrooms, restaurants, and venues could be challenging.

“I felt like a burden to the people I was traveling with. We’d go someplace, and I either couldn't get in, or I couldn't access the bathroom, and I’d have to go home, or we'd have to try someplace new. I felt like it was my fault,” he says. “For somebody who's adventurous and likes to do new things, I got tired of going places and not knowing if I'd be able to access those new things. So that was the catalyst for my idea,” he explains.

The idea that Brandon is referring to is his brainchild and now business — where he focuses much of his attention and energy — a mobile app called iAccess Life. The app uses crowdsourcing to collect information about accessibility at restaurants, stores, and other venues in cities across the United States and worldwide. Users can rate a venue’s parking, entrance, interior, and bathroom accessibility and have the option to leave a review as well.

“I wanted you to open the app and feel like everybody else looking for a place to have dinner, drinks, coffee, or go shopping. Whatever you wanted to do, I wanted to find a way for people to leave feedback on their experience and then hopefully travel confidently as we gather more ratings and feedback from people in the application,” he says.

“I hope the app will help people like the patients I met while I was at Shepherd. They are adjusting to life after injury. After I was injured, I knew I wanted to move on and just keep living, but that can be hard for some people to imagine. So, I wanted to build an app to encourage people who want to go somewhere new or try something new and offer that security and that belief that they can do it — and that there’s an easier way,” Brandon explains.

Of course, it wasn’t a straight line from idea to app. Along the way, Brandon got into competitive go-kart racing, which included traveling and filming for a TV show featuring his experience, “Dreams to Champions,” that aired on Fox Sports 1. He also worked in information technology (IT), including quality assurance testing for websites and mobile apps. He eventually met Sayeed Mehrjerdian, now iAccess Life co-founder and head of product, who helped him develop the app and raise funding.

In 2019, they launched the app and are working on building their user base so the app will have more reviews of more places. They also want to expand the breadth of the app to address accessibility for people with a broader range of disabilities. They recently launched a product to allow for feedback on accessibility issues by scanning a QR code on a sign. They hope to provide input to restaurants, retail spaces, and sports venues on ways they can improve accessibility. Their first big client? Zoo Atlanta.

“You’ll see signs with the iAccess Life logo, and you can share feedback on your experience in that area, your experience at concessions…feedback on how the venue can improve, essentially,” Brandon explains.

Brandon lives the life of an entrepreneur — always with his eye on what is next — and works to support other start-ups through his role at Atlanta Tech Village, managing the pre-accelerator program, a four-month program designed to help underrepresented tech entrepreneurs get their products to market.

Through every venture, Brandon recognizes his experience at Shepherd as one of the major influences in his life.

“After getting back into normal life and meeting other wheelchair users who didn't get to go to Shepherd, I got to see the quality of life that I have because of the therapy and education I got there,” he says. “I feel like I graduated from the Ivy League of rehabilitation. I'm forever grateful for Shepherd because it made me who I am today. It made me feel comfortable being in a wheelchair.”
 

Written by Ruth Underwood

After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2017, he joined the Navy and was stationed in San Diego. In February 2022, Jess was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma. There was a tumor on his vertebrae, and treatment included radiation therapy. In an extremely rare complication, the chemoradiotherapy triggered an autoimmune response known as transverse myelitis that damaged Jess’ spinal cord at T-4.

After receiving cancer treatment on the West Coast, Jess returned home to Marietta, Georgia. He went to Emory University Hospital and then transferred to Shepherd Center’s Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit (CRU) for therapy. He spent three months on CRU, followed by the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program.

He says his time in CRU was difficult because he had a pressure wound when he arrived at Shepherd and had frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs). With everything he was dealing with, he had little energy left over for physical therapy.

He did enjoy some outings, including one at the Georgia Aquarium and one at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. The airport outing was especially meaningful to Jess.

“I’ve always liked to travel and want to learn how to do it again,” he explains.

In the Day Program, he tackled physical therapy, working to stretch out his tight hamstrings and get stronger. He learned to do floor transfers and how to reduce his risk for UTIs. He says he also made some lifelong friends.

After graduation from Shepherd’s Day Program, Jess first lived in an apartment near Shepherd Center and then moved home to live with his mom. He says his illness and injury changed his perspective, and spending time with his family is the most important thing to him right now. 

Unfortunately, the UTIs continued, leading to more pressure sores. That’s when Jess made an appointment to see Dallin Lindahl, M.D., medical director of Wound Care Services at Shepherd Center.

“I ended up having six sores on my toes and my bottom,” he explains. “The Wound Clinic equipped me with a wound vacuum and recommended home health care visits to help me make sure the wound was clean and healing.”

With his cancer in remission, the UTIs under control, and his wounds healed, Jess feels stronger and ready to participate in more physical activities. He says he’s trying to stay productive and is working toward the goal of moving into his own home.

He still occasionally has appointments at the wound clinic to ensure his skin looks healthy and to catch any new issues early.

He’s grateful for the team at the wound clinic and wants other people to know about the care he received there.

“I had six wounds that prevented me from fully participating in physical therapy. Because of the Wound Clinic, I'm able to continue my path to becoming independent. I would recommend the clinic to other people because it works. The staff is really personable, and they make you want to come see them every week. Dr. Lindahl's awesome. He's down to earth, and they're just extremely helpful,” he says.

Written by Ruth Underwood

The fall resulted in a paralyzing C-5 to C-6 fracture-dislocation which led to severe impingement and swelling on her cervical spinal cord. ER doctors in Huntsville didn’t know if AK — as Anna Katherine is known to her friends and family — would make it through emergency surgery.

“We were talking to keep her calm before surgery,” recalls Scott Spangler, AK’s father. “But she looked up at us and said, ‘God knew this was going to happen even before we did. He’s got a plan and a purpose for everything, even this.’ It floored us. She has a strong faith, but, in that moment, wow.”

AK eventually spent more than three months at Shepherd Center through both the inpatient rehabilitation program and the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program. Here, she and her family continued to lean on their faith to sustain their spirits and move forward – and they had support from one of Shepherd Center’s chaplains, Ben Rose, M.Div., BCC, whom they formed a strong bond with.

“Ben came in one of the first days I was there to introduce himself,” AK says. “He’s so encouraging and always rooting for you. Anytime something was bothering me, I knew I could pray with him or talk through it with him, and he would be there for me.”

As part of the Larry L. Prince Chaplaincy Program, Shepherd Center’s chaplains provide spiritual care while honoring the diverse religious backgrounds of all patients, families, and staff. Rose says his role is all about being available, being positive, and providing outlets for patients’ faith practices while away from home.

“It was a joy to acknowledge and explore God’s place in AK’s rehabilitation,” Rose says. “We, as chaplains, assisted AK and her parents in grieving loss while also celebrating the life that lies ahead. I consider that my most important mission as a chaplain here.” 

AK and her family regularly attended Sunday services at Shepherd Center and kept meeting with Chaplain Rose even through AK’s time in the Day Program.

“For us, as a family of faith, it was so appreciated to have someone like Ben as an integral part of the care team there,” Scott adds. “Even if you don’t come from a faith background, it’s such a benefit to have these chaplains, counselors, and psychologists as part of your care team who are all there to encourage you.” 

Back home in Huntsville, AK’s continuing her physical therapy, focused on getting strong enough to operate a manual wheelchair routinely — and not just in “turtle mode,” as AK jokes. She’s back in school, aiming to attend college and work in engineering. And she’s often in touch with a new friend she made at Shepherd Center, 21-year-old Eden Schroeder, a member of the Shepherd Sharks swim team.

During AK’s time in Atlanta, the two young women shared notes on their nearly identical spinal cord injuries — sustained three years apart — and bonded as athletes. AK watched Eden’s swim practices while there, gaining further motivation. Last December, Eden competed in the U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championship. Now, she’s lobbying AK to take up adaptive swimming as her next athletic challenge.

“We’ll see,” AK says. “Each day is a new day. One of my teachers always says something that has proved awesomely true: There’s ‘not yet,’ but ‘later on’ always comes. What that means for me is maybe I can’t do something at this moment. But that won’t always be the case. I can keep working, and later on, maybe I can.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

While he was a patient in both the inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program and later the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, Dakota’s family stayed nearby in family housing.

“That was a huge deal, especially because my family was coming from West Virginia,” Dakota recalls. “My mom was here for a long time when I was inpatient. When I was in the Day Program, my family members rotated – my wife, Kayla, would come for a week, then my sister, and then my mom. I’m happy to see the expansion of family housing; it’s a big benefit.”

Before his injury, Dakota spent a lot of time lifting weights at the gym. He says that being in such good shape allowed him to regain some function faster than he might have. And there were some other things he also took away from his rehabilitation at Shepherd.

One is an enduring friendship with another patient, Denise. Dakota and Denise were neighbors at Shepherd and often in the gym together. They would joke around during therapy, and after discharge, they kept in touch. When Dakota returned to Atlanta for the Day Program, Denise invited him to watch football with her family. From there, the two families grew closer. They have traveled together and often spend weekends at Denise’s family lake house.

Dakota also says that along with his mom, Shepherd staff encouraged him to go to college. And since he is the kind of person who likes to be busy, he decided to go for it. He enrolled in online courses, which he continued while in the Day Program at Shepherd.

The team in the Access Technology Lab helped him troubleshoot the best ways to complete his classwork, identifying apps and tools for his computer. “Some of the tools they recommended provide a lot of value,” Dakota says.

He got a degree in accounting and found a job at the Army and Airforce Exchange Service through a federal program called The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), which connects government and some private employers with college students, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities. Dakota, his wife, and their 11-year-old  daughter recently moved to McDonough because he wanted to have health care options closer by than the small town where he grew up offered.

Dakota is planning for the future—including pursuing a master’s degree—and reflects positively on the foundation his Shepherd experience helped lay for his future.

“At Shepherd, it feels like you're safe. I don't know how to explain it. Everybody treats you normally, everything's accessible, therapy is great, and there's a lot of enthusiasm and support,” Dakota explains.

Written by Ruth Underwood

Five years ago, on New Year’s Eve, Alesha was on a road trip with friends when the car she was riding in flipped, and she was thrown out the back window. When she landed, she sustained a T-10 to T-11 spinal cord injury (SCI). And while her life changed that night, she says her view of life ultimately changed as well.

“I thought my life was going to be over,” Alesha says. “I wasn't going to be able to do anything. I thought it was going to be a period. God put a comma there instead, and I have lived more now than I did before.”

Alesha went to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Georgia, before transferring to Shepherd Center for rehabilitation. She says the first night at Shepherd, her mom couldn’t stay with her, and she was terrified to be alone, but one of the nurses stayed by her side. “To this day, I still talk to Allie, the night nurse. She held my hand until I fell asleep.” 

Alesha participated in the inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program and the outpatient SCI Day Program and says the staff felt like family.

“From the first day, everybody was there to support me. Everybody was realistic. They allowed me to be angry, to be sad, to be whatever I wanted to be.”

At first, Alesha was hesitant to try new things. “I said, ‘Absolutely not. Why would I want to do that? That's going to be too much on my arms. Or physically, I'm incapable.’ I guess I didn't want to get used to being in a wheelchair. But now I've realized there's so much more life to live while in a wheelchair — even if it’s different, there is a way to do it. I have done so many things.”

Alesha says it was while she participated in the Day Program that she really started gaining a sense of independence.

“I was doing all the things. My therapist was really good at being firm but supportive.

That was one of my favorite things about Shepherd Center. They're always able to get me together, but in a supportive way, because sometimes I would overthink things and get anxious, especially if it was something new. I was always thinking of what could go wrong, versus now, I think about all the good things that could happen.”

Since graduating from the Day Program, Alesha has tried many activities through Shepherd’s Recreation Therapy Program. She’s participated in Adventure Skills Workshop, where she learned to waterski — now one of her favorite things to do. And she and her partner, K, recently took a trip to Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS) Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to participate in an outdoor adventure program with Shepherd’s Recreation Therapy Program and STARS.

“I’m always so grateful that my partner gets to attend with me because it's easier for her to experience new activities with people who will tell us how to make it work, and we can ask for help if we need it. That's important.”

In 2022, Alesha was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Georgia, and she spent the year traveling around the state advocating for people with disabilities.

“That really started a fire for me to get involved in advocacy, because it's not about me.

It's about the generations coming behind me. I plan to go back to school for disability studies so I can learn more as well as apply my experiences. I’m excited to grow and see what I can do for the next generation.”

She’ll keep on trying new things — and growing.

“The things that I thought were going to be impossible, I’m doing them. And I'm blessed to have an amazing partner who will charge into the unknown right there with me. So, life is full of blessings, and it's amazing.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

One morning in late July, he dozed off while driving and hit a telephone pole, sustaining a C-2 to C-4 level spinal cord injury (SCI). Chris was taken to DeKalb Medical Center (now Emory Decatur Hospital) in Decatur, Georgia, and after a brief stay, he transferred to Shepherd Center. He had spinal fusion surgery at Piedmont Hospital and began rehabilitation at Shepherd.

He says when he arrived at Shepherd, he felt invincible and, therefore, somewhat resistant to therapy.

“As a 17-year-old high school athlete, I thought, ‘I'll be fine. All these things you want to teach me, we'll push that off because I'm going to be okay,’” Chris explains. “And the therapists had an incredible way of accepting that attitude, but then pushing at the right time and getting 110% out of me and whatever was possible to get out of my body.”

So, Chris and his care team got to work.

“Shepherd gets you into doing things so fast from a therapeutic perspective, from a mental perspective, and ultimately trying to normalize whatever normal is going to be,” he remembers.

When he left Shepherd, Chris finished his senior year in high school and then studied at Georgia Tech. After graduating, he worked in management consulting, living in Japan for a year. He went on to get his MBA from Duke University. Chris eventually regained full movement on the right side of his body and limited movement on the left side. He walks with a cane and sometimes uses a wheelchair to play basketball or rugby. He’s continued to push himself and credits Shepherd with his willingness to face challenges. 

Now 51, Chris is married with two children and a successful career. He just started a new company and is looking forward to new adventures in life. As he reflects upon the past, he says that the lessons he learned at Shepherd Center helped him live the life he always imagined.

“Shepherd provided me with an even stronger foundation for pushing through challenging things and challenging myself. So much of how I approach every day was born back in that summer of 1989.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

After Les made it through a high-risk surgery, his doctors said he should transfer to a spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospital. So, his daughter, Codi, began researching and asking professionals what their next move should be.

“I began asking every case worker, surgeon, nurse, and each person with the slightest bit of medical background I came across — if they were in this situation, where would they want to be taken?” Codi explains. “The answer was nearly unanimous. ‘Take him to Shepherd Center in Georgia.’”

That’s exactly what they did. At Shepherd, medical professionals determined that Les’ spinal cord injury was incomplete and that he had also sustained a traumatic brain injury. Les and his medical team got to work, and he began progressing in his rehabilitation. As the months passed, and Les graduated from the inpatient program to the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, his sense of humor never faltered, and he and Codi relied on their knack for connecting with others to create meaningful relationships with staff and patients.

“We spent every Tuesday evening sitting and having family dinners with everyone, including [Shepherd Center co-founder] Mrs. Alana Shepherd, who always came with a fun conversation, but our closest bond was with her granddaughter, Julie,” Codi says. “My dad is a serious animal lover. So, when he needed cheering up, Julie would come by with Lanza [one of Shepherd’s facility dogs]. Of course, Dad and Lanza became best buddies, and in the process, Julie did too.”

For Les’ family, those who had been strangers mere months ago were now even closer than friends. They became family.

“We got to know staff from housekeeping to the coffee kiosk and patients from all over,” Codi says. “When you're there as long as we were and surrounded by people whose lives are also getting flipped upside down, everyone quickly becomes an extension of your family. We've created a lifelong family at Shepherd.”

Today, Les has made spectacular progress and has returned home to his farm with his wife and daughter. But Codi felt she could not leave without a formal goodbye. She wrote a letter recapping some of the firsts she shared with her dad during his recovery at Shepherd Center.

 Excerpts from her letter to Shepherd are below:

Though Dad won't say goodbye until the end of the week, today, I say goodbye (for now) to Atlanta.

I wasn't expecting to be as emotional about this as I am. I wasn't expecting to leave without an hour-long thank-you, hug, and tears galore for each and every person who's touched our lives. But alas, here we are, so that must mean this isn't "goodbye" forever.

A third of my year has been spent here, and though sometimes it feels like only a blip, most of the time, it feels like years. I'll miss these people.

The people who have taught me more about myself than I could ever imagine, who have guided this journey, who have held my hand. 

The people who selflessly devote their lives to the families inside these walls.

I've laughed, cried, and shared so much "life" with this new family we've acquired.

I've learned about their children, met their families, hung out with them, and had countless talks over coffee.

They've even learned how Grammy is DEFINITELY making a scrapbook of her visits, gotten to know about her "silver sneakers" group, and seen firsthand where Dad's personality comes from. We've shared meals, swapped stories, cried together, and made each other laugh like crazy.

These are the people that saved my dad.

VCU did the footwork in the beginning and kept him with us, but Shepherd has given him life.

Dignity. Love. Independence (and even a doctorate degree, if you ask him 😜).

You know how parents track babies with milestones?

Caretakers do, too... DAUGHTERS do, too.

-First time in a wheelchair

-First lunch at a table in the cafeteria

-First Easter 

-First time moving legs again with the NuStep

-First time playing cards to gain back some memory

-First time sitting up by himself

-First time learning to balance on the edge of a surface

-First time navigating life outside of a hospital

-First day transferring without a Hoyer

-First day playing games outside again

-First Memorial Day 

-First day navigating society via a farmer's market outing

-First time walking Annie

-First time doing yoga

-First time driving a track chair

-First time out to dinner as a family

-First time putting on pants without help

-First Project Rollway

-First time driving a manual chair

-First time picking up his own legs

-First time laying on his stomach

-First time on the tilt table

-First time cooking

-First Father's Day

-First custom wheelchair (x2)

-First standing frame 

-First Peachtree Road Race

-First July 4th

-First time on the news

-First time being appointed Mayor

-First time getting in and out of a car

-First (and soon second) Graduation

-First time navigating an apartment

-First time getting in and out of bed

-First time "scooting" around at the zoo

-First time in the pool

-First time walking in the pool

-First time walking on the Lokomat

...the list goes on and on! 

When we got here, our lives looked a lot different. They still do, but my, how he's grown! I'm so proud of how far my dad's come since March, and I'm eager to see how far he'll go as he continues his recovery and rehabilitation in North Carolina. I'm grateful for our time at Shepherd, all the connections we've made, and the family we've gained, but I'm more excited to see how much progress we can make before we come back for a visit.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you who have supported us near and far. Especially our friends and family at Shepherd Center. Don't think I'm letting you go without your own personal sappy letter - I'm just a bit behind.

On to our next adventure!

See you soon, Carolina ✨

- Codi Southerland

Written by Lindsey Rieben

As JJ transferred from Memorial Health to Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, he was overwhelmed by the amount of support he received from family, friends, and his church community.

“People came out of the woodwork,” he says. “My now late stepdad started a GoFundMe, and people in the community I hadn’t talked to in a while came to see me. It was wild. All these people cared and pulled together to help me.”

One visitor was Chris Heitzman, a lifelong friend of JJ’s. Chris had insight into recovery at Shepherd Center because he had been a patient himself. Six years before JJ’s injury, Chris sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car crash and spent months in Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program.

“He gave me hope, especially at the time,” says JJ. “It was really mentally hard for me, and he gave me inspiration to not give up.”

Under the care of Wes Chay, M.D., JJ began making progress and developing habits that would help him lead a healthier lifestyle. He started attending outings with Shepherd Center’s recreation therapy program, which is funded by generous support from donors, to hone his outdoor skills, including hunting.

“After I left Shepherd Center, I started going hunting with the KT Team,” says JJ. “KT is a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities get back to the outdoors. That’s how I got hooked on turkey hunting. That’s basically all I hunt now.”

Through recreational therapy activities like hunting, JJ also found his calling to give back.

“I went back to my old fraternity house, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, at Georgia Southern, and there was an active brother there who uses a wheelchair,” JJ explains. “I was able to take him on a KT Team hunting trip as his guide, and that’s when it clicked in my heart that this is what I needed to do. I needed to pay it forward.”

From that point on, paying it forward was precisely what JJ did. He started searching for volunteer opportunities to reintegrate into the community including local chapters of Shriners and Masons. He also found joy in giving back to his church community by running sound and lighting and counseling middle and high school youth. Eventually, he joined Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee, a volunteer group of young professionals committed to advancing Shepherd Center’s mission through fundraising and volunteer opportunities. During that time, he was contacted by Chris’ family.

“Chris’ dad saw that I was volunteering and knew I was also looking for some way to support myself,” JJ says. “He asked how I would feel about becoming a caregiver for Chris. It was a godsend.”

With all the progress he had made, JJ felt confident in his ability to care for Chris and took classes to become his legal caregiver. Today, the two lean on each other for support and brotherhood, while JJ provides essential support to Chris. They go on outings like Atlanta Braves games, working out at the gym, and mini golf. JJ also assists Chris in getting to and from his job at Publix.

“Chris is just such a huge blessing,” JJ says. “He keeps me humble and reminds me every day of the blessings I have.”

One of those blessings, JJ says, is recreation therapy.

“Life is never the same after a traumatic injury,” JJ says. “Prayer, help from family and friends, and recreation therapy saved my life.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben.

After graduating from high school, he attended and graduated from the University of Alabama. Aric continued his journey at Shepherd Center, where he discovered a new passion – adaptive water skiing. The sport allowed him to maintain an active lifestyle while connecting with others who shared his determination to overcome challenges. When he retired from waterskiing, Aric missed the physical activity and camaraderie of participating in a competitive sport. That's when he learned about Shepherd Center's Project Workout on Wheels Internet Intervention (WOWii).

“Since retiring from skiing, I felt myself getting lazy for lack of a better word,” Aric laughs. “I learned about the WOWii program at Shepherd Center and knew I had to join.”

Upon joining the program, Aric discovered he could modify workouts to suit his needs.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to adapt some exercises from the fitness subscription I already had,” Aric says. “That was one of the biggest factors for me. I wanted to be open, be held accountable, and learn something new. It has really helped and energized me.”

But WOWii offered more than just a workout. Aric found a supportive network of peers and mentors, all facing similar challenges but determined to push forward together. The program became a platform for personal growth and creating a fulfilling and balanced lifestyle.

“It’s education to get stronger, reduce swelling, get cardio, negotiate priorities, and face obstacles. We work through common problems together,” Aric explains. “We’re all different ages, and we all have spinal cord injuries. We are all in the same boat.”

As Aric's WOWii journey nears its end, he reflects on the valuable lessons he has learned during this transformative experience.

“It’s not just physical, it’s mental,” he says. “It’s okay if you can’t work out one day. Just don’t let it get you down. I think the WOWii program is something everyone can learn and benefit from.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben.

The next Project WOWii group begins this October. If you are interested in signing up and learning more like Aric did, contact our clinical research coordinator, Amber Lopez, at Amber.Lopez@Shepherd.org or 404-350-7656 for more information. The deadline to sign up is September 1.

“You have people who understand where you’re coming from and your obstacles,” Katie explains. “As much as you love your family and friends, they can’t fully understand what you’re going through like someone with a spinal cord injury can.”

When Katie recently moved to Flowery Branch, Georgia, she had a difficult time finding the same feeling of connection. Then, she enrolled in Shepherd Center’s Project WOWii, a research study that examines how valuable and effective an online format is for helping individuals with spinal cord injuries stay active.

“One of the biggest reasons I wanted to start is because the older you get, the more bad habits can get in your way,” Katie says. “I found myself not having energy. Transfers are hard. This program made sense to be able to help me make a good lifestyle change.”

As Katie logged on to her first WOWii meeting, she was not sure what to expect, but she knew it would be beneficial. Equipped with her provided TheraBand and hand bike, she was prepared for her instructors to prescribe a list of mandatory exercises but was pleasantly surprised to find a personalized experience.  

“The cool thing is there is no set of exercises you’re given,” Katie recalls. They give you the tools, you find what works for you, and then we come together and talk about it. Some of the things people have shown me have been incredible. I thought, ‘How have I not thought about this for the past 30 years?’”

In the nine weeks since her program began, Katie has worked hard to meet her exercise goals, sneaking in 30 minutes of cardio on her hand bike before her morning coffee. Along with renewed energy and feeling physically healthier, Katie has finally found the community of spinal cord injury support she had been looking for.

“It’s gone beyond the exercise,” Katie says. “It’s really in the camaraderie. Being about to bounce ideas off people who understand and get their suggestions is priceless.  I’ve been lacking that for the past 10 years in Georgia.”

As Katie’s program ends, she is looking for new ways to raise awareness for Project WOWii.

“The important thing for me is getting people to know this program is out there,” Katie says. Even if you have a busy schedule, you can still do this program. It sounds overwhelming to fit in 150 minutes of exercise a week. It’s actually been super easy. Thirty minutes Monday through Friday, and you’ll feel 1000 times better doing it.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben.

If you’re interested in participating in our next Project WOWii group, please review the eligibility requirements on our website and contact Amber Lopez at amber.lopez@shepherd.org or by phone at 404-350-7656.

One evening, as Aiden was studying for a midterm, he noticed his roommate stumbling to the door after drinking, preparing to return to his fraternity house. Aiden immediately offered to drive his roommate.

“Get in, and if you think I’m too bad to drive, then you can drive,” said his roommate.

Aiden reluctantly agreed. His roommate drove erratically through town, reaching speeds over 100 miles an hour before he hit a curb, sending the car flying until it landed against a pole. Aiden immediately knew that he could not feel or move anything below his neck, and when the car caught fire, he could only feel the heat on his face.

A bystander rushed over to the vehicle.

“You have to pull me out,” Aiden instructed.

Just as the bystander pulled Aiden from the vehicle and got him safely across the street, the car was engulfed in flames.

Aiden was life-flighted to TriStar Skyline Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, where he had an MRI and emergency surgery.

“The life flight nurse found my mom,” Aiden says. “And she told her, ‘This isn’t going to make sense right now, but you have to get to Shepherd Center.’ Then everyone started telling us the same thing.”

Aiden was admitted to Shepherd Center’s Adolescent Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program and spent the next three months working toward his therapy goals among his peers.

“Everyone was so welcoming,” Aiden explains. “It’s just amazing how at Shepherd Center, people are at their absolute worst, but the atmosphere and the staff there make it the happiest place on earth. That’s what always stuck with me. I was in a bad position, but it never felt like that. The atmosphere at the gym just feels like you’re hanging out with your friends, and everyone is just getting work done. It never felt like therapy.”

Aiden’s positive mindset helped him progress, graduating from the inpatient program to Shepherd Center’s Outpatient Day Program. He moved from a power wheelchair to a manual wheelchair, and finally, during the last week in the outpatient program, he came to therapy using hand crutches.

Today, Aiden is using his experiences to help others in similar situations.

“I was a music major, and playing instruments was my life. Now, I feel like my calling is to help people and create awareness about spinal cord injuries. I’m in a unique situation since I started in a power wheelchair and can now walk, so I feel like I can give insights into each stage of recovery. I try to help people in as many ways as I can.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben

In the spring of 2022, Eli and his friends attended Porchfest, a grassroots music festival in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood where musicians perform on the front porches of homes. The group found a trampoline in a backyard and started to jump. Eli attempted a front flip, landing on his head and right shoulder. He immediately knew something was wrong when he could not move his legs. Eli had dislocated his shoulder and sustained a C-5 incomplete spinal cord injury. Eli’s friends called for help, but the crowds and roadblocks caused the ambulance to take nearly two hours to reach the 25-year-old. Once the ambulance arrived, he was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was placed on a ventilator.

“I was out of it at Grady,” Eli explains. “But my mom’s friend is a physical therapist in Florida, and they recommended Shepherd Center. After that, connections started popping up left and right.”

On Memorial Day weekend, Eli transferred to Shepherd Center’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he remained on a ventilator.

“I remember being able to communicate with my family through an alphabet board,” Eli explains. “I would blink or nod to communicate whatever it was. I also remember being on a feeding tube and having this weird craving for blue Gatorade. So, that was the first thing I had when I got the tube out, followed by a Chick-Fil-A cookies and cream milkshake.”

From the ICU, Eli transferred to Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, where he met the therapists who would soon become like family.  

“I got really close with my physical and occupational therapists,” he says. “Rehab is obviously hard work, but they made it easy to show up every day and made the environment hospitable to be in day in and day out.”

In July, Eli started to see a bit of improvement when he was able to wiggle his left big toe. From there, he says, the floodgates opened, and his progress increased slowly but surely. While he was encouraged by the changes he saw, he stayed focused, taking it one day at a time.

“I had no idea what to expect coming in,” explains Eli. “I turned off any thoughts of expectations and focused on what I could work on in therapy that day. I think that really helped me. Worrying about what will or won’t happen won’t get you anywhere.”

While Eli worked hard in therapy, his family helped him progress outside Shepherd Center – particularly two furry family members.

 “That was the highlight of my days when they could bring the dogs over to hang out,” Eli laughs.

After four months in the inpatient program, Eli graduated and began Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, where he spent the next 12 weeks progressing and moving forward.

“My goal was to leave in a manual wheelchair,” he says. “But my right shoulder just wouldn’t come back. I couldn’t lift a one-pound dumbbell with it, so I left in a powerchair. But, as soon as I left, somehow my shoulder just started kicking in, and I was able to use a manual chair.”

Recently, Eli returned to Shepherd Center for another round of therapy in the Day Program, working on improving his strength and continuing to progress.

“It was just fate that I was at the right place at the right time,” he says. “I drove past this place all the time and didn’t even know it existed. It’s truly the best place I could have gone, and I can’t imagine what recovery would have looked like if I had not come here.”

Today, Eli lives in Tennessee with his family. When he’s not focusing on rehabilitation, he loves spending time with his family, friends, and dogs and attending as many soccer games as possible. He is looking forward to returning to the workforce at the end of the year.

When asked if he has any advice for people living with a disability, he had this to say:

“Everyone is going through something; ours is just a bit more visible,” he says. “You do have to get more comfortable with having your struggles more out in the open, but once you do that, it’s liberating. Once you get that mindset, you don’t care about what anyone else thinks, and you can go live your life.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this one, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign. 

One month before Noah’s 18th birthday, he was out with his friends at a trampoline park, enjoying a day of fun and recreation. In an attempt to do a double front flip, Noah landed on his head, sustaining a high-level spinal cord injury. He was rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where he received treatment and was referred to Shepherd Center.  

Noah spent two months as an inpatient at Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, grinding hard to regain his strength. Once he went home, he didn't stop there. Noah returned for the Day Program, pushing himself to new limits. That’s when he heard about the Shepherd Smash rugby team, one of the 11 adaptive sports teams of Shepherd Center’s Fred, Shaler, and Andrew Alias Sports Teams Program. Being part of the Smash pushed his rehabilitation to a new level.

“About a year after my injury, I was asked to come try out adaptive rugby,” says Noah. “For someone newly in a chair, it was good to have people in chairs around you who have been doing this for a while. Not just to learn from them, but to have people who know exactly what you’re dealing with. There, they do.”

Being part of that team gave him a sense of camaraderie and a chance to unleash his competitive side again, but that was just the beginning. Noah found other adrenaline-pumping activities like waterskiing after participating in Shepherd Center’s Adventure Skills Workshop (ASW), a weekend camp designed for people with life-changing injuries or illnesses to practice hands-on adventure skills. There, he met Bill Furbish, an 11-time national champion in adaptive waterskiing and the adaptive waterski coach.

 “He saw that I had an interest and took me under his wing, and he hasn’t let go since.”

On top of picking up two new sports, Noah could not stay away from his true love: mountain biking.

“Now that I was in this new life, I felt like the only way to truly get back to being myself was through mountain biking,” explains Noah. “It was the longest sport to get back to because I didn’t have the means to get a mountain bike. So, the community came together to help me raise funds and get back to mountain biking. I feel like I’m myself again.”

Noah’s mission is to raise awareness for adaptive mountain biking in the Southeast so he can help others regain their independence as well.

Adaptive sports have been a game-changer for Noah – both physically and mentally. Being surrounded by people who understand what he's been through and having the chance to compete again have been essential in building his confidence.

“Of all the paths you can take to rehabilitation, I think sports is the number one,” he says. “If you can, I definitely recommend giving it a try.” 

Written by Lindsey Rieben

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.

In this issue of Spinal Column, we celebrate the universal language of hope that exists at Shepherd Center. We hear from patients from across the country and around the globe about why they chose Shepherd Center for rehabilitation. Sachin Chamaria traveled to Shepherd from New Delhi, India, and recaptured his love of sports during rehabilitation. Daniel Hund found that the progress he made at Shepherd Center and the sincere staff investment in his well-being helped him focus on new possibilities in his life. Finally, after sustaining a traumatic brain injury, Rachel Foster of Oklahoma was determined to return to running. She started with daily laps around Shepherd Center’s track and went on to complete the Boston Marathon.

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

Breaking Barriers

From speech to music, speech-language pathologist Deborah A. Vega, MS, CCC-SLP, HC, champions the universal power of communication to connect.

Reclaiming Her Wings

Tiffany Vinson credits Shepherd Center’s Wheelchair Seating Clinic with helping her find the right chair to fit her lifestyle of travel.

Igniting Creativity and Advancing Innovation

At the Innovation Institute in the new Marcus Center for Advanced Rehabilitation, researchers, engineers, clinical scientists, and designers will explore real-world applications of research and technology to provide extraordinary care to more people.

Finding His Center

After a stroke, JR Reid embraced innovative treatments at Shepherd Center.

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

When they married in 2020, the pandemic wiped out their honeymoon plans to ski the mountains of Iceland’s Tröllaskagi Peninsula. Two years later, the couple — then 22 and living in Lynchburg, Virginia — finally made it to Iceland. When they arrived on the evening of March 16, 2022, the future seemed as limitless as the frozen fjords and snow-capped peaks that dominated the majestic landscape around them.  

“Neither of us expected life was about to change so drastically, so quickly,” Daniel says.

Less than 12 hours later, while on a solo morning hike, Daniel’s skis lost traction on a steep, glassy slope. He skidded, then plunged more than 30 meters down a deep ice chute. The fall resulted in a complete T-3-to-T-4 spinal cord injury, along with multiple traumas.

By the time members of a nearly 100-person rescue team located him six hours later, Daniel had gone into cardiac arrest and experienced a stroke caused by hypothermia and internal bleeding. He’d also sustained a traumatic brain injury due to the stroke, and his prolonged hypothermia would eventually require the amputation of his legs, just above the knees.

“What I remember most is believing wholeheartedly that I was going to die,” Daniel says. “The feeling that it was over. That feeling has stuck with me ever since the injury. It’s hard at times. I’ve gone through depression. I still have to consciously resist that urge to think that life is over for me and instead focus on new possibilities. The good things in my life. The things that I can do.”

Daniel credits Shepherd Center with helping him reorient his thinking.

“I made big strides in occupational, physical, and speech therapy there,” Daniel says. “But what impressed me was they went above and beyond in so many ways emotionally. Everyone at Shepherd Center just cared so intensely and spent the time with me that I needed.”

“Everybody was super positive at a time when it’s so easy to be super negative,” Sierra explains.

Daniel spent three months in Shepherd Center’s inpatient Comprehensive  Rehabilitation Unit, learning adaptations to regain physical independence. He followed that up with two pivotal months at Shepherd Pathways, a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for people recovering from brain injuries.

Daniel’s stroke had resulted in severe aphasia, affecting his ability to express and understand both written and spoken language. Those would be serious concerns for anyone, but especially for someone who loved reading and writing and had just completed a year of law school.

Daniel credits the cognitive improvements he made at Pathways for pushing him to where he is today. He can easily engage in conversation now, and his reading is up to a fifth-grade level. New career avenues open each day.

In the meantime, Daniel and Sierra are building their life together anew. The couple has moved back to their hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they’re looking at houses. They’re talking about kids. And they’re figuring out how to get back into camping and other outdoor adventures — including a return trip to Iceland to replace old memories with brighter ones.

Above all, they’re thankful for this second chance to be newlyweds.

“When we got home from Iceland, a lot of people encouraged us to do Danny’s rehabilitation somewhere close to where we were living in Virginia, or back home in New Mexico,” Sierra says. “But we wanted to get the best care possible, no matter where that took us. We’re so grateful that the opportunity opened up, and we chose to make the journey to Shepherd Center. It was the home away from home that we needed.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

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.
 

One of the emerging leaders in the craft is India’s Sachin Chamaria, a three-time national gold medalist in the sport. The New Delhi native has already represented his home country at international competitions in Italy, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates.

“Discovering this sport has given me such a sense of purpose,” Sachin says. “I didn’t know if I would be able to recapture my love of sports again after my injury.”

In 2008, Sachin sustained a C-4-to-C-5 spinal cord injury in a car accident. In the years that followed, he struggled to regain his independence and find an outlet for his competitiveness, which he had honed in his youth as a national-level taekwondo champion.

Sachin’s elder brother Rahul discovered Shepherd Center while visiting the U.S. in search of better treatment for Sachin’s injury. Sachin’s family was impressed with Shepherd Center’s capabilities — and even more so with its staff. After graduating from university in 2012, Sachin traveled to Shepherd Center. Here, he learned new ways to accomplish everyday tasks that had become daunting post-injury, like getting dressed, eating, and bathing. His pinch-and-grasp function improved significantly — an essential skill, incidentally, for the sport that would later change his life.

“Shepherd Center played a huge role in making me as independent as I am,” Sachin says. “Their expertise is impressive, and there’s no match for the modalities and resources they possess.”

Shepherd Center is also where he realized sport and adventure remained firmly in his grasp. He went water skiing for the first time, rode an all-terrain vehicle, did rifle shooting, and practiced adaptive driving.

“In a Ford truck, the real Southern experience,” Sachin notes with a laugh.

He was able to do this all with his family by his side, too, thanks to Shepherd Center’s donor-funded family housing options. His family’s presence alleviated Sachin’s trepidation about traveling globally for treatment in a foreign country.

Today, Sachin is excited to start his own family. He and his fiancée Kajal plan to marry in the coming year. Kajal is a dentist, while Sachin started his own company, Growealth Capital, which deals in the shares market, in 2018.

“I’ve always loved statistics and mathematics, so this was perfect for me,” he says. “I like it when my brain is constantly active. I cannot stand to sit idle!”

And when the work piles up, Sachin and Kajal hit the dance floor.

“Dancing is one of the best stress-busters for me,” Sachin says. “I’m human. We all feel low or frustrated sometimes. So, when that happens, we’ll call up friends, go to a club, and dance things out.”

Of course, boccia remains Sachin’s passion. He will represent India at this fall’s Asian Para Games in China. The next big goal is to qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

“Just representing my country on that stage would be such an honor, win or lose,” Sachin says. 

Sachin also wants to use his platform to grow the sport. This year, he’s met twice with Penny Morrison-Ross, director of global initiatives at the Shepherd Center Foundation, about incorporating the sport in recreation therapy at Shepherd Center.

“We would love for Sachin to introduce boccia to our patients and help us bring the sport here,” Morrison-Ross says. “He’s been so helpful in spearheading this effort, one that could be very impactful for our current and future patients.”

Sachin is thrilled to bring boccia to a place that has meant so much to his journey.

“Because it’s not just a sport to learn, it’s recreation therapy,” he says. “And it can be a newfound purpose for people. It is so important to find new passions to motivate yourself. Life without purpose is no life at all.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this one, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign.            

“I love animals and want to protect wildlife and the environment,” she explains.

When Angel was 15, she was in an accident while riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). While she felt fine initially, after a few months, she began limping and couldn’t bend her left leg. Then she started having difficulty lifting her foot.

That’s when she learned she had a spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a tangle of blood vessels in the spinal cord that can cause permanent damage. Doctors told Angel she might have been born with the AVM, and the ATV accident caused it to rupture slowly, leading to muscle weakness. Based on the severity of the AVM, they were surprised she survived.

In September 2021, in a 10-hour surgery, her doctor removed the AVM, but Angel had no feeling from her neck down when she woke. Within a week, she regained feeling in her hands and arms. When she was discharged from the hospital, she started rehabilitation at the Adolescent Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at Shepherd Center.

While at Shepherd, Angel regained movement in her feet and legs. She worked to strengthen her muscles using the Lokomat®, robotics-assisted treadmill training with body-weight support, and then the treadmill.

Angel was the only girl on her team for her first month at Shepherd.

“I was the boss,’’ she jokes. She became close with some of the other patients — and when another girl arrived, they became fast friends and still talk daily.

After four and a half months at Shepherd Center, including inpatient rehabilitation and the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, Angel returned home. She uses a wheelchair and continues to work on her leg strength.

“I was terrified to go back to school because I was going to be the only one in high school with a wheelchair, and I didn't know how people would treat me. But my team at Shepherd told me that if I sat at home, I had a higher risk of being depressed. So, I got up the courage and went back to school,” she explains.

Angel attends physical therapy four times a week and says she’s getting better every day.

“I went back to color guard, and I spin in the wheelchair. I go to competitions. My goal is to show people that you can still make a positive outcome, even through the negative. Just be you.”

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. 

 When Mariah started experiencing severe back pain between her shoulders on March 21, she knew she had to get to the hospital. On the way to St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, Georgia, panic set in as Mariah went numb from her breastbone down. After doctors assessed her at St. Mary’s, Mariah learned she had sustained a spinal cord injury due to a blood clot.

Following her diagnosis, Mariah transferred to Shepherd Center on April 3, uncertain of what to expect, but with a discharge date the same day as the Taylor Swift concert.

“Coming to Shepherd, I had no idea what relationships with my therapists would look like,” Mariah explains. “But my whole team liked Taylor Swift, and my therapist, Katie, had a ticket to the concert, too. So, it was really helpful in easing my nerves by having something in common, and we formed a relationship quickly. I thought I’d go to therapy and just leave after, but I found myself staying later to talk to them.”

When Mariah’s therapists found out she was going to the Taylor Swift concert, they turned every rehabilitation exercise into an opportunity to help get Mariah to the show. Art therapy became time for Mariah to make the trademark friendship bracelets traded at the show, and showers became a jam session for Mariah and occupational therapist Katie Kimball, OTR/L, RYT-200.

 “You could hear Taylor Swift music blaring down the hall when she took a shower,” Kimball laughs. “Mariah’s goal attainment scale always came back to the Taylor Swift concert.”

 Roughly two weeks into her rehabilitation journey, Mariah experienced a setback in her bowel program that put her dreams of seeing Taylor live on hold. When someone experiences a spinal cord injury, the communication between their brain and the nerves controlling the bowel muscles can be disrupted, resulting in difficulties with regular bowel movements. A bowel program for spinal cord injury refers to a routine or set of steps that individuals with spinal cord injuries follow to manage their bowel movements.

 “The bowel program I was on just was not working for my body,” Mariah explains. “I told Katie I was going to sell my ticket, but she convinced me to give her one more week. My team advocated for me to change my program, and by that next weekend, my bowel program was changed. It was so much better!”

 Equipped with new confidence, Mariah continued to progress. Her therapy team worked with her on car transfers, putting on leggings to go underneath her “Evermore” album-inspired dress, and helping her friends understand how to break down and reassemble her wheelchair.

 As the day of the concert and Mariah’s discharge approached, the team realized they had missed an important step: the tickets. Mariah bought her tickets long before she sustained her spinal cord injury, and there was no way she could make it to her seat. She teamed up with Kimball to call the venue to get her seats changed – to no avail. Luckily, Kimball had one last trick up her sleeve – a contact who worked at the venue and was able to move Mariah to an accessible seat.

 Finally – it was happening! The day of the concert, Mariah got dressed with her friends, and they made their way to the stadium for a life-changing experience, in more ways than one.

“It was truly eye-opening,” Mariah says. “This was my first big outing outside of Shepherd Center. I got so many people saying ‘I’m so sorry’ and moving out of the way. It was interesting to navigate a concert as a person with a disability.”

 While at the concert, Mariah and Kimball met up to celebrate this huge victory for Mariah and of course, jam out to Taylor Swift.

Today, Mariah is continuing her rehabilitation in Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Day Rehabilitation Program, visiting her therapists and reminiscing about the concert and the progress she’s made since beginning her rehabilitation journey.

“The concert was amazing! I wouldn’t have changed my decision to go and not sell my ticket,” Mariah says. “I couldn’t have done it without my therapy team. They were so helpful in shaping the way I did things. Not just for the concert, but for life.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben

On October 30, 2022, Bobby Kwak pulled into his driveway with a sigh. It had been a long day at work, and the day’s activities had been so time-consuming, he’d forgotten to eat. He was ready to relax, have a beer, and turn in for the night. As he was getting ready for bed that evening, Bobby fainted, hitting his head on the door and the floor, and sustaining a C-2 level spinal cord injury. After his son found him, his wife called 911 and Bobby was rushed by ambulance to WellStar North Fulton Medical Center in Roswell, Georgia.

When Bobby transferred to Shepherd Center in November 2022, he was not hopeful. Being the sole breadwinner for his family, he was unsure how he would support them and pay his medical bills. Bobby had lost most function in both of his arms, making returning to his job in time for the impending tax season seem impossible. So, when he met Leah Barid, OTR/L, ATP, in Shepherd Center’s Assistive Technology Center, he was skeptical she could help.

“There was no room for failure,” Bobby explains. “I was totally against using the technology. I told Leah that unless I could use my arms, hands, and keyboard, it was useless. But she persisted and was so positive when I was so negative. So, I gave it a shot.”

With the deadline of tax season looming, the duo worked together to find innovative ways for Bobby to return to his life and his job.

“To say Bobby was skeptical would be putting it mildly,” says Leah. “He was very specific about what he wanted to do, and he wanted to use the least adaptive equipment. But, once I got him in the lab, he was up for anything I threw his way.”

As Barid introduced Bobby to new technology, like voice commands on his phone to open his apps and send emails, he began to feel more optimistic. As his hopes began to rise, so did his willingness to try new things. That’s when Barid showed him the GlassOuse system, a hands-free, wireless device that tracks the user’s head movements to move the mouse cursor accordingly and allows the user to select content with a bite switch. Now Bobby could navigate through Excel documents and type emails. Barid also set Bobby up with Dragon software. This speech recognition tool allows users to turn the spoken word into written text, providing Bobby with another way to use his computer hands-free.  

“Eventually, when Leah sold me on a couple pieces of technology, things took off,” Bobby says. “It provided so much hope. I was very positive about being able to work at that point.”

With the help of adaptive technology and the support of his company, Landis+Gyr, Bobby returned to work as a senior manager of tax accounting, even working while continuing therapy at Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program as an inpatient.

“They were just so supportive of me, and I can’t thank them enough,” Bobby says. “The CFO and my boss came to see me when I was at Shepherd Center. They purchased all my technology so I could do my job, allowed me to work from home, and continue to provide support. I feel like I’m slower, still learning how to do things, but I’m just as productive as I was before.”

As Bobby prepares to cross the finish line of this tax season and return to Shepherd Center for outpatient therapy, he reflects on his journey and the care he has received.  

 "I just want to thank all my therapists, nurses, and techs. I can’t thank them enough for doing a job that is usually thankless,” Bobby explains. “Especially people like Amber in the ICU, she was so patient with me when I couldn’t speak. I had to go through some dark times, but my wife, son, and the people at Shepherd Center really helped me through it all.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben

Q: When did you start at Shepherd Center?

I started working at Shepherd Center in August 2010. I had a classmate from nursing school who was hired on at Pathways and she called me saying, “You’ve got to come down here! This place is so you!” So, I came down, interviewed, got the job, and the rest is history.

Q: Do you remember your first day?

I can’t say I remember the first day, but I do remember the first days. I knew my classmate was right when some of my first patients included a paratrooper who was injured on the job, a police officer who had been in a car wreck, and a motorcyclist who was also in a wreck. Serving as a paratrooper and a police officer were my first two careers and motorcycles are a passion of mine, so that's when I knew this place was for me.

Another thing was the culture. I would talk to people, and everyone was saying “I really like it here,” and I was thinking, “How much are they paying you to say that?” Fast forward three to four months and I found myself thinking, “Man, I really like it here.”

 Q: What was one of your most memorable days at work?

Well, some of my best days include some of my most trying days. One of my most memorable days was when I first got assigned to the ICU. We did American Cardiovascular Life Support training, so I was feeling confident when my first code happened. I started dealing with it, feeling good about it, but still looking over my shoulder for the charge nurse to come in and take over. I continued to handle the situation and my training just took over until everything was okay again. When I walked out, my charge nurse was outside waiting with my teammates. They knew I could handle it, but if the charge nurse came in and took over, I would just hand it over without doing it myself. That made me feel amazing that they had that much trust in me and that I could handle a serious code on my own. 

Seeing patients during the most trying time of their lives progress and emerge victorious is the most rewarding part of my job.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone pursuing a nursing career?

Nursing is like any other field in that there are trying times but it’s also rewarding. We see people at their worst, so you have to be sure it’s a calling.

Q: How do you feel now after working at Shepherd Center for more than 12 years?

I think Shepherd is an amazing place to work and I genuinely look forward to coming to work every day. It’s the environment here. You have to say hi fifty times in the hallway before you get to your destination because everyone will say hi first. Even with trials and tribulations, I don’t think there’s a better place to work.

Kaytlin’s family stayed close by at Shepherd Center’s donor-funded family housing, while Katie stayed by her side, opting to sleep in the hospital room with Kaytlin.

Kaytlin spent two months with her care team, rehabilitating and rebuilding her confidence.

“Kaytlin was an absolute dream to work with. From day one, she showed up to her therapy sessions incredibly motivated, hardworking, creative, and kind to everyone she met,” says Kaytlin’s occupational therapist, Jena Kelly, OTR/L. “To watch her and Katie work alongside one another- through one of the most traumatic experiences was really special to see. They work seamlessly together and truly care for one another.”

One day, as Kaytlin was working with occupational therapist, Jena Kelly, OTR/L, and recreational therapist Nikki Kiley, CTRS, the topic of marriage came up, causing Kaytlin to pause. She had not considered proposing to Katie before, but now, everything was different.

“I knew that my graduation from Shepherd was already going to be an important day for me,” Kaytlin says. “So, it just seemed right to propose that day.”

Kaytlin and her therapy team including Jena, Nikki, Carol Ardanowski, PT, and Hannah Gross, PT/OT Aide, got to work planning out the details until the day finally arrived. On April 18, Kaytlin awoke ready but nervous to graduate from Shepherd Center and transition into her new life with her soon-to-be fiancée.

“I was so nervous,” she explains. “As I watched the clock count down, I got more and more anxious. When Katie asked what was wrong, all I could tell her was that I was nervous that I would have to speak at my graduation. She had no idea I was going to propose.”

When the afternoon finally arrived, Kaytlin and Katie made their way to the Anna and Hays Mershon Secret Garden, where they would meet Kaytlin’s therapy team for the graduation celebration. Jena, Kaytlin’s occupational therapist, presented her with the traditional Shepherd Center graduation tee shirt, rolled up, with a small ring box inside.

“My nerves skyrocketed,” Kaytlin laughs. “I was fidgeting with it the whole time.”

After all of Kaytlin’s therapists had the opportunity to speak and congratulate her on her progress, it was finally time.

“I had all this stuff planned to say,” she explains. “But when it finally happened, I got up there and said, ‘I just want to say thank you,’ and I turned to Katie and said, ‘I especially want to thank you,’ then it just came out, and I said, ‘Will you marry me?’”

As the realization set in with Katie, tears filled her eyes, followed by a resounding “yes,” and many questions like how Kaytlin hid the surprise from her so well.

“Everyone knew except her,” Kaytlin says. “My therapists helped with everything. Although many of our friends and family from home couldn’t be there, my therapists were my friends and family at that point.” 

Now that the couple has returned home to Huntsville, Alabama, they are excited as they look forward to their future together and have already begun planning their wedding. Meanwhile, Kaytlin is making progress and continuing to improve with the support of her family and loving partner.

“We’re feeling good,” Kaytlin explains. “Everyone is excited we are home, and we are excited to be back.”  

Written by Lindsey Rieben

After his lawyer recommended Shepherd Center, Andrew and his family made the trip from Mobile to Atlanta, hopeful for progress. After his stay at USA Health University Hospital, Andrew transferred to Shepherd Center’s Adolescent Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, which focuses on returning teenagers to the highest level of function and independence possible after injury while also allowing them to connect and interact with similar-aged peers with similar injuries. Even during tough times and rigorous therapy sessions, Andrew’s bright personality shone through.

That positivity and humor helped him to make gains in his rehabilitation while participating in all Shepherd has to offer, including modeling in Project Rollway, an annual fashion show featuring current and former teenage patients. Event proceeds benefit Shepherd Center’s adolescent rehabilitation programs. While on the runway, Pop-Tart tossed an actual pack of Pop-Tarts to Shepherd Center’s co-founder, Alana Shepherd, bringing a smile to her face and eliciting ripples of laughter from the crowd. 

Next, Andrew attended Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, which provides intensive outpatient therapy across many disciplines. Meanwhile, his parents stayed in Shepherd Center’s donor-funded family housing to support their son and participate in caregiver training classes. Donor-funded family housing allows families like the Tarts to stay together during rehabilitation and gain skills needed to feel well-prepared once they return home. 

When Andrew returned to Mary G. Montgomery High School in September 2019, his recreation therapist at the time, Shanna Thorpe, CTRS, and Shepherd facility dog, Derek, accompanied him. They helped him get settled in at school as a part of Shepherd Center’s No Obstacles program, a donor-funded program that often includes in-school awareness and sensitivity training for school staff and students and instruction in medical or cognitive issues that may arise during the school day.

“A lot of my close friends had already seen me in my wheelchair, but for some people, this was their first time,” Andrew says. “It was nice to have Shanna and Derek there with me.”

Andrew has not missed a beat since returning home. He is part of his high school fishing team and enjoys hunting and hanging out with friends on the weekends.

“I don’t really let anything slow me down,” Andrew explains. “I take it day by day. It’s just who I am.”

Now a high school senior, Andrew is looking forward to attending the University of Alabama and becoming a personal injury lawyer to help others in situations similar to his own. Like every soon-to-be first-year college student, he’s excited for a new start and the vibrant, welcoming community in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

“From a young age, I would always tell my mom I wanted to go the University of Alabama, but I don’t want to go just because I’m an Alabama fan,” Andrew says. “I want to go because they always have something going on, and they have one of the best law schools in the country.”

As he sets off on his new adventure, Andrew’s Shepherd Center family looks forward to cheering him on and watching him succeed.

Written by Lindsey Rieben 

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this one, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign. 

The only problem? The family lived in Maine.

“He had to fight pretty hard to get me in there,” Chelsea says. “We live closer to other facilities, obviously. But once he heard Shepherd Center was the best, he was determined I would get there.

“I’m so glad he did because I can’t imagine not having gone there now. I went to the right place. We had the best team of doctors and therapists. They really wanted me to thrive. They were the first people who made me believe that, yes, it might be more challenging to pursue my dreams, but I could absolutely figure out new ways to achieve them.”

Shepherd Center also provided a solution for the family’s long-distance challenge, with Chelsea’s parents staying in donor-funded family housing on Shepherd Center’s campus.

“It meant the world to me and my family to be together during my three and a half months there,” Chelsea says. “Hands-down, I would not be where I am now without my parents.”

Today, Chelsea has a growing family of her own. Last summer, she and her husband Justin welcomed their daughter Dorothy to the world. It was a perilous journey and a complicated birth, as “Dottie” arrived 10 weeks early, weighing just two pounds, nine ounces. Mother and daughter each remained in the hospital for nearly six weeks.

Through it all, Chelsea relied on advice she absorbed at Shepherd Center.

“They do such an excellent job teaching you to be your own best advocate,” she says. “They pushed me out of my comfort zone to speak up. It’s your body, you know it best, and you have to say what you need. I carried that with me all through my pregnancy.” 

Today, mother and daughter are healthy, happy, and ‘completely smitten,’” Chelsea says with a laugh. “She lights up the whole world when she smiles. She is beautiful and funny and feisty.”

The odds are good that Dottie will translate some of that feistiness into a dance move or two. Together, Chelsea and Justin run the Libitzki School of Dance in Ellsworth, Maine. This year, the ballet, tap, and jazz studio — founded by Chelsea’s mom Cheryl — will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Dancing is Chelsea’s passion; she started when she was five. And returning to the studio as a teacher, post-injury, proved to Chelsea that her Shepherd Center care team had been right. She could, in fact, keep pursuing the things she loves most.

“It’s true,” Chelsea says. “I am very much living my life and doing what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m excited to see what’s still to come.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this one, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign. 

At the time, Tate, originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, was living in Washington, D.C., pursuing her master’s degree at American University and working at a middle school. Her parents had heard about Shepherd Center, and after she was accepted into the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, they relocated to Atlanta. Her family was able to take advantage of Shepherd Center’s donor-funded family housing while Tate was an inpatient and while she participated in the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program.

Tate worked with therapists from May to September and slowly started seeing improvements. Sensation in her arms returned. In July, she was able to move her left leg. In August, she could move her right leg. She worked on strength and balance. Eventually, she could stand for short periods of time.

Encouraged by her progress, after completing the SCI Day Program, Tate started sessions with Shepherd Center’s Beyond Therapy® program.

“I wanted to keep going, and I wanted to stay with Shepherd Center,” she says. “The staff there is amazing. Beyond Therapy is a program that is rigorous, motivating, and beneficial. It focuses on recovery, health, and well-being.”

When she started, her goal was to walk again, although she wasn’t sure what form that would take — whether it would be with a walker, forearm crutches, walking sticks, or independently. She was motivated to get out of the wheelchair in any capacity.

She says the therapists at Beyond Therapy motivate her, and she also relies on the mental toughness she gained while serving in the Peace Corps in Albania right after college.

“In the Peace Corps, I learned how to overcome obstacles,” she says. “If I could get through that, I figure I can get through anything. But it’s also the small wins – seeing improvements in balance and strength – that motivate me to keep going.”

Tate appreciates the collaborative approach of Beyond Therapy and her therapy team’s willingness to try new things to help her reach her goals.

“If something is not working, they find another solution,” says Tate, who attends the program four days a week for two-hour sessions. “They try different equipment and different methods. They always say, ‘Let’s try this,’ and really think outside the box.”

Tate has seen a lot of improvement. She’s gone from being able to stand with a walker in five-minute increments to walking for periods of time with forearm crutches. She recently walked around the gym for 45 minutes. She can also stand at the barre without holding onto the rails.

Tate is proud of her progress and credits the team at Beyond Therapy.     

“They can get you to your goals and beyond,” Tate says. “The therapists are motivating and encouraging — they don’t give up.”

Written by Sara Baxter

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.

In May 2019, Calista and her family were on a road trip from Ohio to Virginia. There was a wreck ahead of them on the interstate, and traffic stopped. Calista’s SUV was hit from behind by one car and then on the side by a tractor-trailer. One of her sons had a broken femur, but the rest of her family escaped with minor injuries. Calista sustained a T-3 spinal cord injury along with many other broken bones.

Calista was air-lifted to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she spent three weeks before transferring to the ICU at Shepherd Center.

When she arrived at Shepherd, her care team suggested Calista continue weaning from her tracheostomy, which had been helping her breathe since the accident. “Right away, they told me I should try four hours without the trach, and I thought, “Today? Are you sure?’ But I did it,” she recalls.

“That started the journey. I thought, ‘You've got just as much faith in me as I have in myself, so let's push through this together,’” she remembers. “And I gradually got to eight hours without the trach, then 12 during the day, and then after a while, I didn’t need it at all, and I was using the speaking valve to practice my breathing and get my lungs stronger.”

The recovery process was difficult, and on top of working on getting stronger, Calista was concerned about her kids.

“I wanted them to be in their environment because I felt like so much had been taken from them already. I wanted them to have a little bit of normalcy,” she explains.

So, while her mom, dad, and husband took advantage of Shepherd’s family housing so they could stay by her side, Calista’s mother-in-law stayed with their three young sons at their home in Cincinnati.

As Calista continued to heal and progress, she took advantage of every opportunity her therapists offered.

“I did the picnic in the park and learned how to do the hand-control bike. I tried basketball, but I really couldn't play basketball when I could walk, so I don't know why I thought I'd be any good,” she laughs. “That was a very short-lived activity.”  

Calista says she also learned a lot through outings with Shepherd Center’s renowned Recreation Therapy Program.

“Shepherd taught me to advocate for myself,” she says. “I was fearful about reentering society — about people not knowing what I can and can't do and leaving me out because they're afraid to figure it out or interact,” she explains. “My first breakthrough was when I went to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch the Atlanta Falcons football game. That was my first trip out in the real world, and I was worried about navigating around people in my wheelchair. The team told me, ‘Don’t be bashful. Don't be afraid. You’ve got this.’ They taught us to push our boundaries.”

And Calista continues to push boundaries. In October 2019, she went home. She returned to Shepherd for a month in the Day Program, where she says she regained even more independence. By spring 2020, she was back at work full-time. Calista says Shepherd’s Peer Support Program proved invaluable during that transition. Her job requires some travel, and her peer mentor helped her think through preparations for navigating business travel without her family support system.

“The fact that they stay connected anytime you have a question is great,” she explains.

Calista wants to encourage others to keep working hard and pushing their own boundaries in whatever they do.

“I want anybody reading my story to know that the sky's the limit. You get out what you put in. So, you just have to keep working hard and challenging yourself in order to grow. And it's worth it.”

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.

On January 15, 2021, David started his workday before dawn. He was driving an 18-wheeler on his delivery route. As he pulled through an intersection, another driver ran a red light. David swerved to avoid the vehicle, but it hit the end of his tractor-trailer, which flipped onto its side. David sustained a C-6 spinal cord injury and was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, where he would spend close to a month before transferring to Shepherd Center.

“I don't remember the stay at Greenville Memorial. I remember leaving, but that whole month was a blur,” he says.

Once at Shepherd Center, David was ready to work hard to get stronger.

“I was trying to do everything in therapy, even the stuff they said I might want to wait and try later. I said, ‘Let's just see, and if I fail, then we'll go from there,’” he recalls.

Though there were many tough days physically and emotionally, he didn’t lose his sense of self.

“Once I saw that the wreck didn't damage my brain and mess with my personality, I vowed to be myself throughout. I'm still going to laugh, I'm still going to smile, and I'm still going to be a caring person,” he explains.

For the first few months at Shepherd, David focused on strengthening his upper body. Eventually, he was able to switch from an electric to a manual wheelchair.

“When I started using the manual wheelchair, I wanted to give up. I'm not going to lie to you. I thought, ‘I'm not going to be able to do this. I'm not strong enough.’”

But David’s successes began to add up — that, coupled with the support of Shepherd staff, fueled his drive to accomplish even more.

“The staff there was just incredibly caring. Don't get me wrong, it was excruciatingly hard, but the way they pushed you, either you allowed them to help you, or you didn't. And I was willing to let them be there for me.”

Then, he regained some movement in his toe. “I stayed up all night moving that toe,” he jokes.

As David grew stronger, he began to cheer other patients on and was dubbed the fifth-floor mayor, greeting everyone in the gym and helping them feel motivated.

“I’d try to pick people up and give off that same energy that the staff was giving, and it made my stay that much better,” he recalls.

By the time he went home in July 2021, David could stand up and take steps using a walker. Now, he’s back at work part-time and hoping to return full-time soon.

In September, David was awarded the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Education Association’s Inspirational Award for his courage and determination. He’s happy to think he can give others hope.

“That’s why I carry myself the way I do — because you never know who's going to be looking up to you and saying, ‘If they can do it, maybe I can too.’ And I do it for my son, too. I want to show him not to give up and to inspire him to be better for himself.”  

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.

After spending 25 days at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, KJ was admitted to Shepherd Center.

Following six weeks of inpatient care in the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, KJ started going to Beyond Therapy® at Shepherd Center three days a week. The program combines athletic training and physical therapy concepts, offering customized plans to maximize recovery and minimize secondary complications.

“It’s so refreshing to see a team that focuses on the goals of the patient — pushing, encouraging and driving you to try harder,” KJ says. “When you believe you can’t do anymore, they find new and creative ways to keep you engaged.”

Today, KJ lives independently in an apartment of her own. An avid gardener, she’s already planted pansies to add color to her patio. KJ’s also been able to continue working a job she loves. This February, she celebrated her 21st year as operations manager for a medical media company. Of course, she enjoys her days off, too. On warm days in Smyrna, KJ says, “You’ll see a gal in a wheelchair headed to a park and a sunny spot!”

The youngest of six sisters, she’s been blessed to have her siblings by her side throughout her recovery. KJ is also thankful for her new friends at Shepherd Center.

“They’ve made me strong again physically, but they’ve also allowed me to recapture my confidence,” KJ says. “They’ve restored my faith. They’ve given me hope to have dreams and to plan for the future. The staff is everything to me — instructors, therapists and most definitely friends. I have never met such giving individuals. I’m honored to know them.”

She also has some advice for those who may be facing a similar journey.

“Stay strong and positive,” KJ says. “Life isn’t over. It’s only a detour. There will be good days and bad days, but stay focused on the next steps and work hard. Give yourself credit for even the smallest things. It’s all progress.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Fashion can be a form of self-expression. It can be a way to conform, rebel, make a statement or boost confidence.

For many people, there are a vast array of stores, brands and price ranges to select from when choosing what to wear. But for the one in five Americans living with a disability, fashion options can be elusive. While specific categories like plus sizes have become mainstream, adaptive clothing has not yet been integrated into most major clothing brands. In fact, it was not until as recently as 2014 that NYFW featured its first-ever model to work the runway in a wheelchair.

We spoke with Megan Collins, Curran Brown, Colby Higgins and Robert Antonisse, four people who use wheelchairs. They shared their first-hand perspective and fashion tips. The key takeaway: while adaptive clothing is still relatively new, there are plenty of ways to tweak and style any clothing to look and feel your best.

Visit the downloads section on the left side of this page to check out Megan, Curran, Robert and Colby’s fashion advice. Have your own tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Written and compiled by Damjana Alverson

Brains and brawn: how brain stimulation and task-related training may help people with SCI

While people are inpatients at Shepherd Center, they receive comprehensive care from a team of rehabilitation professionals. If the person has sustained an incomplete SCI and still has some movement in his/her legs, this care may include locomotor training to help improve and recover walking function and balance. Once a person finishes the rehabilitation program and returns home, it can understandably be difficult to continue the kind of training needed to maintain the gains made in therapy.

The SCI research team is analyzing a novel training approach that can be done in the home, which is intended to help people retain the gains they made during locomotor training after leaving Shepherd Center. The approach involves a circuit of six training activities, designed so that no special equipment is needed and focused specifically on the muscles that are important for walking. In the circuit, each of the six training activities are performed for one minute at a quick speed in order to increase heart rate. Activities that increase heart rate have been shown to improve the ability to learn a skill. Once all six circuit activities are completed, the circuit is repeated three more times.

The training activities are not the only novel part of the study. Participants in the clinical trial are randomly assigned to one of two groups. In addition to doing the circuit activities, half of the participants also receive brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) where a continuous, low-intensity current is applied to the scalp over the area of the brain that controls movement in the leg muscles. The other group performs the same circuit activities, but without brain stimulation.

The brain areas controlling the muscles needed for walking are activated when a participant is performing the training activities regardless of whether or not the participant is receiving brain stimulation. The question that the SCI research team wants to answer is whether applying brain stimulation simultaneously with the training activities helps the brain become even better at controlling the muscles. The idea is that brain stimulation may make the brain better at sending information down the spinal cord so more information gets to the muscles, and this may improve walking function and balance even more than the training alone. Ultimately, the goal is that regardless of which group participants are in, the training activities will help retain or improve the gains they made during therapy at Shepherd Center.

Dr. Field-Fote hopes this approach proves to be effective so it can become part of standard rehabilitation practice.

“One of the hallmarks of Shepherd Center’s innovative research program is to focus on initiatives that are accessible, practical and founded in the latest science to improve function and quality of life,” said Dr. Field-Fote. “This particular study is the first of its kind to test whether a circuit of training activities without special equipment can help improve walking function. It is also the first to use a clinically available form of brain stimulation to improve walking function after an SCI.”

This clinical trial is funded by a federal grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) as part of the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems Program. Enrollment in the study is open through early 2021, at which point researchers will begin analyzing the data to determine the next phase of the research based on the results. If you would like to apply to participate in this or any of our studies for participants with SCI, click here to browse through the available options and contact the study coordinator of the study you are interested in for additional information.

Written by Damjana Alverson

Shepherd Center is playing a pioneering role in advancing such innovative mobile solutions through its App Factory – a tech development initiative that brings together rehabilitative medicine experts and app developers with the intended user – people living with disabilities – at the center of all efforts.

“With the advent of the iPhone and other smart devices that followed, we now have platforms to support mobile apps, and it’s opened tremendous opportunities for our patients,” says Mike Jones, Ph.D., vice president of clinical research and assistive technology at Shepherd Center. “But amid the explosive growth of mobile healthcare apps, technologies must evolve and/or be adapted so that people with disabilities can use them.”

To date, more than 35 apps have emerged from the program with more than 850,000 downloads. Early efforts by Dr. Jones and his team have focused on developing app-based technologies to make specific mobile or wearable devices more useable and accessible to a person with a disability or limited dexterity.

The success of Shepherd Center’s App Factory has garnered national attention and was recently awarded a five-year $2.375 million grant from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The grant will allow the App Factory to develop, test and deploy several mobile health apps per year that target high-priority needs based on patient feedback and surveys. The goal is to create apps that can meaningfully help users better manage their health, improve function and quality of life. The hope, too, is that through the App Factory model, which typically doesn’t award funds until the app is available to the public, will generate some healthy competition among leading mobile app developers to assure their technology stays current.

“With the App Factory, we’ve opened it up to the whole market of app developers in the United States and Canada – academic centers, but also private businesses and tech start-ups, too,” Dr. Jones says. “They first must validate their idea and how their particular solution might work, conduct extensive user testing to demonstrate that it works and then publish it in the App Store or Android marketplace to demonstrate efficacy – that people have downloaded the app, are using it and that it’s meeting their needs.”

There will also be a central website with information about curated apps that are suitable for people with disabilities, as well as publications documenting the effectiveness of select mobile healthcare apps in improving functional outcomes.

Tracey Wallace, MS, CCC-SLP, project director of the App Factory and a speech pathologist at Shepherd Center, led the development of the BreatheWell Wear app, an Android Wear smartwatch app that provides discrete visual, tactile and auditory guidance to pace breathing for stress management, including showing users their heart rate in real time.

Thanks to user input into the design, the app allows users to play their own calming music, set multiple reminders to practice breathing and view a progress tracking screen that allows them to set a goal and monitor progress. The team behind developing the app hopes that a future version will also anticipate periods of higher stress and prompt users to breathe deeply to stem a panic attack.

“Everyone we’ve had test the app says they want to keep using it,” Wallace says. “It’s like having a personal breathing coach, and our patients tell us it really helps them – whether it’s overcoming fears of going places, managing anger or calming their anxiety.”

For more information on assistive technology research, click here.

Here are a few of the apps developed with support from the App Factory:

BreatheWell Wear

Assists with: managing stress through diaphragmatic breathing for people with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Available on: Google Play for Android Wear smartwatches.

When people endure stress, they experience the fight-or-flight response. Their heart rate increases and breathing becomes shallow, exacerbating anxiety. Slowing their breathing, particularly when exhaling, can help calm them. BreatheWell Wear assists the user in performing deep, slow, diaphragmatic breathing by providing visual and auditory guidance to pace breathing, including a display of the user’s heart rate in real time. It also provides the user with the option of listening to calming sounds and music or selecting a song from their own music library. BreatheWell Wear allows users to set reminders to practice during periods of low stress so they can perform the breathing technique effectively when they need it most.

BEST Suite

Assists with: energy/time management, task completion, goal setting and strategy management.

Available on: iOS devices and can be found in the App Store.

Brain Education Strategies & Technology (BEST) has developed a suite of four apps designed to help people with brain injuries and other cognitive challenges learn to optimize their energy, self-regulate behavior, set goals, track strategies, and get more done at home, school and work. The apps are integrated, allowing users to easily use the entire suite or use each app independently.

More information on the BEST Suite can be found on their website here.

SwapMyMood

Assists with: problem-solving and emotion regulation.

Available on: iOS devices and can be found in the App Store.

SwapMyMood was designed to assist people with brain injury in engaging in problem-solving and emotion regulation. The app is an electronic mobile version of evidence-based tools that were previously only available in paper format. SwapMyMood guides the user through the multiple steps involved in a problem-solving and emotion regulation intervention. Links to supportive resources and tips are integrated throughout, and effective, personalized interventions can be saved for reference in future situations.

The contents of this app are based on the Short-Term Executive Plus Intervention for Executive Dysfunction developed at the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (grant no.1R49CE001171-01).

Pow!r Mount Plus

Assists with: mobility impairments due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) or high-level spinal cord injuries.

Available on: Google Play for the Android platform and supports devices on a Wink network.

The Pow!r Mount gives users the freedom and independence to position and interact with equipment such as speech devices, laptops, phones, cameras, tablets, hydration and suction equipment.

The Pow!r Mount Plus app adds home control capabilities to the Pow!r Mount app, enabling users to control smart devices in their home using their phone or tablet. Both apps can be controlled by directly touching the screen or using accessible switches plugged into the Pow!r Mount’s End Cap.

SpeakUp: An SPL Meter

Assists with: speaking volume.

Available on: Google Play for Android operating systems.

SpeakUp is designed for people that need assistance modulating or increasing their speaking volume. The target use population are pediatric patients that have difficulty modulating the volume of their voice and children who have difficulty using a loud voice. The adjustable nature of the application allows it to be used with adults, most notably those with Parkinson’s disease.

Speech2RTT Communicator

Assists with: non-verbal communication.

Available on: Google Play for Android operating systems.

Speech2RTT® is an Android application that enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and non-verbal to communicate with anyone using their Android smart phone or tablet. It works over cellular networks and for Wi-Fi calling.

The app captions and then streams the text of what is being said between individuals. If a user cannot speak, or opts not to speak, they can type what they want to say in real time.

Tetra Alarm

Assists with: reminders for people with spinal cord injury or other conditions or illnesses.

Available on: Google Play for Android devices.

Many people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) often have a tough time with the built-in alarm functions of a smartphone. Unfortunately, the app versions haven’t been much better. Designed for people with full manual ability, many apps are difficult to use for someone with limited dexterity.

Tetra Alarm is designed so you just need to select a box corresponding to a particular time. Tetra Alarm is not only a useful tool for people with SCI, but also for people who have other injuries or chronic illnesses that have affected their memory and cognitive function.

Tummy Time Fun

Assists with: encouraging young children to spend time in the prone position.

Available on: iOS devices and can be found in the App Store.

Tummy Time Fun (TTF) is an iOS app that can be used to encourage children to spend more time in the prone position, improving postural control. During tummy time sessions, a baby/child wears a small, lightweight electronic sensor between the shoulder blades, which measures the angle of the upper body relative to a horizontal, prone position. This sensor communicates wirelessly with the TTF app that is installed on a smartphone or tablet. When the child pushes up from prone so that the angle of his or her upper body is above a preset threshold level, the app activates music or video to motivate the child to remain in that position. For video feedback, the smartphone or tablet can be placed directly in front of the baby to be in the line of sight when he or she pushes up from prone.

This website contains more information, including an instructional video.

AccessLyve 

Assists with: providing real-time audio streaming for people who are blind, have low vision or are hard of hearing.

Available on: iOS devices and can be found in the App Store.

AccessLyve provides real-time audio streaming for people who are blind, have low vision or are hard of hearing.

Written by Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH

1. Shepherd Center Co-Founder James Shepherd Passes Away 
Family and friends remember James as a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities.

2. Getting Back on Track After Spinal Cord Injury 
Day by day, Caroline Moore Brodmann works toward recovery from a spinal cord injury.

3. Pennsylvania Man Returns to Work, Takes on Family Life After Brain Injury Rehabilitation 
Adam Albaugh credits Shepherd Center for preparing him for life after a brain injury.

4. Shepherd Center Treats Two Patients with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury with Potential Restorative Drug in RESET Clinical Trial 
The Phase 1 study is evaluating the safety of the drug.

5. A Patient – and His Love of Music – Brings Holiday Spirit to Shepherd Center 
After sustaining a spinal cord injury, Thomas Joiner gets back to doing what he loves – conducting music.

6. From Patient to Safety Advocate 
Rachel Johnson, who sustained a brain injury in an e-scooter crash, aims to improve the safety of this new mode of transportation.

7. Just a Typical 18-Year-Old Boy 
Through teamwork, dedication and a whole lot of creative thinking, Shepherd Center therapists help Jefferey Cox get back to gaming.

8. U.S. News & World Report Once Again Ranks Shepherd Center Among Best Rehabilitation Hospitals 
The 2019 ranking marks Shepherd Center’s 11th year in the top 10.

9. Spinal Cord Injuries Lead to Shared Dreams 
Inspired by their time at Shepherd Center, two former patients are now doctors of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

10. The Patient Who Changed Me 
Shepherd Center employees talk about the bonds they form with patients and their families.

Shepherd Center’s adolescent rehabilitation program needs donor funding to enhance its therapeutic, academic and return-to-school programs for teens with a spinal cord and/or brain injury. So, four years ago, adolescent treatment team members started an annual fundraising fashion show called Project Rollway. The event features fashion modeling by staff members and former patients, providing a fun, confidence-building experience for patients while garnering financial support through purchased tickets and sponsorships.

Project Rollway 2017 promises to another great year for the annual tradition. Modeling in this year’s show are some former patients whose stories attracted news media coverage. Those participants include Emily Bowman, Clark Jacobs, Agnes Kim and Pierre St. Brice of metro Atlanta, Grant Brunson of Albany, Georgia, and Michael Doherty of the New Orleans, Louisiana, area.

The event is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 23, in Shepherd Center’s Livingston Gym. More details and tickets are available at shepherd.org/project-rollway.

The annual event began in 2012 and raised $3,000 in its inaugural year. As it gained popularity, proceeds increased to around $15,000 in 2016. Purchased tickets and sponsorship packages for Project Rollway have helped enhance rehabilitation programs for Shepherd Center’s adolescent patients since the event’s inception, organizers said.

Also, the fashion show helps spread awareness on the effects of spinal cord and brain injuries amongst teens and the role of specialized rehabilitation in helping them successfully return to their homes, schools and communities, organizers said.

There are approximately 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) annually in the United States, and of those cases, between 1,500 and 2,000 affect children and adolescents. Each year, more than 3.5 million Americans will sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and of that number, 250,000 to 400,000 affect adolescents. After sustaining a SCI and/or a TBI, individuals (adolescents and adults) have to learn how to adjust or learn new methods of living to be comfortable, independent and able to transition back into their community.

Learn more about Shepherd Center’s rehabilitation programs for adolescents with spinal cord and brain injuries:

• Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation for Adolescents
• Brain Injury Rehabilitation for Adolescents

By Alaina Case

And it’s one Ryan never imagined he’d be able to do again.

On August 8, 2015, Ryan was spending the day with friends on Lake Hartwell when he dove off the back of a boat and hit the bottom of the lake, causing an incomplete spinal cord injury at the C-7 level. He is paralyzed from the neck down and has limited use of his hands. He spent four months in Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, both as an inpatient and in the day program.

“Riding an ATV was something I never thought I would be able to do again,” Ryan says. “It was a huge triumph for me.”

He also has relearned how to hunt and drive a Jet Ski.

The self-professed outdoorsy person was able to accomplish his goals with the help of Chris Ravotti, the outdoor specialist in Shepherd’s recreation therapy program. Ravotti’s job is to help clients learn or relearn how to do outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking, boating and ATV riding – post injury.

After an initial evaluation, Ravotti sets goals with his clients, and they work on strategies to meet those goals. They often begin practicing inside to learn the skills for outdoor activities – for example, kayaking in Shepherd Center’s pool.

“There are no rules in outdoor recreation,” Ravotti says. “If someone wants to kayak, we look at what challenges he or she needs to overcome – such as a balance or grip deficit – and we develop a way to make it work. I do whatever I can to help them accomplish their goals.”

Ravotti works with his clients in the hospital to troubleshoot, figuring out what adaptive equipment is needed and what does and doesn’t work.

“Most of my interventions focus on helping patients problem solve and adapt their environment to compensate for the loss of function,” he says. “By practicing the skills here, they are able to re-create the experience when they go home.”

For example, Ravotti showed Ryan how to hunt by mounting a stand on the footplate of his wheelchair to hold a rifle steady. At first, Ryan needed an adaptive device to pull the trigger, but his fingers have gotten stronger. Now, he can do it himself. Last fall, he went on a Shepherd-sponsored hunting trip and shot his first deer.

“Until I talked to Chris, I didn’t think I would be able to do any of the activities I had done before,” Ryan says. “He gave me the tools to go out in the real world and actually do it. I could see how the adaptations worked, understand the operation behind it and have an idea what I needed to do when I was on my own.”

Ravotti takes groups on outings about once a month and works with charter and equipment companies, community agencies, and private landowners who donate or discount their equipment and services. Past trips have included salt-water fishing in Panama City Beach, hog hunting in middle Georgia, white water rafting and multiple hunting trips.

Ravotti also acts as the logistics coordinator for Adventure Skills Workshop, the recreation therapy program’s largest annual event bringing people together for a spring weekend of water recreation and other outdoor sports.

When clients want to venture out on their own, Shepherd Center allows people to check out adaptive equipment from the department, including rifle rests and trigger adapters for hunting, gripping aids for fishing and steering aids for ATVs.

Ravotti says it’s very rewarding when he gets messages from former patients with a picture of them on an ATV or on a boat fishing or with their first deer or turkey from a hunting trip.

“I provided opportunities for them to learn the skills, but they had to put in the effort back home for a truly successful intervention,” Ravotti says. “Knowing I played a small part in their success means so much to me.”

Learn more about outdoor recreation opportunities here.

By Sara Baxter
Photos by Louie Favorite