Download Issue in PDF Format - Shepherd Center's Spinal Column ...
Download Issue in PDF Format - Shepherd Center's Spinal Column ...
Download Issue in PDF Format - Shepherd Center's Spinal Column ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
also <strong>in</strong>side<br />
Down<br />
The Wonder from<br />
Under<br />
A wounded soldier’s comebAck + wheelchAir bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g<br />
sociAl connecTions + F<strong>in</strong>AnciAl PlAnn<strong>in</strong>g + PArAlymPiAns<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Fall 2012
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Magaz<strong>in</strong>e:<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ®<br />
Fall 2012<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
2020 Peachtree Road, NW<br />
Atlanta, Georgia 30309<br />
404-352-2020<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e@shepherd.org<br />
www.<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Editor<br />
Jane M. Sanders<br />
Design<br />
Soloflight Design<br />
Contribut<strong>in</strong>g Writers<br />
Sara Baxter, Larry Bowie, John Christensen,<br />
Amanda Crowe, Rachel Franco, Carol<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Harrell, Phillip Jordan, Flor<strong>in</strong>a Newcomb,<br />
Cara Puckett, Scott Sikes, Midge Tracy,<br />
Lauren Tucker<br />
Contribut<strong>in</strong>g Photographers<br />
Leita Cowart, Louie Favorite, Christopher<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong>, Gary Meek, Joe Phelan, Matt Rose,<br />
Brian Tipton, Terry Wyatt<br />
Board of Directors<br />
James H. <strong>Shepherd</strong>, Jr., Chairman<br />
Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., President and CEO<br />
Emory A. Schwall, Vice President<br />
William C. Fowler, Treasurer<br />
Stephen B. Goot, Corporate Secretary<br />
Alana <strong>Shepherd</strong>, Record<strong>in</strong>g Secretary<br />
Members<br />
Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson, David<br />
F. Apple, Jr., M.D., C. Duncan Beard † , Brock<br />
Bowman, M.D. * , Wilma Bunch * , James M.<br />
Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman, Clark Dean,<br />
John S. Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber * , David H.<br />
Fl<strong>in</strong>t, Stephen B. Holleman * , Michael L. Jones,<br />
Ph.D. * , Tammy K<strong>in</strong>g * , Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.,<br />
Douglas L<strong>in</strong>dauer, Sarah Morrison * , Julian B.<br />
Mohr, Charles T. Nunnally III, Sally D. Nunnally,<br />
Clyde <strong>Shepherd</strong> III, J. Harold <strong>Shepherd</strong>, Scott<br />
H. Sikes * , James E. Stephenson, James D.<br />
Thompson, Goodloe H. Yancey III †<br />
* Ex Officio<br />
† Emeritus<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Magaz<strong>in</strong>e: Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong><br />
is published quarterly by <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, a<br />
private, not-for-profit hospital specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
the treatment of people with sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury,<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury and multiple sclerosis. E-mail<br />
change of address <strong>in</strong>formation or request to<br />
be removed from our mail<strong>in</strong>g list to magaz<strong>in</strong>e@<br />
shepherd.org, or by mail to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center,<br />
Attn: <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Magaz<strong>in</strong>e Mail<strong>in</strong>g List,<br />
2020 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia,<br />
30309. Please <strong>in</strong>clude mail<strong>in</strong>g label. <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center Magaz<strong>in</strong>e accepts no advertis<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> is a registered trademark of<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
About the cover: Former patient Beigette Gill,<br />
a native of Australia, and her husband Jim<br />
operate a girls’ summer camp <strong>in</strong> Harrison,<br />
Ma<strong>in</strong>e. Beigette returned to work this summer.<br />
Photo by Joe Phelan<br />
Dear Friends,<br />
This issue of Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® magaz<strong>in</strong>e will tell you about some of the many th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
that make <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center special – from research to therapy to our patients. What<br />
you may not know, though, is the positive feedback we get from patients and families<br />
who rave about the cleanl<strong>in</strong>ess of the hospital. They say <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center is cleaner<br />
than any other hospital they’ve ever entered.<br />
Our emphasis on cleanl<strong>in</strong>ess extends to <strong>in</strong>fection control and hand hygiene. In the<br />
past three years, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center has had no cases of ventilator-acquired pneumonia.<br />
And hand sanitation stations placed throughout the hospital make it easier for staff<br />
members, patients, families and visitors to keep their hands free of germs, result<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> healthier liv<strong>in</strong>g and a cleaner facility.<br />
Three departments at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center work beh<strong>in</strong>d the scenes to make our facilities<br />
look so good and operate so well. They are our Environmental Services, Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and Food Services departments led by Wilma Bunch, vice president of facilities. She<br />
is supported by department heads: Debra Johnson over Environmental Services;<br />
Henry Burkard over Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g; and Chef Tim Elliott over Food Services. These<br />
leaders and their staffs are dedicated to their jobs and committed to excellence.<br />
The first two departments are responsible for keep<strong>in</strong>g the hospital clean and <strong>in</strong><br />
excellent work<strong>in</strong>g condition, and Food Services always prepares healthy and delicious<br />
food for our patients, their families, staff members and visitors. If there’s a spill,<br />
Environmental Services is on the scene quickly to clean it up. If someth<strong>in</strong>g breaks,<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g is on the job to fix it. And if you’re hungry, there’s always a good meal<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g planned or served.<br />
In fact, the Jo<strong>in</strong>t Commission – which recently completed an accreditation survey<br />
of our facilities, processes and procedures – found no deficiencies at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
<strong>in</strong> check<strong>in</strong>g a list of 300 standards related to facilities. Furthermore, we exceeded the<br />
requirements on numerous standards. That k<strong>in</strong>d of outcome is simply rare.<br />
We are extremely proud of our cl<strong>in</strong>ical excellence at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, but we couldn’t<br />
achieve it without the marvelous facilities we have and the excellent manner <strong>in</strong> which<br />
our support staff members operate the hospital campus.<br />
A clean facility and a smoothly run operation represent a huge part of our culture<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. This is a culture that cont<strong>in</strong>ues to drive excellent customer<br />
satisfaction – both <strong>in</strong>ternally and externally. For this, we are both grateful and proud.<br />
Warm regards,<br />
James H. <strong>Shepherd</strong>, Jr.<br />
Chairman of the Board<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ®<br />
A Letter FrOM JAMeS <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Photo BY joe Phelan<br />
2<br />
5<br />
29<br />
30<br />
32<br />
34<br />
50<br />
Departments<br />
short takes<br />
medical staff profile<br />
Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.<br />
research <strong>in</strong>sights<br />
patient profile<br />
Keaston White<br />
alumni profiles<br />
foundation features<br />
honorariums &<br />
memorials<br />
Gifts of Generosity<br />
If you would like to make a gift to support the work you have<br />
read about, please contact Scott H. Sikes at the <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center Foundation at 404-350-7305 or visit shepherd.org.<br />
Fall 2012 • <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
Contents<br />
6<br />
12<br />
14<br />
16<br />
18<br />
20<br />
22<br />
24<br />
26<br />
features<br />
WONDER FROM<br />
DOWN UNDER<br />
Australian Beigette Gill returns to<br />
work as a camp director.<br />
A SOlDiER’S COMEbACk<br />
A former Army medic starts a new<br />
career after rehabilitation.<br />
SOCiAl CONNECtiONS<br />
Patients use social media to stay <strong>in</strong><br />
touch with people back home.<br />
ROlliNg OUt<br />
Atlantan stars <strong>in</strong> a reality TV series<br />
featur<strong>in</strong>g women <strong>in</strong> wheelchairs.<br />
WhEElChAiR<br />
bODybUilDiNg<br />
Former patient returns to<br />
bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g – <strong>in</strong> a wheelchair.<br />
lEAviNg hOME tO gEt thE<br />
bESt REhAbilitAtiON CARE<br />
One family shares their tough, but<br />
right choice for their son’s recovery.<br />
FiNANCiAl PlAN<br />
OF AttACk<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g a f<strong>in</strong>ancial plan makes it<br />
easier to focus on recovery.<br />
SUCCESSFUl<br />
ENtREPRENEUR<br />
Former patient works hard <strong>in</strong> rehabilitation<br />
to return to home and work.<br />
PARAlyMPiC StARS<br />
Four <strong>Shepherd</strong> sports teams<br />
members compete <strong>in</strong> the Games.<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Magaz<strong>in</strong>e Onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® magaz<strong>in</strong>e is available at<br />
shepherdcentermagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org. Go onl<strong>in</strong>e to view stories, features,<br />
profiles and more with expanded photo galleries and additional content.
Sshort<br />
takes<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Expands its Medical Staff<br />
Two physicians jo<strong>in</strong>ed the medical staff<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center this past summer,<br />
allow<strong>in</strong>g the hospital to expand physician<br />
coverage <strong>in</strong> its Bra<strong>in</strong> Injury Program<br />
and Outpatient Services, says Medical<br />
Director Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.<br />
Ford Vox, M.D., jo<strong>in</strong>ed the staff on Aug.<br />
6, treat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>patients <strong>in</strong> the hospital’s bra<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>jury unit, and Angela Ben<strong>in</strong>ga, D.O.,<br />
began practic<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center as<br />
an outpatient physician on Sept. 17.<br />
“The addition of Dr. Vox and Dr. Ben<strong>in</strong>ga<br />
gives <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center a full cont<strong>in</strong>gent of<br />
physician expertise to care for our patients<br />
at the acute and post-acute stages of<br />
rehabilitation,” Dr. Leslie says. “We are<br />
pleased to have them jo<strong>in</strong> us.”<br />
Dr. Vox comes to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
from New England Rehabilitation Hospital<br />
<strong>in</strong> Woburn, Mass., where he served as<br />
medical director of the hospital’s bra<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>jury rehabilitation program. He was<br />
a cl<strong>in</strong>ical assistant professor at Tufts<br />
University School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> Boston<br />
from 2011-12. Dr. Vox earned a medical<br />
degree from the University of Alabama<br />
School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e and completed an<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternship at Good Samaritan Hospital<br />
<strong>in</strong> C<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>nati. He completed a residency<br />
<strong>in</strong> physical medic<strong>in</strong>e and rehabilitation<br />
(PM&R) at Wash<strong>in</strong>gton University <strong>in</strong> St.<br />
Louis School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e<br />
and a fellowship <strong>in</strong> bra<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>jury rehabilitation at<br />
Boston University<br />
School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Dr. Ben<strong>in</strong>ga comes<br />
to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
from the University of<br />
C<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>nati’s Drake Center,<br />
where she served as<br />
director of sp<strong>in</strong>al cord<br />
<strong>in</strong>jury medic<strong>in</strong>e and as an assistant<br />
professor s<strong>in</strong>ce 2010. Dr. Ben<strong>in</strong>ga earned<br />
a medical degree from the Kansas City<br />
University of Medic<strong>in</strong>e and Biosciences.<br />
She completed her <strong>in</strong>ternship at Ingham<br />
Regional Medical Center <strong>in</strong> Lans<strong>in</strong>g, Mich.,<br />
and then completed a residency <strong>in</strong> PM&R<br />
at Michigan State University and a sp<strong>in</strong>al<br />
cord <strong>in</strong>jury rehabilitation fellowship at the<br />
University of Michigan. q Jane m. sanders<br />
Campaign aimS to Strengthen <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’S <strong>in</strong>jury prevention outreaCh<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center has long worked<br />
to educate young people on ways to<br />
prevent the <strong>in</strong>juries that land them <strong>in</strong><br />
the hospital.<br />
The Center has dispatched staff<br />
members to Atlanta-area schools and<br />
driver’s education classes, advis<strong>in</strong>g<br />
young people to wear seatbelts and<br />
helmets and to always determ<strong>in</strong>e the<br />
depth before jump<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to water. And<br />
three years ago, orthopedic surgeon<br />
Herndon Murray, M.D., the medical<br />
director of <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s Sp<strong>in</strong>al Cord Injury<br />
Program, developed a special program<br />
called YIPES! (Youth Injury Prevention<br />
Education at <strong>Shepherd</strong>).<br />
Now, <strong>Shepherd</strong> seeks to spread that<br />
message to all ages by launch<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
$450,000 fundrais<strong>in</strong>g campaign to step<br />
up <strong>in</strong>jury prevention efforts – and to<br />
establish an endowment to ensure such<br />
efforts cont<strong>in</strong>ue well <strong>in</strong>to the future.<br />
“The campaign will allow <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center to promote <strong>in</strong>jury prevention<br />
to broader audiences than we have<br />
ever reached before,” says Scott Sikes,<br />
executive director of the <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center Foundation. “At the same time, it<br />
will help accomplish another important<br />
goal of <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g household awareness<br />
of <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s work.”<br />
Through the expanded <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
prevention program, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
will provide materials and expert<br />
<strong>in</strong>struction to schools, employers and<br />
organizations on the simple steps<br />
that prevent catastrophic <strong>in</strong>juries. The<br />
Center has also hired former <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center case manager Bridget Metzger<br />
as the director of <strong>in</strong>jury prevention and<br />
education services.<br />
Tommy Malone, an attorney with<br />
the Malone Law firm, is head<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
campaign along with fellow lawyer<br />
George Fryhofer of Butler, Wooten<br />
& Fryhofer. So far, the two have<br />
raised $150,000 for <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
prevention efforts.<br />
Malone and Fryhofer represent<br />
clients who have susta<strong>in</strong>ed preventable<br />
angela Ben<strong>in</strong>ga, d.o. Ford vox, M.d.<br />
<strong>in</strong>juries. They have long admired the<br />
work of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center and see their<br />
<strong>in</strong>volvement as a way to give back.<br />
“There’s so much we’re learn<strong>in</strong>g about<br />
how to prevent <strong>in</strong>juries,” Malone says. “If<br />
we can get the word out to the public,<br />
we can reduce the number of <strong>in</strong>juries<br />
caused by accidents and<br />
carelessness. We just<br />
want people to be<br />
careful and safe.”<br />
q sara Baxter<br />
For<br />
detailed<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation on devices<br />
and smart phone apps aimed at<br />
prevent<strong>in</strong>g distracted driv<strong>in</strong>g – a major cause<br />
of <strong>in</strong>juries – go to the fall 2012 onl<strong>in</strong>e edition of<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s magaz<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
shepherdcentermagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org.<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center ComeS to the reSCue<br />
Recogniz<strong>in</strong>g that only 47 percent of people<br />
with disabilities have developed plans to<br />
evacuate their homes <strong>in</strong> the event of a<br />
disaster, and that only 54 percent know<br />
whom to contact about emergency plans<br />
<strong>in</strong> their community, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center has<br />
come to the rescue with an <strong>in</strong>novative<br />
community service program.<br />
In January 2012, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
launched the RESCUE Program to<br />
provide home alert labels and education<br />
for people with physical and/or cognitive<br />
limitations who might f<strong>in</strong>d themselves<br />
<strong>in</strong> emergency situations. The mission<br />
is to aid <strong>in</strong> quicker response times<br />
Head to the Ski Slopes<br />
with Upcom<strong>in</strong>g Therapeutic<br />
Recreation Trip<br />
The <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Therapeutic Recreation<br />
Department is offer<strong>in</strong>g an upcom<strong>in</strong>g trip that<br />
will allow former patients an opportunity to<br />
experience adaptive snow ski<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Former patients, along with their families<br />
and friends, can snow ski with <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center’s Therapeutic Recreation Department<br />
and SkiMore Tours on a trip to Steamboat<br />
Spr<strong>in</strong>gs, Colo. The trip, planned for March<br />
1-6, 2013, will <strong>in</strong>clude private adaptive<br />
ski <strong>in</strong>struction, equipment, lift tickets,<br />
accommodations and airport transfers.<br />
The trip is open to all skill levels and abilities.<br />
Book early for discounts. For more <strong>in</strong>formation,<br />
contact Katie Murphy at 404-350-7465 or<br />
katie_murphy@shepherd.org.<br />
More <strong>in</strong>formation is also available onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
shepherd.org/tr.<br />
and encourage the creation of better<br />
emergency plans.<br />
RESCUE Packets are offered to all<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patients. This year, more<br />
than 2,000 packets, which <strong>in</strong>clude the<br />
RESCUE sticker, have been distributed<br />
to metro Atlanta fire departments for the<br />
Atlanta community. Packets have also<br />
been requested and sent to people <strong>in</strong> 15<br />
states, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Maryland, New York and<br />
North Carol<strong>in</strong>a.<br />
For more <strong>in</strong>formation on emergency<br />
preparedness and the RESCUE program,<br />
or to request a package, visit<br />
shepherd.org/rescue. q Carol<strong>in</strong>e Harrell<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center phySiCal therapiSt<br />
reCognized for help<strong>in</strong>g teenS<br />
The Georgia Bra<strong>in</strong> & Sp<strong>in</strong>al Injury Trust Fund Commission recently<br />
presented an Outstand<strong>in</strong>g Service Award to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center physical<br />
therapist Cathi Dugger, who is a member of the Commission’s Children &<br />
Youth Committee. They recognized Cathi for her contributions <strong>in</strong> educat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
young people about disabilities.<br />
Cathi, who is a long-time member of the adolescent treatment team <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s Sp<strong>in</strong>al Cord Injury Program, received the award at the<br />
Commission’s annual meet<strong>in</strong>g on July 26. She was recognized, <strong>in</strong> part,<br />
for help<strong>in</strong>g develop a pamphlet the Commission produced for parents<br />
of students with disabilities who are return<strong>in</strong>g to school. The pamphlet<br />
provides <strong>in</strong>formation to help parents decide whether their child should<br />
have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan to accommodate<br />
their needs <strong>in</strong> the classroom.<br />
As a co-developer of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s No Obstacles program, which<br />
helps make teens’ transition back to school a little less scary, Cathi works<br />
tirelessly to help her patients, says Shari McDowell, SCI program director.<br />
No Obstacles recognizes that adolescents rely on school experiences<br />
and positive peer <strong>in</strong>teractions for much of their self-esteem and growth.<br />
Designed by the <strong>in</strong>dividual patient with assistance from Cathi and other<br />
staff members, the program can <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>in</strong>-school awareness and<br />
sensitivity tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for school staff and students, as well as <strong>in</strong>struction <strong>in</strong><br />
medical issues that may arise dur<strong>in</strong>g the school day.<br />
“Cathi goes the extra mile for our patients,” Shari says. “If she notices<br />
someone is struggl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his or her<br />
rehabilitation program, she will f<strong>in</strong>d a<br />
way to cheer them up. For <strong>in</strong>stance,<br />
when one teen became anxious about<br />
leav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, she arranged<br />
the ultimate surprise – a chance to<br />
meet his idol, Eric Clapton, and see him<br />
<strong>in</strong> concert. After that experience, the<br />
patient felt much more relaxed about<br />
his future and was eager to return home.<br />
Dedication like this makes Cathi an<br />
<strong>in</strong>spiration to all of our <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
staff members.” q Jane m. sanders<br />
2 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 3
Sshort<br />
takes<br />
third floor renovation Complete<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patients, family members<br />
and staff are enjoy<strong>in</strong>g the newly renovated<br />
third floor of the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Build<strong>in</strong>g, which<br />
opened on May 29.<br />
This new unit is primarily dedicated to<br />
care for medical/surgical patients, who are<br />
typically several months or years post<strong>in</strong>jury<br />
and return<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center for<br />
treatment for conditions secondary to a<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
Construction began <strong>in</strong> November<br />
2011 on the 23,600-squrare-foot project,<br />
which <strong>in</strong>volved gutt<strong>in</strong>g and reconfigur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the entire floor to update systems, give<br />
the space a brighter feel and add 20<br />
private rooms.<br />
The third floor gym was also renovated<br />
and now houses dedicated spaces for<br />
the brand new Eula C. and Andrew C.<br />
Carlos MS Rehabilitation and Wellness<br />
Program, as well as the Betty and Billy<br />
Hulse Sp<strong>in</strong>al Cord Injury Lab, which will be<br />
used for research. With 20 private rooms<br />
and four semi-private rooms on the floor,<br />
the number of beds at <strong>Shepherd</strong> has<br />
<strong>in</strong>creased from 132 to 152.<br />
Private rooms – the trend <strong>in</strong> hospital<br />
care – provide more than privacy for<br />
4 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
A SilveR AnniveRSARy of ADvocAcy<br />
If you were to call another Model System of Care like<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center and ask to speak to the director of<br />
advocacy, chances are you wouldn’t be connected<br />
to anyone.<br />
“I don’t really have a peer,” says Mark Johnson,<br />
who holds the title at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
That doesn’t mean that other centers don’t<br />
advocate for people with disabilities: They simply<br />
don’t have a person whose primary responsibility<br />
is advocacy.<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center made advocacy a high priority<br />
25 years ago when the hospital hired Johnson.<br />
Paralyzed <strong>in</strong> a div<strong>in</strong>g accident <strong>in</strong> 1971, Johnson had<br />
advanced disability rights <strong>in</strong> North Carol<strong>in</strong>a and<br />
Colorado after f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g out that most public-transit<br />
buses weren’t lift-equipped. In 1986, he took on and<br />
won the same issue <strong>in</strong> Atlanta.<br />
At <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, Johnson works to make sure<br />
advocacy is part of the culture at the Center.<br />
“This creates an expectation for <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
employees and volunteers,” Johnson says. “When<br />
patients and their families: They also help<br />
reduce the risk and spread of <strong>in</strong>fection<br />
and m<strong>in</strong>imize the need for room transfers,<br />
which can be unsettl<strong>in</strong>g to patients. Last<br />
year, a separate renovation project added<br />
20 private rooms to the second floor of the<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Build<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
“The additional private rooms on this<br />
floor allow ease <strong>in</strong> admitt<strong>in</strong>g patients with<br />
<strong>in</strong>fections, allow the medical/surgical<br />
patients to be <strong>in</strong> one area of the hospital<br />
and provide additional rehabilitation<br />
new employees come to <strong>Shepherd</strong>, I tell them,<br />
‘Welcome to the movement.’ That movement is<br />
disability rights. And they embrace it.”<br />
Johnson and his colleague, Carol Jones,<br />
don’t solve problems: They teach <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
to be advocates for themselves. “We give them<br />
the tools, the contacts and the support to do it<br />
themselves,” he says.<br />
Johnson and Jones also serve as liaisons<br />
between <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center and advocacy groups<br />
that support people with disabilities – such as<br />
AAPD, ADAPT, Concrete Change and NCIL. Now,<br />
he is work<strong>in</strong>g to showcase the evolution of disability<br />
rights as part the 25th anniversary of the Americans<br />
with Disabilities Act <strong>in</strong> 2015.<br />
As for <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s silver anniversary <strong>in</strong> advocacy,<br />
Johnson measures success by the number of<br />
people <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the movement. “At the end of<br />
each quarter, I ask myself, ‘Did I get more people<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved?’” he says. “The more people we have, the<br />
more we can get done.” q sara Baxter<br />
beds as needed,” says Wilma Bunch,<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>’s vice president of facilities, who<br />
oversaw the project.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>al numbers are not <strong>in</strong> yet, but Bunch<br />
estimates that this latest renovation will<br />
come <strong>in</strong> under the projected $5.5 million<br />
budget. Funds were raised for the project<br />
through the generosity of <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
donors through the “Keep<strong>in</strong>g Hope Real”<br />
campaign led by McKee Nunnally.<br />
q sara Baxter<br />
the renovation of the third floor of the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Build<strong>in</strong>g br<strong>in</strong>gs the total number of beds to 152.<br />
PhotoS BY garY MeeK<br />
Q: what do you consider to be your most<br />
significant accomplishments as medical director<br />
of shepherd center?<br />
A: Dur<strong>in</strong>g my tenure, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center made<br />
its transition from be<strong>in</strong>g a sp<strong>in</strong>al rehabilitation<br />
center to be<strong>in</strong>g a hospital that treats sp<strong>in</strong>al cord<br />
<strong>in</strong>jury, bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury, multiple sclerosis and other<br />
neuromuscular disorders.<br />
I’m glad to have been a part of this expansion. I’ve<br />
been rid<strong>in</strong>g the crest of this wave for eight years as<br />
medical director and for almost 30 years <strong>in</strong> total at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
Q: what do you still want to accomplish at<br />
shepherd center?<br />
A: I want to be sure we have ample physician<br />
coverage for all the programs we offer and have<br />
the depth and expertise we need to serve all of our<br />
patient populations. We have just added two more<br />
physicians to our full-time medical staff, giv<strong>in</strong>g us a<br />
full cont<strong>in</strong>gent of physician expertise.<br />
We have also expanded our research at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center <strong>in</strong> sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury, bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury and MS. We<br />
want to cont<strong>in</strong>ue that effort. Though I spend most<br />
of time <strong>in</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istration and cl<strong>in</strong>ical practice, I have<br />
been <strong>in</strong>volved with research, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>trathecal<br />
baclofen study with Medtronic. Now, we’re study<strong>in</strong>g<br />
several exoskeletal robotic devices to assist people<br />
with neuromuscular disorders <strong>in</strong> walk<strong>in</strong>g. There is a<br />
lot of promise with this technology if researchers can<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d a way to manufacture it at a reasonable cost.<br />
Also, I didn’t set out to be a fundraiser for <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center, but I am fortunate to have some patients and<br />
friends who are <strong>in</strong>credibly generous. These people<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude Bernie and Billi Marcus, Jane Woodruff,<br />
Faye and Lewis Manderson, Tommy and Debbie<br />
Malone, Billy and Betty Hulse, and Kayrita and Harold<br />
Anderson, to name a few. I’ve never had to ask them<br />
to give to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. They have learned about<br />
our patients, outcomes, and research and technology,<br />
and they give to support it. I serve on <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s<br />
Board of Directors and also the Board of Trustees,<br />
and I hope to rema<strong>in</strong> on the latter after I retire.<br />
dOnALd peCk LeSLie, M.d.<br />
MediCAL direCtOr,<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
IntervIeWeD by Jane M. SanDerS<br />
Q: what attracted you to shepherd center, and<br />
what about the organization has kept you here?<br />
A: <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s mission to restore hope, dignity<br />
and <strong>in</strong>dependence to patients with sp<strong>in</strong>al cord or<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury attracted me. Our patient population was<br />
even younger when I first started at <strong>Shepherd</strong> than it<br />
is now, but we still largely treat people who are young<br />
and otherwise healthy. We work to give them an<br />
opportunity for a new life.<br />
The people who work at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, as well<br />
as our board members, are some of the most<br />
benevolent people I know. They all want to be here.<br />
Our mission statement is not just some words on a<br />
wall; it’s what everybody is do<strong>in</strong>g every day.<br />
Q: you will be honored at this year’s legendary<br />
Party, the hospital’s biggest fundraiser of the year.<br />
what does that recognition mean to you?<br />
A: The Legendary Party is aptly named because<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center is truly a legendary place. I<br />
see that on a daily basis. People who are <strong>in</strong>jured<br />
come to <strong>Shepherd</strong> for rehabilitation and return to<br />
productive, satisfy<strong>in</strong>g and happy lives. To offer them<br />
what we offer takes a lot of money and benevolence<br />
on the part of our benefactors. The Legendary<br />
Party is a time to celebrate what we do at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center, and to be an honoree this year is absolutely<br />
amaz<strong>in</strong>g to me.<br />
To be co-honored with my friends, Lewis and Faye<br />
Manderson, makes it even more special. Lewis has<br />
been a patient of m<strong>in</strong>e for the past 10 years because<br />
of back problems. We had a professional relationship<br />
that developed <strong>in</strong>to a great friendship. They are<br />
wonderful people, whom I admire very much.<br />
I am look<strong>in</strong>g forward to The Legendary Party. The<br />
money raised through the years from this event has<br />
allowed us to provide our patients and their families<br />
with value-added services, such as therapeutic<br />
recreation and hous<strong>in</strong>g on campus, that go over<br />
and beyond what other facilities offer. This year, The<br />
Legendary Party will benefit the SHARE Military<br />
Initiative for <strong>in</strong>jured service members. q<br />
5.<br />
Pstaff<br />
profile<br />
INTERESTING FACTS:<br />
donAld Peck leslie, m.d.,<br />
MEDICAL DIRECTOR,<br />
SHEPHERD CENTER<br />
exPerience AT shePherd<br />
cenTer:<br />
Medical Director, 2005<br />
to Present; Associate<br />
Medical Director,<br />
1991-2005; Attend<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Physiatrist, 1986 to<br />
Present; Resident<br />
Physiatrist, 1983-1986<br />
FellowshiP:<br />
Stanford University,<br />
Palo Alto, Calif.<br />
residencies:<br />
Emory University<br />
School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
Mayo Graduate School<br />
of Medic<strong>in</strong>e, Mayo<br />
Cl<strong>in</strong>ic<br />
<strong>in</strong>TernshiP:<br />
Baptist Memorial<br />
Hospital, Memphis,<br />
Tenn.<br />
medicAl school:<br />
University of<br />
Tennessee<br />
undergrAduATe degree:<br />
Vanderbilt University<br />
rAndom FAcTs:<br />
Dr. Leslie is an<br />
avid golfer and has<br />
played s<strong>in</strong>ce age 4.<br />
His father was a golf<br />
professional.<br />
He loves <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
travel and has gone<br />
around the world to<br />
treat foreign patients.<br />
Airedale terriers are his<br />
favorite breed of dog.<br />
Dr. Leslie’s parents<br />
were a big part of his<br />
life. He is proud of<br />
the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
garden named <strong>in</strong><br />
memory of his mother,<br />
Mavis Pruet Leslie.<br />
More story and photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 5
Photo BY joe Phelan<br />
By john Christensen<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 7
Beigette gill received an<br />
outpour<strong>in</strong>g of support<br />
from Fernwood Cove<br />
campers and parents<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g her rehabilitation.<br />
ON LABOR Day 2011, Beigette Gill lay on an<br />
overgrown logg<strong>in</strong>g road <strong>in</strong> a remote forest <strong>in</strong> northern<br />
New Hampshire. Her mounta<strong>in</strong> bike had hit a hole<br />
concealed by weeds. She was thrown over the<br />
handlebars and struck her head on the ground.<br />
Beigette couldn’t move.<br />
While her husband Jim, who was bik<strong>in</strong>g alongside<br />
her, called for help on his cell phone, she kept tell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
herself, “Just breathe. Just breathe.”<br />
Now, reflect<strong>in</strong>g on the accident, 33-year-old<br />
Beigette says: “Life is so precious, and <strong>in</strong> any<br />
moment, it can change. So you have to make the<br />
most of every moment.”<br />
The Gills were already liv<strong>in</strong>g and teach<strong>in</strong>g this<br />
approach to life before Beigette’s accident, which left<br />
her with an <strong>in</strong>complete C-6 to -7 sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
They own and operate Fernwood Cove, a summer<br />
camp for girls ages 8 to 15. Nestled <strong>in</strong> a rural area 40<br />
miles northwest of Portland, Ma<strong>in</strong>e, Fernwood Cove<br />
and the Gills <strong>in</strong>troduce campers to simple liv<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
the values of community, responsibility, tradition,<br />
respect for nature, diversity and learn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
After Beigette’s <strong>in</strong>jury, it was seven months before<br />
she was able return to the life and camp she loves.<br />
But dur<strong>in</strong>g months of rigorous rehabilitation at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, Beigette began to see similarities<br />
between the two places. “We both look at what is<br />
possible and focus on that,” she says.<br />
Just after the accident, while Beigette was<br />
hospitalized <strong>in</strong> Portland, Jim began look<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to what<br />
was possible for his wife. He researched hospitals<br />
specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury (SCI) rehabilitation<br />
and became conv<strong>in</strong>ced that <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center was<br />
the place for Beigette. “I mentioned it to a nurse at<br />
the hospital, and she said they had a lot of people go<br />
there, and it’s the best <strong>in</strong> the country,” Jim recalls.<br />
He faced a number of appeals and hurdles with<br />
his <strong>in</strong>surance company to get Beigette to <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center, but eventually prevailed <strong>in</strong> persuad<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
company that she required specialized rehabilitation.<br />
Beigette’s mother, Cecelia Beveridge, arrived<br />
from Beigette’s hometown of Barrad<strong>in</strong>e, Australia,<br />
and accompanied her to Atlanta. Jim stayed <strong>in</strong><br />
Ma<strong>in</strong>e with their two young children – Sylvie, 3, and<br />
Perr<strong>in</strong>, 1, at the time Beigette was <strong>in</strong>jured – to run the<br />
household and their bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Beigette also received<br />
regular visits at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center from Maurice<br />
and Tricia Rosenbaum of Atlanta and their three<br />
daughters, all of whom attended Fernwood Cove.<br />
“When we first visited her, I was so upset that this had<br />
happened, th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about her children and how it<br />
would impact her life,” Tricia says.<br />
But <strong>in</strong> subsequent visits, Beigette’s improvement<br />
astonished Tricia. “I was so impressed,” she adds. “I’d<br />
always heard great th<strong>in</strong>gs about <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, but I<br />
was truly amazed at the progress Beigette had made.”<br />
Beigette’s outlook had a lot to do with it. “Some<br />
patients have a really hard time cop<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>itially<br />
with their <strong>in</strong>jury,” says Jennifer Smith, a physical<br />
therapist who treated Beigette <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s<br />
SCI Inpatient Program. “But Beigette never<br />
compla<strong>in</strong>ed. She had a great attitude and work<br />
ethic, and she was will<strong>in</strong>g to try anyth<strong>in</strong>g. She was<br />
determ<strong>in</strong>ed to work her butt off.”<br />
Beigette recalls the impact of her rehabilitation<br />
experience. “<strong>Shepherd</strong> was my home for seven<br />
months,” she says. “I felt welcome, like I belonged<br />
there. I knew everyone and got to hear their stories,<br />
and see their strength and courage. They prepared<br />
me so well for my life at home.”<br />
Anna Elmers, M.D., Beigette’s <strong>in</strong>patient physician<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong>, also credits Beigette’s outlook with her<br />
progress. “The Gills are just great people,” Dr. Elmers<br />
says. “They had issues like every other patient, but<br />
they were so easy. No ‘Why me?’ They were so<br />
low-key, and the treatment team just adopted them.<br />
We called Beigette ‘the wonder from down under’<br />
because she never compla<strong>in</strong>ed.”<br />
Beigette expla<strong>in</strong>s: “I never said, ‘I can’t.’ I always<br />
said, ‘I’ll try.’”<br />
Back <strong>in</strong> Ma<strong>in</strong>e, Jim enlisted the help of an eng<strong>in</strong>eer,<br />
and <strong>in</strong> eight hours they designed a fully accessible<br />
modular home that was built at the camp <strong>in</strong> six<br />
weeks. It was f<strong>in</strong>ished on Christmas Eve 2011, and<br />
Beigette came home the next day. She stayed five<br />
days, and then returned to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center until<br />
early April 2012.<br />
Meanwhile, Jim’s preparations for the 2012 camp<br />
season <strong>in</strong>cluded two th<strong>in</strong>gs he’d never dealt with<br />
before. For one th<strong>in</strong>g, parents wanted to know how<br />
Beigette’s <strong>in</strong>jury would affect the camp and, of<br />
course, their children.<br />
“They worried about <strong>in</strong>stability,” Jim says. “It’s a<br />
change, and <strong>in</strong> today’s society, people go on the<br />
defensive and err on the side of caution. I told them<br />
Beigette is com<strong>in</strong>g back. She’s go<strong>in</strong>g to be here.<br />
Physically, she may be different, but she’s still the<br />
same person. My po<strong>in</strong>t was it’s not like we’re gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a divorce.”<br />
The other surprise was the outpour<strong>in</strong>g of getwell<br />
letters and cards, most of them handmade by<br />
campers. Posted <strong>in</strong> the reception area of the camp’s<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istration build<strong>in</strong>g, they covered a wall 30 feet<br />
across and seven feet high.<br />
“Dear Beigette,” wrote a fifth grader, “I miss you<br />
and camp so much. I heard about your bike accident.<br />
Are you OK? I hope you are OK. Whether you’re <strong>in</strong> a<br />
wheelchair or not, you are still the same person that<br />
all the girls at camp love. Love, Julia. PS: Fernwood<br />
Cove is the best.”<br />
Fernwood Cove is a rustic mix of renovated old<br />
cab<strong>in</strong>s and handsome, timber-frame build<strong>in</strong>gs on<br />
220 acres at the edge of a small lake. Activities<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude ceramics, art, cook<strong>in</strong>g, music and<br />
gymnastics, along with more traditional outdoor<br />
activities, such as hik<strong>in</strong>g, canoe<strong>in</strong>g, kayak<strong>in</strong>g, sail<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and waterski<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
By late June 2012, the first session of camp was<br />
under way, and Jim and Beigette sat one afternoon<br />
on the balcony of The Chick, an unf<strong>in</strong>ished lakeside<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g that will house theatrical productions and<br />
other activities. The temperature was <strong>in</strong> the high<br />
70s, the camp was awash <strong>in</strong> sunsh<strong>in</strong>e and a gentle<br />
breeze carried the sweet scent of clover.<br />
PhotoS BY joe Phelan<br />
Given the camp’s values and goals, cell phones,<br />
computers and video games are not allowed, and<br />
there is no electricity <strong>in</strong> the cab<strong>in</strong>s. Campers wear<br />
white T-shirts and green shorts. Personal drama<br />
and cliques are discouraged, and eye-roll<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
disparag<strong>in</strong>g behavior and any form of exclusion are<br />
forbidden. The girls choose their own activities and<br />
manage their daily affairs, and when troubled, they<br />
are encouraged to speak up.<br />
“We want them to learn how to advocate for<br />
themselves,” Beigette says. “It gives them a sense<br />
of <strong>in</strong>dependence and self-esteem. We emphasize<br />
simple liv<strong>in</strong>g, and the uniform takes the emphasis<br />
away from image and materialistic th<strong>in</strong>gs. S<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
there’s no electricity <strong>in</strong> the bunks, they gather around<br />
flashlights, and that br<strong>in</strong>gs kids together. They learn<br />
consideration for others and to respect each other<br />
and their belong<strong>in</strong>gs, and how to live together. It’s<br />
like one big family and community, and I saw that at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, too. (Co-founder) Alana <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
visits everyone, everyone smiles at you, and the<br />
nurses and therapists all know who you are. It was a<br />
warm and welcom<strong>in</strong>g feel<strong>in</strong>g, which is not typical for<br />
an <strong>in</strong>stitution.”<br />
Because a three-and-a-half week session at<br />
Fernwood Cove is expensive, most of the campers<br />
come from affluent backgrounds and resistance to<br />
simple liv<strong>in</strong>g would seem <strong>in</strong>evitable. But it’s not so.<br />
“They’re given everyth<strong>in</strong>g, and we take it all away,<br />
and they’re happier,” Jim says. “So who’s do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
them a service? The parents by giv<strong>in</strong>g them the<br />
clothes, iPad and iPhone, or us by tak<strong>in</strong>g take<br />
all the stuff away, putt<strong>in</strong>g them <strong>in</strong> uniforms and<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g them personal skills and how to have<br />
personal relationships?”<br />
The Gills brought some of the values with them<br />
from a camp where they worked before buy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
2.<br />
Fernwood Cove, but they also reflect the th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
American mythologist and author Joseph Campbell.<br />
Essentially, the message is: Live an extraord<strong>in</strong>ary life<br />
<strong>in</strong> an ord<strong>in</strong>ary world.<br />
“The prize,” Jim says, “is to be able to be yourself<br />
and be a k<strong>in</strong>der person and make the world a<br />
better place. All the drama, all the media and all the<br />
negativity you are bombarded with don’t matter. If<br />
you can ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> that, then you are help<strong>in</strong>g other<br />
people, as well as yourself.”<br />
And, they say, because the girls get to know each<br />
other at a deeper level, they make friendships that<br />
last a lifetime.<br />
1.<br />
1. Beigette gill, who<br />
has a C-6 to -7 sp<strong>in</strong>al<br />
cord <strong>in</strong>jury, worked<br />
hard <strong>in</strong> rehabilitation<br />
so she could return to<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs she enjoys, such<br />
as horseback rid<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
2. Beigette returned<br />
to her role as camp<br />
co-director at Fernwood<br />
Cove this past summer.<br />
8 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 9
1. Beigette gill<br />
loves spend<strong>in</strong>g time<br />
with campers at<br />
Fernwood Cove.<br />
2. Beigette participates<br />
<strong>in</strong> locomotor tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g her rehabiltiation<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
PhotoS BY louie Favorite and joe Phelan<br />
Some parents chose not to send their children<br />
back to Fernwood Cove <strong>in</strong> 2012. Attendance at<br />
the first session this past summer was 191 – 29<br />
fewer than the same period <strong>in</strong> 2011. But the second<br />
session had n<strong>in</strong>e more than last year, and some<br />
parents said it never crossed their m<strong>in</strong>d not to send<br />
their girls back.<br />
“Our kids have had such a great experience there<br />
that, if anyth<strong>in</strong>g, my reaction was the opposite,”<br />
Maurice Rosenbaum says. “There was never a doubt<br />
they would go back and see what Beigette could do<br />
and see her spirit. It was great for my daughters to<br />
see how she and Jim made it a teachable moment.”<br />
“That Beigette has made such <strong>in</strong>credible progress,<br />
she could be a poster child for possibilities,” says<br />
parent David Shapiro of Baltimore. “And a lot of it has<br />
to do with <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s help.”<br />
When each camp session began, Beigette visited<br />
the cab<strong>in</strong>s to dispel any concerns and, she hoped, to<br />
teach the campers to accept people with disabilities.<br />
She began with the seniors – 15- year-olds – tell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
them that how they perceived and acted toward her<br />
would <strong>in</strong>fluence the younger girls.<br />
But when she’d f<strong>in</strong>ished speak<strong>in</strong>g, one of the girls<br />
asked, “How’s your left-handed writ<strong>in</strong>g?”<br />
Another said, “So how was your day today?”<br />
And when she met with the younger girls, an<br />
8-year-old said, “When are we go<strong>in</strong>g to get mail?”<br />
She knew then that the wheelchair didn’t bother<br />
the girls. She was still Beigette to them, and noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
else mattered. “They already accept me for who I<br />
am,” Beigette says. “They don’t see the chair; they<br />
see the person.”<br />
Jim even used Beigette’s situation as leverage with<br />
girls who were homesick or anxious. “I’d tell them to<br />
learn someth<strong>in</strong>g new – roll <strong>in</strong> a kayak, maybe – and<br />
when they’d say, ‘No, that’s too hard,’ I’d say, ‘If<br />
Beigette can do it, you can, too.’ And their eyes<br />
would get real big.”<br />
Beigette has rega<strong>in</strong>ed movement <strong>in</strong> her left hand<br />
and leg and had no trouble maneuver<strong>in</strong>g her chair<br />
around the camp. But she was unable to do many of<br />
the th<strong>in</strong>gs she loved, such as waterski<strong>in</strong>g, so every<br />
even<strong>in</strong>g Jim carried her <strong>in</strong>to the cab<strong>in</strong>s so she could<br />
visit with the girls.<br />
The bigger challenge, she discovered, was tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
time for herself.<br />
“I love talk<strong>in</strong>g with the kids and be<strong>in</strong>g out and<br />
about,” she says. “Be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> my house do<strong>in</strong>g therapy<br />
is not where my heart is.”<br />
Jim adds, “We have the greatest jobs <strong>in</strong> the world,<br />
but our focus is not about us, so this has been hard<br />
for Beigette.”<br />
Nevertheless, Beigette cont<strong>in</strong>ued to do the yoga<br />
that she began at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, and one day Jim<br />
was startled to f<strong>in</strong>d that <strong>in</strong>stead of wait<strong>in</strong>g for him to<br />
return and lift her <strong>in</strong>to her wheelchair, Beigette had<br />
used yoga blocks to do it herself.<br />
It didn’t surprise Amy Mattila, the camp’s<br />
counselor-<strong>in</strong>-tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g coord<strong>in</strong>ator, who has known<br />
the Gills for 10 years.<br />
“If they ask people to embrace the extraord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
world and way of life, they have to live it themselves,”<br />
Amy says. “And this is the moment where they’ve<br />
showed the rest of us that, ‘Yes, we do live it. This is<br />
our life. We will be extraord<strong>in</strong>ary through the good<br />
and the bad.’ They’re <strong>in</strong>credible people. I feel lucky<br />
to know them.”<br />
A gentle breeze blew <strong>in</strong> off the lake as Beigette<br />
pushed herself up out of her chair, stretch<strong>in</strong>g her<br />
legs. Two smil<strong>in</strong>g 11-year-olds walked past, an arm<br />
over each other’s shoulders, and waved.<br />
“What you hear <strong>in</strong> our society all the time is what’s<br />
wrong,” Jim says, “and what we teach is possibilities.<br />
We recognize acts of k<strong>in</strong>dness and goodness, and<br />
they do the same th<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. They<br />
say: ‘OK, you had an <strong>in</strong>jury. It’s stable now, and<br />
you’re here. Let’s see what you can do.’ They’re all<br />
about possibilities, too. I’m still try<strong>in</strong>g to come up with<br />
a slogan that <strong>Shepherd</strong> staff could put on their shirts<br />
– someth<strong>in</strong>g like, ‘I work <strong>in</strong> possibilities.’” q<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
1. Beigette gill prepares<br />
for a locomotor<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g session at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
2. Beigette and her<br />
husband jim have<br />
two children – Perr<strong>in</strong>,<br />
1, and Sylvia, 3.<br />
5.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Sidebar story and photos onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 11
A Wounded Soldier’s<br />
ComebaCk<br />
A former Army medic starts a new<br />
career after rehabilitation <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center’s ShAre Military <strong>in</strong>itiative.<br />
by John ChrIStenSen<br />
There were times dur<strong>in</strong>g his rehabilitation when<br />
Jarrad Turner would reach across Tracy Roberts’ desk<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g one of their telephone conversations with a<br />
bureaucrat and press the “HOLD” button. “She’s<br />
really not gett<strong>in</strong>g this,” he would tell Tracy, a vocational<br />
rehabilitation specialist <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s SHARE<br />
Military Initiative. “I wish I could climb through the<br />
phone and she could see how much pa<strong>in</strong> I’m <strong>in</strong>.”<br />
Jarrad, a former combat medic and sergeant <strong>in</strong> the<br />
U.S. Army, susta<strong>in</strong>ed head, shoulder and elbow <strong>in</strong>juries<br />
<strong>in</strong> a mortar attack <strong>in</strong> 2006 dur<strong>in</strong>g his second tour of<br />
duty <strong>in</strong> Iraq. After four surgeries on his shoulder and two<br />
on his elbow, he appeared to be f<strong>in</strong>e. But he stuttered,<br />
which he’d never done before, was unable to focus and<br />
kept los<strong>in</strong>g his balance. Pa<strong>in</strong>, anxiety, flashbacks and<br />
anger kept him awake at night, and he would get up<br />
and patrol his yard as if <strong>in</strong> a combat zone.<br />
Yet Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors could f<strong>in</strong>d<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g wrong, and Jarrad’s frustration made it<br />
1.<br />
difficult to control his emotions while work<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
the VA, where he was a nurs<strong>in</strong>g assistant. F<strong>in</strong>ally, a<br />
doctor recognized the symptoms of mild traumatic<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress<br />
disorder (PTSD) and referred Jarrad to <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, which provides<br />
comprehensive rehabilitation for military service<br />
members <strong>in</strong>jured <strong>in</strong> Iraq and Afghanistan.<br />
PTSD is caused by psychological trauma<br />
that typically <strong>in</strong>volves an extreme physical<br />
or psychological threat that overwhelms an<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual’s ability to cope. Mild traumatic bra<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>jury is a disabl<strong>in</strong>g condition that causes a<br />
change <strong>in</strong> the bra<strong>in</strong>’s cellular matter.<br />
“The worst th<strong>in</strong>g with TBI and PTSD,” Jarrad says, “is<br />
that adrenal<strong>in</strong>e becomes the enemy. When it’s quiet,<br />
you expect th<strong>in</strong>gs to happen, so your body’s never <strong>in</strong><br />
a rest<strong>in</strong>g state. And be<strong>in</strong>g a medic… I’d seen th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
that the average person would never see.”<br />
PhotoS BY garY MeeK<br />
Further complicat<strong>in</strong>g the issue is that typically there<br />
are no visible signs that a person has mTBI or PTSD.<br />
“Our society is more likely to accommodate<br />
people with visible disabilities, like those with a cane<br />
or a prosthetic,” Tracy says. “But TBI and PTSD<br />
are ‘unseen’ diagnoses, and patients must not only<br />
manage these chronic conditions the rest of their lives,<br />
but also do so with little or no support from those who<br />
are unaware of their existence.”<br />
Add<strong>in</strong>g yet another degree of complexity is that very<br />
few <strong>in</strong> the military are will<strong>in</strong>g to talk about the problems<br />
they’re hav<strong>in</strong>g for fear of reprisal.<br />
“If you want to get promoted, you don’t talk about<br />
mental health issues,” Jarrad says. “It was noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to be unable to sleep until 2 a.m. and then have to<br />
get up at 5, and other guys were experienc<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
same th<strong>in</strong>g. But you don’t know how to open up or if<br />
you can open up to somebody.”<br />
Before enter<strong>in</strong>g SHARE, the only th<strong>in</strong>g Jarrad could<br />
do was go to the gym and, as he puts it, “kill the<br />
weights – anyth<strong>in</strong>g to get the adrenal<strong>in</strong>e up. That was<br />
how I knew to respond to th<strong>in</strong>gs.”<br />
But once he learned that adrenal<strong>in</strong>e was harmful,<br />
he had to f<strong>in</strong>d other ways to burn his energy.<br />
“It was very frustrat<strong>in</strong>g for him,” says Irene<br />
Penn<strong>in</strong>gton, his SHARE case manager. “He needed<br />
that outlet, but a lot of th<strong>in</strong>gs aggravated his <strong>in</strong>juries<br />
and gave him severe headaches. He was cont<strong>in</strong>ually<br />
explor<strong>in</strong>g new physical outlets that wouldn’t get him<br />
too amped up or trigger the PTSD or further <strong>in</strong>jure his<br />
shoulder and arm.”<br />
Eventually he found lacrosse, kayak<strong>in</strong>g and cycl<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
And, Irene says, “He’s learn<strong>in</strong>g to pace himself.”<br />
He also discovered he was no longer suited to be<br />
a medic or first responder because it, too, triggered<br />
adrenal<strong>in</strong>e, and yet his attempts to f<strong>in</strong>d other work<br />
were disregarded. “It’s not that the VA system is bad,”<br />
Jarrad says. “It’s overwhelmed. It was never created to<br />
handle so many service members com<strong>in</strong>g home.”<br />
But SHARE therapists and counselors took<br />
the time to understand him, and Jarrad was<br />
encouraged to see that they were empowered to<br />
make decisions and act quickly.<br />
“He tried to advocate for himself and requested<br />
reasonable accommodations, but he got no<br />
response,” Tracy says. “It wasn’t easy. It triggered a<br />
lot of anger and frustration. But we tried to look at it<br />
with a sense of humor. We’d say: ‘That’s them. We’ll<br />
persevere and get what we want.’ He was will<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
embrace and experience the process and move on,<br />
and he cont<strong>in</strong>ues to use the techniques he learned<br />
to manage his pa<strong>in</strong> and frustration, and to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />
his overall function<strong>in</strong>g. And his perseverance paid off<br />
when he transferred to a different job at the VA and<br />
then took a new job.”<br />
Jarrad began tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g this past spr<strong>in</strong>g to become<br />
a national service officer for Disabled American<br />
Veterans. He will help veterans navigate the oftenbewilder<strong>in</strong>g<br />
government bureaucracy and claim<br />
benefits that are rightfully theirs.<br />
“I want to make sure that no one else has to go<br />
through what I went through,” Jarrad says. “A lot of<br />
guys are ashamed they have PTSD or TBI, but there’s<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g to be ashamed of. You raised your hand and<br />
did what had to be done. Part of the Army creed is, ‘I<br />
will never leave a fallen comrade,’ and I know too<br />
many guys who have paid the price.”<br />
In the two years s<strong>in</strong>ce his discharge from SHARE,<br />
Jarrad has volunteered at fundraisers for the program<br />
and promotes SHARE to other military service<br />
members. “<strong>Shepherd</strong> is a life-sav<strong>in</strong>g facility,” he says.<br />
“They wouldn’t give up on me and provided so much. I<br />
can’t thank them enough.”<br />
Shortly after Jarrad entered SHARE, he met Atlanta<br />
philanthropist Bernie Marcus, one of the program’s<br />
primary benefactors. Hav<strong>in</strong>g lost the feel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his<br />
right hand due to his <strong>in</strong>juries, Jarrad almost crushed<br />
Bernie’s hand when they shook hands.<br />
“Oh, my God,” Bernie joked, “I’ll never shake your<br />
hand aga<strong>in</strong>!”<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g a visit after his discharge from SHARE,<br />
Jarrad saw Bernie aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
“I didn’t know who you were at first,” Bernie told him.<br />
“You’re smil<strong>in</strong>g. When I first met you, you couldn’t smile.<br />
Now you’re gr<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g from ear to ear.”<br />
“Oh, yeah,” Jarrad replied, “now I feel like a<br />
human be<strong>in</strong>g.” q<br />
thanks to the<br />
share military <strong>in</strong>itiative<br />
fundrais<strong>in</strong>g committee<br />
rives cary, chair<br />
jimmy alston<br />
laura armstrong<br />
norris Broyles<br />
virg<strong>in</strong>ia Carron<br />
Bob Cunn<strong>in</strong>gham<br />
Carol Curtis<br />
Clark dean<br />
tom garr<br />
Bob hope<br />
jim Mobley<br />
gw<strong>in</strong> oliver<br />
rowland radford<br />
Bill Sal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Spencer Smith<br />
renee Whitley<br />
former share military<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiative patient<br />
Jarrad turner began<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g this past<br />
spr<strong>in</strong>g to become<br />
a national service<br />
officer for disabled<br />
american Veterans.<br />
he will help veterans<br />
navigate the oftenbewilder<strong>in</strong>g<br />
government<br />
bureaucracy and claim<br />
benefits that are<br />
rightfully theirs.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
12 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 13
So cial Connections<br />
14 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patients use social media to stay <strong>in</strong> touch with and<br />
draw encouragement from family and friends back home.<br />
by John ChrIStenSen<br />
PhotoS BY garY MeeK<br />
When 17-year-old Trent Grubbs of Rockford, Ala.,<br />
arrived at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, he was so depressed<br />
by his condition that he wouldn’t talk to anyone<br />
or participate <strong>in</strong> the activities that are part of<br />
rehabilitation.<br />
“But,” says Pam Patterson, Trent’s grandmother,<br />
“the therapists, counselors and nurses got him to<br />
where he’s real outgo<strong>in</strong>g. He talks to everybody.”<br />
Particularly important for Trent – and other<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patients – is communicat<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
family and friends back home us<strong>in</strong>g Facebook,<br />
text messag<strong>in</strong>g and video chats. In fact, social<br />
media have become an essential element <strong>in</strong> the<br />
rehabilitation of <strong>Shepherd</strong> patients, especially<br />
adolescents. For example, soon after Trent<br />
susta<strong>in</strong>ed an <strong>in</strong>complete C-6 to -7 sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
(SCI) <strong>in</strong> an auto accident, family and friends set<br />
up a Team Trent page on Facebook, and it quickly<br />
grew to more than 1,000 friends.<br />
“Team Trent is about challeng<strong>in</strong>g yourself beyond<br />
your everyday tasks,” wrote Trent’s aunt, April<br />
Grubbs Riley, <strong>in</strong> a post on the page. “Trent is go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to have a long road ahead of him, and as family<br />
and friends we need to be prepared mentally,<br />
physically, emotionally and spiritually to lift him up.<br />
Until he can walk, we will walk for him.”<br />
“Social media – and especially Facebook – are<br />
as daily around here as brush<strong>in</strong>g your teeth,” says<br />
Cheryl L<strong>in</strong>den, a counselor on the SCI program’s<br />
adolescent team. “People come to the gym with<br />
their iPhone and text people back home and tell<br />
them how they’re do<strong>in</strong>g. They might be <strong>in</strong> the<br />
hospital for several weeks or months and lose<br />
touch with what’s go<strong>in</strong>g on back home, but with<br />
this technology, they feel like they’re still connected.”<br />
Facebook and Twitter are not the only social<br />
media available to patients. <strong>Shepherd</strong> offers<br />
access to MedGift, a free network that operates<br />
like a gift registry. All allow patients, family and<br />
friends to post updates on their condition, as<br />
well as receive messages, send requests and<br />
coord<strong>in</strong>ate th<strong>in</strong>gs like transportation, meals and<br />
the dozens of other issues that must be handled<br />
by a family <strong>in</strong> crisis.<br />
Social media are especially helpful, Cheryl<br />
says, because rehabilitat<strong>in</strong>g from a catastrophic<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord or bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury is a long, slow process.<br />
This technology not only gives patients and their<br />
families a way to stay <strong>in</strong> touch, but it also opens<br />
up access to resources they didn’t have before. ”It<br />
creates a ripple effect,” she says.<br />
For example, when Tanner Hunter, 18, of Leeds,<br />
Ala., susta<strong>in</strong>ed an <strong>in</strong>complete C-4 to -5 SCI <strong>in</strong><br />
December 2011 while wrestl<strong>in</strong>g, family and friends<br />
created a Facebook page called Prayers for Tanner<br />
Hunter. While he was be<strong>in</strong>g treated <strong>in</strong> Birm<strong>in</strong>gham,<br />
his family became concerned at the <strong>in</strong>ability of<br />
medical personnel to get him off the ventilator. A<br />
Facebook follower read about it and told them<br />
about <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
“They told us we had to get him to <strong>Shepherd</strong>,” says<br />
his mother, Christy Hunter. “People we know and<br />
people we don’t know have followed his progress<br />
and pray for him. People even donated supplies and<br />
services to make our home accessible.”<br />
“We have a praise!” Tanner’s grandmother<br />
Janice Hunter posted on Facebook <strong>in</strong> March. “A<br />
van has been donated to Tanner by a person or<br />
group of people who wish to rema<strong>in</strong> anonymous.<br />
It has to be converted to special needs. God is so<br />
good. A prayer answered.”<br />
In late May, T<strong>in</strong>a Bunt McClendon of Ragland,<br />
Ala., wrote, “I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k I’ve ever seen a picture of<br />
Tanner where he wasn’t smil<strong>in</strong>g. What an awesome<br />
young man. Congrats Tanner :).”<br />
“That support, really, it’s the biggest help you can<br />
get,” Tanner says. “My family and friends have been<br />
really great. You couldn’t ask for better friends.”<br />
Trent credits the therapists and counselors at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center with hav<strong>in</strong>g faith <strong>in</strong> him. “It helped<br />
me come so far,” he says. “I never would have<br />
made it without them.”<br />
And because their stories are available through<br />
the social media, the people who follow them<br />
sometimes f<strong>in</strong>d their own lives are touched and<br />
enriched <strong>in</strong> ways they could not possibly imag<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Late one night <strong>in</strong> early June, a stranger from<br />
Freeport, Fla., named Andrea Smith posted on Team<br />
Trent: “You don’t know me, but I’ve thought about<br />
you and prayed for you every day. Keep up the good<br />
work. Thank you for <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g me to never give up<br />
and to just keep try<strong>in</strong>g! You’re awesome!” q<br />
2.<br />
1. tanner hunter,<br />
18, of leeds,<br />
ala., and his mom,<br />
christy hunter, use<br />
social media such as<br />
facebook and skype<br />
to keep <strong>in</strong> touch with<br />
friends and family<br />
back home dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
tanner’s rehabilitation<br />
at shepherd center.<br />
2. trent grubbs, 17, of<br />
rockford, ala., draws<br />
encouragement from<br />
communicat<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
family and friends<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g facebook and<br />
text messag<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 15
* *<br />
Out<br />
*<br />
oll<strong>in</strong>g<br />
16 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Mia Schaikewitz, a former <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center patient, stars <strong>in</strong> “Push Girls,”<br />
a reality TV show on wheels.<br />
By PhilliP Jordan<br />
PhotoS CourteSY oF SundanCe Channel<br />
Mia Schaikewitz entered <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center as a 15-year-old<br />
turn<strong>in</strong>g the phrase arteriovenous malformation over <strong>in</strong> her<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d. <strong>in</strong> Mia’s case, a bad connection between her ve<strong>in</strong>s and<br />
arteries led to the sudden ruptur<strong>in</strong>g of a blood vessel <strong>in</strong> her<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord. With<strong>in</strong> 12 hours of the vessel burst<strong>in</strong>g, the lower<br />
half of Mia’s lithe, athletic swimmer’s body became paralyzed.<br />
She had become a t-9 to -10 paraplegic.<br />
“the positive th<strong>in</strong>g my mom remembers about my first day<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong> is that (co-founder) alana <strong>Shepherd</strong> stopped my<br />
mom and told her, ‘Your world is about to get a lot bigger,’”<br />
Mia, now 33, remembers. “that resonated with my mom. You<br />
feel more alive to know your circle of friends and family is<br />
grow<strong>in</strong>g around you <strong>in</strong> tough times.”<br />
Mia’s world expands still. an atlanta native and graduate of<br />
the university of Florida, she moved to los angeles where she<br />
works at a graphic design and brand<strong>in</strong>g firm. She is a member<br />
of the Colours ’n Motion dance team and plays several sports.<br />
and her circle of friends cont<strong>in</strong>ues to grow – as many<br />
television viewers might know. Mia is one of four women-onwheels<br />
who stars <strong>in</strong> the Sundance Channel’s new reality series<br />
“Push girls,” which has been renewed for a second season.<br />
the 14-episode first season, which ended <strong>in</strong> august,<br />
documented the lives of four friends, each of whom have<br />
been paralyzed through accident or illness. unlike most reality<br />
shows, the four women were friends long before the cameras<br />
began roll<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
“i’ve always been a really <strong>in</strong>dependent person,” Mia says.<br />
“Friendships and support were new to me. after meet<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
girls, it was eye-open<strong>in</strong>g. You have a common bond <strong>in</strong> the<br />
wheelchair, and that gives us a deeper level of friendship. But<br />
what really br<strong>in</strong>gs us together is the same spirit, the same<br />
mission <strong>in</strong> life.”<br />
the women want their show to highlight what they can<br />
achieve beyond what they have to overcome, Mia expla<strong>in</strong>s.<br />
the series takes a positive, <strong>in</strong>-your-face approach <strong>in</strong> the process.<br />
the show’s tagl<strong>in</strong>e is, “if you can’t stand up, stand out!”<br />
“especially <strong>in</strong> the media and tv shows, friendships among<br />
women are portrayed so often <strong>in</strong> such negative ways,” Mia<br />
says. “our show turns that around and shows the importance<br />
of these k<strong>in</strong>ds of friendships.”<br />
a private person, Mia had to teach herself to open up for the<br />
show. <strong>in</strong> the very first episode, she succeeded; she let the cameras<br />
show how she gets <strong>in</strong> the bathtub to shower each morn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
one of Mia’s most dramatic scenes early <strong>in</strong> the series came<br />
when she swam aga<strong>in</strong> for the first time <strong>in</strong> 17 years. Before her<br />
paralysis, she was a competitive swimmer and a potential star<br />
on her high school swim team.<br />
“it was the one sport i really resonated with before be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
paralyzed,” Mia says. “i felt free <strong>in</strong> the water, and it was the<br />
one good th<strong>in</strong>g i did athletically.<br />
“When i was go<strong>in</strong>g through rehabilitation at <strong>Shepherd</strong>, the<br />
staff was great about lett<strong>in</strong>g me know that i could do anyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that i did before,” she recalls. “So i got back <strong>in</strong>to lots of other<br />
sports and physical activities <strong>in</strong> the years s<strong>in</strong>ce. But go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
back to swimm<strong>in</strong>g – i wasn’t emotionally ready yet. i kept<br />
putt<strong>in</strong>g it off.”<br />
<strong>in</strong> the “Push girls” scene where Mia beg<strong>in</strong>s swimm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>, she expla<strong>in</strong>s the fears that kept her out of the water:<br />
“i’ve been want<strong>in</strong>g to do this for so long, but i keep hesitat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
because i was afraid i was go<strong>in</strong>g to lose my enjoyment of it. if<br />
i lost that, i’d feel like gett<strong>in</strong>g paralyzed took someth<strong>in</strong>g away<br />
from me.”<br />
that’s the k<strong>in</strong>d of tv scene that captures the attention of<br />
viewer Patti Pasch, an occupational therapist at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center,<br />
who has been watch<strong>in</strong>g “Push girls” from the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
“it has just the right amount of ‘you-go-girl,’” Patti says,<br />
“along with a realistic presentation of some of the physical<br />
and emotional challenges someone has to live with when they<br />
have a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury. More than anyth<strong>in</strong>g, it is excit<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
see people with sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>juries out front and center with<br />
the public.”<br />
Mia is ready to be front-and-center <strong>in</strong> real life, as well. as a<br />
peer supporter, she talks with people who are still adjust<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
life <strong>in</strong> a wheelchair. and she is <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> speak<strong>in</strong>g to larger<br />
groups of newly <strong>in</strong>jured patients.<br />
“i remember when i was at <strong>Shepherd</strong>, they had someone<br />
come and speak to all of us,” she says. “i was a teenager, and<br />
for me to hear someone older than me liv<strong>in</strong>g a normal life with<br />
that k<strong>in</strong>d of <strong>in</strong>jury, that was one of the most powerful moments<br />
for me. it gave me hope.”<br />
Mia hopes “Push girls” can create a new k<strong>in</strong>d of cure for<br />
those who don’t know what it’s like to live with paralysis.<br />
“i want to cure people’s <strong>in</strong>correct perceptions of what<br />
people like me can do,” she says. “ignorance is a m<strong>in</strong>dset<br />
that you can change, that you can cure.<br />
“i remember when i felt so prepared for the world after my<br />
three months at <strong>Shepherd</strong>,” Mia says. “i thought: ‘this isn’t<br />
so bad. i can do th<strong>in</strong>gs – just differently.’ But the world has a<br />
different view on it – such a negative one. i wasn’t prepared for<br />
people com<strong>in</strong>g up to me and tell<strong>in</strong>g me they were sorry for me<br />
and pity<strong>in</strong>g me.<br />
“hopefully, through this show, we can change some<br />
perceptions,” she adds. “and that will help others who are<br />
<strong>in</strong>jured not feel like outcasts or like they’re damaged. Because<br />
we’re not!” q<br />
Mia Schaikewitz, an<br />
atlanta native and former<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patient,<br />
is one of four women<br />
<strong>in</strong> wheelchairs who<br />
stars <strong>in</strong> the Sundance<br />
Channel’s new reality tv<br />
series “Push girls.” the<br />
show was just renewed<br />
for a second season.<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 17
odybuild<strong>in</strong>g<br />
bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g<br />
WheelChair WheelChair<br />
After susta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury, Shannon Chisholm<br />
returns to bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g competition – <strong>in</strong> a wheelchair.<br />
by Sara baxter<br />
PhotoS BY Matt roSe<br />
Ten years ago, Shannon Chisholm, 37, was tired of<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g overweight.<br />
Though she was battl<strong>in</strong>g hypothyroidism and<br />
Crohn’s disease, Shannon remembers th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
“I’m tired of be<strong>in</strong>g this way, tired of mak<strong>in</strong>g excuses.<br />
It’s time to get healthy.”<br />
So she started exercis<strong>in</strong>g. Months later, she had<br />
lost 20 pounds, and her Crohn’s disease was <strong>in</strong><br />
remission. She hasn’t needed medication <strong>in</strong> years.<br />
As friends who were try<strong>in</strong>g to lose weight began<br />
turn<strong>in</strong>g to her for advice, Shannon decided to<br />
become a personal tra<strong>in</strong>er. She also began<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g cycl<strong>in</strong>g and weightlift<strong>in</strong>g classes. Buoyed<br />
by her success, the Fletcher, N.C., native decided<br />
to push it further: She began to compete <strong>in</strong><br />
bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g competitions. In her very first event,<br />
she netted three trophies.<br />
But on July 17, 2011, Shannon’s drive and<br />
motivation were put to a new test – recover<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
Five miles <strong>in</strong>to a 15-mile bike ride from her home<br />
to the gym, Shannon was hit from beh<strong>in</strong>d by a car<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g about 45 miles an hour. The collision threw her<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the air. When she landed, her back was broken.<br />
“I had made that ride on that road so many<br />
times,” she says. “It never occurred to me<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g like that could happen.”<br />
The T-11 complete sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury left<br />
Shannon paralyzed from the waist down. After<br />
a week at Mission Hospital <strong>in</strong> nearby Asheville,<br />
Shannon transferred to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, where<br />
she spent six weeks.<br />
She tackled her rehabilitation as she did her<br />
workouts – with focus and determ<strong>in</strong>ation.<br />
“Every day she came to therapy with a smile on<br />
her face and exceeded my expectations,” recalls<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center physical therapist Dan Dale,<br />
who worked with Shannon. “She moved along at<br />
a much faster pace than other patients, and we<br />
accomplished more <strong>in</strong> a shorter period of time.”<br />
He cites her wheelchair transfer as an example.<br />
“It usually takes three to four weeks to learn and<br />
master each different k<strong>in</strong>d of transfer,” Dan says.<br />
“But Shannon had them down <strong>in</strong> a week. She was<br />
an <strong>in</strong>spiration to the other patients, show<strong>in</strong>g them<br />
how to do it.”<br />
Just two weeks after leav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Shepherd</strong>,<br />
Shannon was back at the gym, work<strong>in</strong>g out.<br />
Her friends, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Dan, suggested she try<br />
wheelchair bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g competitions. But<br />
she was hesitant. “I couldn’t imag<strong>in</strong>e do<strong>in</strong>g it<br />
<strong>in</strong> a wheelchair and feel<strong>in</strong>g the same sense of<br />
accomplishment,” she recalls. But after read<strong>in</strong>g<br />
onl<strong>in</strong>e about female wheelchair bodybuilders, she<br />
decided to try it.<br />
“You only fail if you don’t try,” she says.<br />
Shannon set her sights on the 2012 Wheelchair<br />
Nationals at the Buckeye Classic Competition, a<br />
spr<strong>in</strong>gtime event held <strong>in</strong> Columbus, Ohio. From<br />
October to April, she focused on gett<strong>in</strong>g back<br />
<strong>in</strong>to shape and learn<strong>in</strong>g how to tra<strong>in</strong> differently. A<br />
typical workout <strong>in</strong>volved lift<strong>in</strong>g dumbbells rang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from 30 to 60 pounds – depend<strong>in</strong>g on the muscle<br />
– and push<strong>in</strong>g herself to the limit on an elliptical<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>e and parallel bars her husband built for<br />
her <strong>in</strong> their home.<br />
The effort paid off: Shannon won the competition.<br />
“I went <strong>in</strong>to the event tell<strong>in</strong>g myself I was just<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to have fun, and I did,” Shannon says. “I took<br />
the pressure off myself, and it felt great to be back!”<br />
Though she used to compete <strong>in</strong> two or three<br />
events annually before her <strong>in</strong>jury, Shannon has<br />
decided to keep it to one a year for now. “That’s<br />
because I want to concentrate on walk<strong>in</strong>g. That’s<br />
my priority right now,” she says. “Therapy is my<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> focus, and bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g is what I do for fun.”<br />
Not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly, Shannon has made remarkable<br />
progress on that front, as well. After leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>, she cont<strong>in</strong>ued physical therapy at<br />
Carol<strong>in</strong>a Sp<strong>in</strong>e and Mounta<strong>in</strong> Neurosurgery Center<br />
<strong>in</strong> Asheville. In November 2011, she used crutches<br />
for the first time. After four to five steps, she was<br />
exhausted. But with her trademark persistence,<br />
she was soon walk<strong>in</strong>g longer distances. And this<br />
past spr<strong>in</strong>g, Shannon walked a half-mile to the<br />
pool with her children.<br />
“I’m amazed by everyth<strong>in</strong>g she’s done and<br />
where she has taken herself,” Dan says. “She<br />
cleared obstacles and exceeded her goals. She<br />
has been an <strong>in</strong>spiration to a large group of people.<br />
I know bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g won’t be the last th<strong>in</strong>g she<br />
accomplishes.”<br />
Shannon plans to return to her job as a physical<br />
therapy assistant <strong>in</strong> the near future. For now, she’s<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g time off to focus on her rehabilitation and<br />
family, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g husband Ray and sons Brandon,<br />
15, and Jakob, 10.<br />
As for advice she would give to others, it comes<br />
down to this: Never give up.<br />
“You can still live your life. You just have to learn<br />
to accept your new circumstances,” she says. “It’s<br />
a different way of liv<strong>in</strong>g. But I’m grateful I’m here to<br />
live my life and watch my children grow up.” q<br />
shannon chisholm,<br />
37, of fletcher, n.c.,<br />
has returned to<br />
bodybuild<strong>in</strong>g – now<br />
<strong>in</strong> a wheelchair –<br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g rehabilitation<br />
for a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord<br />
<strong>in</strong>jury. she won a<br />
national competition<br />
this past spr<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
18 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 19
Leav<strong>in</strong>g Home to get the<br />
Best Rehabilitation Care<br />
1.<br />
One family shares their journey<br />
<strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g the tough, but right<br />
choice for their son’s recovery.<br />
by aManDa CroWe, Ma, MPh<br />
For Chris Schoepke, 25, of Woodbridge, Va., the<br />
summer of 2010 was off to a great start. He had<br />
just graduated from college with an account<strong>in</strong>g<br />
degree and was eager to embark on the next<br />
chapter of his life. But a summer job pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />
houses would change everyth<strong>in</strong>g. His very first day<br />
on the job, Chris was electrocuted when a ladder<br />
he was position<strong>in</strong>g touched a live wire.<br />
“Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the report, 19,600 volts of<br />
electricity surged through his body,” says Chris’<br />
mother, Debi Ives. “At first, everyone was worried<br />
about the <strong>in</strong>ternal <strong>in</strong>juries, but once they pulled all<br />
the mach<strong>in</strong>ery away, it was clear he had a bra<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>jury from his heart stopp<strong>in</strong>g several times.”<br />
Chris had always been an avid athlete and,<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>g to emergency responders, his good<br />
physical condition and health helped him pull<br />
through. At first, he was cared for <strong>in</strong> a bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury/<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord rehabilitation facility near home. But after<br />
exhaust<strong>in</strong>g the resources locally available, a workers’<br />
compensation claims manager took a special <strong>in</strong>terest<br />
<strong>in</strong> Chris’ case and advocated for him to transfer to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s post-acute rehabilitation program<br />
at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Pathways. The case manager was<br />
confident <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s <strong>in</strong>dividualized therapy, oncampus<br />
hous<strong>in</strong>g, transportation, family services<br />
and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, peer support and community-based<br />
re<strong>in</strong>tegration programs would make a big difference<br />
<strong>in</strong> his recovery.<br />
“It’s been like night and day,” Debi says,<br />
compar<strong>in</strong>g the previous facility with <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center. “He wants to be at <strong>Shepherd</strong>. He says,<br />
‘Mom, people care about me here, they want me<br />
to do better and improve, and I want to be here.’<br />
It’s hard to be so far away, but the progress he is<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g and the true concern and care I know he is<br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g makes it all worth it.”<br />
By all accounts, Chris is thriv<strong>in</strong>g. S<strong>in</strong>ce com<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to <strong>Shepherd</strong> earlier this year, he and his care team<br />
have noticed progress <strong>in</strong> his memory, speech<br />
and ability to problem solve and consider various<br />
options. He is back to runn<strong>in</strong>g despite 24 surgeries<br />
on his legs and feet as a result of the accident,<br />
and has even been begun <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s driv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rehabilitation program after complet<strong>in</strong>g a formal<br />
driv<strong>in</strong>g assessment.<br />
“It’s been a really supportive [environment],”<br />
Chris says. “It helps me know I’m not alone. There<br />
PhotoS BY louie Favorite<br />
are other people go<strong>in</strong>g through it, too, and I’m<br />
happy here.”<br />
At <strong>Shepherd</strong> Pathways, Chris began with fullday,<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividualized therapy daily and group therapy<br />
with other patients with traumatic bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
(TBI). Compared to his previous rehabilitation<br />
experience, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Pathways is provid<strong>in</strong>g some<br />
answers to Chris’ questions. Also, the staff is<br />
equally concerned with his needs and goals and<br />
the more rout<strong>in</strong>e cl<strong>in</strong>ical milestones expected <strong>in</strong><br />
TBI recovery, Chris says.<br />
Of course, the notion of send<strong>in</strong>g a child of any<br />
age miles away from home to receive specialized<br />
care follow<strong>in</strong>g this type of an <strong>in</strong>jury can be<br />
anxiety-provok<strong>in</strong>g for parents. Chris’ father, Steven<br />
Schoepke, visits at least once a month, while also<br />
juggl<strong>in</strong>g a bus<strong>in</strong>ess and family life. He says that<br />
even though it may be difficult for families to let go<br />
of their protective <strong>in</strong>st<strong>in</strong>cts, it’s often the right th<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to do, depend<strong>in</strong>g on the severity of the <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
“There was a po<strong>in</strong>t when I was fight<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
caregiver-rescuer nature, and they knew it, so<br />
I pulled back for a little while,” Steve recalls. “I<br />
needed to let go so Chris could fully <strong>in</strong>tegrate <strong>in</strong>to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>’s programs, ga<strong>in</strong> some <strong>in</strong>dependence,<br />
and build his confidence.”<br />
For Chris’ parents, <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s efforts to engage<br />
them <strong>in</strong> the rehabilitation process – even from afar<br />
– have not gone unnoticed. In fact, when Chris had<br />
a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation,<br />
his parents were <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the feedback session<br />
by phone so they could be part of this <strong>in</strong>formationshar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and ask questions.<br />
“They have been extremely pleased with<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g that’s been done. They aren’t hav<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
push people to do what they need to do. It’s just<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g done,” says Patricia McFall, RN, an external<br />
worker’s comp case manager at GENEX who was<br />
assigned to Chris’ case.<br />
Patricia is also extremely happy with the care<br />
Chris has received. She attributes much of the<br />
success to <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s team approach and focus<br />
on Chris’ personal goals.<br />
“His needs are be<strong>in</strong>g anticipated, and we are<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g really proactive <strong>in</strong> try<strong>in</strong>g to get him back to<br />
where he was,” says Patricia, who has worked <strong>in</strong><br />
partnership with Kendra Moon, a case manager at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Pathways, to review different scenarios<br />
for Chris. “Chris’ outlook has been so positive. It<br />
would’ve been very easy for him to retreat, but he’s<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g 1,000 percent toward his goals.”<br />
And it seems the hard work is pay<strong>in</strong>g off. In<br />
the late summer, Chris began liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Spr<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Creek House, <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s long-term, supportedliv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
residence for people with bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury. It is<br />
designed for people who have completed most of<br />
their skilled rehabilitation and are ready to live <strong>in</strong><br />
the community, but still need 24-hour support. This<br />
has provided more <strong>in</strong>dependence for Chris, who<br />
was most excited about be<strong>in</strong>g reunited with his<br />
beloved dog, “Cooley” (a Dalmatian mix named<br />
after his favorite Wash<strong>in</strong>gton Redsk<strong>in</strong> football<br />
player). This is a first at Spr<strong>in</strong>g Creek, and his<br />
rehabilitation team suspects Cooley is provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
added therapeutic benefits for Chris. The next goal,<br />
Patricia says, is to help Chris ga<strong>in</strong> employment.<br />
“<strong>Shepherd</strong> is so tuned <strong>in</strong>to the life-cycle needs of<br />
patients with traumatic bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>juries from the po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
of rescue and stabilization all the way to help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
them re<strong>in</strong>tegrate <strong>in</strong>to society, and they <strong>in</strong>volve the<br />
family <strong>in</strong> the process,” Steve says. “I’ve seen such<br />
an improvement <strong>in</strong> Chris. His sense of humor is<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g back, so much so he recently played a<br />
practical joke on his mom by send<strong>in</strong>g her a photo<br />
of a fake tattoo with a note that said, ‘I f<strong>in</strong>ally gave<br />
<strong>in</strong> and got one.’”<br />
For Chris and other people with TBI, the best<br />
approach is to take one day at a time. Fortunately,<br />
Chris has found a home away from home that he<br />
says is help<strong>in</strong>g him get back on track. q<br />
1. chris schoepke,<br />
25, of Woodbridge,<br />
Va., works to improve<br />
cognitive skills as a<br />
patient at shepherd<br />
pathways, shepherd<br />
center’s postacute<br />
outpatient<br />
rehabilitation<br />
program for people<br />
with a bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
2. he is also work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on driv<strong>in</strong>g skills.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
20 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 21<br />
2.<br />
2.
1. former share<br />
military <strong>in</strong>itiative<br />
patient clarence<br />
parker, right,<br />
receives f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
counsel<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
volunteer lee Baker,<br />
who is a certified<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial planner.<br />
2. shepherd center<br />
disability specialist<br />
robert antonisse<br />
guides patients<br />
and their families<br />
through the process<br />
of apply<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
disability benefits.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>anCial Plan oF attaCk<br />
Gett<strong>in</strong>G A F<strong>in</strong>AnCiAL pLAn <strong>in</strong> pLACe MAkeS<br />
it eASier tO FOCuS On reCOvery.<br />
Patients recover<strong>in</strong>g from catastrophic <strong>in</strong>juries<br />
or illnesses know the frustration of hav<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
rehabilitation efforts <strong>in</strong>terrupted or slowed by<br />
forces beyond their control. Relapses can occur.<br />
Stress, emotional issues and family situations can<br />
conspire to disrupt progress.<br />
All too often there is another culprit – f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty.<br />
With the potential costs of hospital stays,<br />
therapy, lost work and long-term liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
adjustments, patients may worry more about<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial difficulties than physical recovery.<br />
That’s why creat<strong>in</strong>g a personalized f<strong>in</strong>ancial plan<br />
is so crucial, says Lee Baker, a Certified F<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
Planner with Apex F<strong>in</strong>ancial Services <strong>in</strong> Atlanta.<br />
“If left unattended, bad f<strong>in</strong>ancial decisions<br />
and circumstances can [slow] your physical<br />
rehabilitation,” Baker says. “At a time when mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
adjustments and overcom<strong>in</strong>g life-alter<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>juries<br />
should receive patients’ full attention, calls from<br />
creditors and poor or non-existent budget<strong>in</strong>g skills<br />
could derail someone’s physical rehabilitation.”<br />
Baker volunteers to help military service<br />
members and veterans with f<strong>in</strong>ancial plann<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Those he helps <strong>in</strong>clude some patients receiv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
care <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s SHARE Military Initiative,<br />
which provides rehabilitation care for service<br />
members <strong>in</strong>jured <strong>in</strong> Iraq and Afghanistan.<br />
What should a recently <strong>in</strong>jured person consider<br />
when it comes to mak<strong>in</strong>g a new f<strong>in</strong>ancial plan?<br />
“One of the first th<strong>in</strong>gs to consider is<br />
by PhilliP JordAn<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g who is on your team,” Baker says.<br />
“Gett<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> order physically needs to be the<br />
focal po<strong>in</strong>t of the patients, so hav<strong>in</strong>g a support<br />
system that the patient can trust is extremely<br />
valuable to gett<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> order fiscally.”<br />
In plann<strong>in</strong>g, Baker says he always starts with<br />
two steps: “The first th<strong>in</strong>g is tak<strong>in</strong>g a look at your<br />
credit report. The second th<strong>in</strong>g is sitt<strong>in</strong>g down and<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g a very detailed cash-flow analysis.”<br />
Patients undergo<strong>in</strong>g rehabilitation often<br />
receive new <strong>in</strong>come from multiple sources,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g worker’s compensation and Social<br />
Security disability benefits. (See sidebar for more<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation on apply<strong>in</strong>g for disability benefits.)<br />
Patients often have many new expenses, as well.<br />
Baker developed an onl<strong>in</strong>e calendar for one<br />
patient to use <strong>in</strong> track<strong>in</strong>g cash flow. The calendar<br />
noted when certa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>come should be expected<br />
and <strong>in</strong>cluded hyperl<strong>in</strong>ks to vendors’ websites on<br />
the dates when their bills were due.<br />
“This was even more useful for this soldier<br />
because the next phase of his treatment had him<br />
<strong>in</strong> different states for several months,” Baker says.<br />
Jim Peniston is the executive director of the<br />
Foundation for F<strong>in</strong>ancial Plann<strong>in</strong>g, a nonprofit<br />
organization that connects the f<strong>in</strong>ancial plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
community with people <strong>in</strong> need. That <strong>in</strong>cludes some<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patients, particularly military service<br />
members adapt<strong>in</strong>g to life with traumatic bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>juries.<br />
“Not everyone needs a f<strong>in</strong>ancial planner, but<br />
everyone does need a f<strong>in</strong>ancial plan,” Peniston<br />
PhotoS BY garY MeeK and louie Favorite<br />
says. “The need for unbiased, professional<br />
assistance is even greater when the <strong>in</strong>dividual may<br />
be suffer<strong>in</strong>g from a bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury.”<br />
If hir<strong>in</strong>g a professional to assist with your f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
plan, “You need to be comfortable with the f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
planner you work with,” Peniston says. “It is not ‘one<br />
size fits all.’ You should <strong>in</strong>terview and evaluate several<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial planners to f<strong>in</strong>d the one that’s right for you.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terviews, ask what qualifies them to<br />
offer f<strong>in</strong>ancial plann<strong>in</strong>g advice. Ask the f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
planners what organizations regulate them, and<br />
contact those groups to conduct a background<br />
check on their discipl<strong>in</strong>ary work history. Peniston<br />
recommends read<strong>in</strong>g the “How to Choose a<br />
Planner” primer supplied by the Certified F<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
Planner Board of Standards Inc. at: www.cfp.<br />
net/learn/howtochoose.asp.<br />
Whether or not you hire a professional, The<br />
Foundation for F<strong>in</strong>ancial Plann<strong>in</strong>g emphasizes that<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial plann<strong>in</strong>g isn’t a product or service: It’s<br />
a process. And patients start<strong>in</strong>g life anew after a<br />
major <strong>in</strong>jury or illness have the power to start that<br />
process on their own, or with their family’s help.<br />
The foundation details six steps anyone can take<br />
to beg<strong>in</strong> the f<strong>in</strong>ancial plann<strong>in</strong>g process.<br />
• gather <strong>in</strong>formation. This <strong>in</strong>cludes earn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
statements, bills and credit reports. Gather<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g that has to do with your <strong>in</strong>come.<br />
• determ<strong>in</strong>e your goals. Be specific. Write<br />
down your life goals for the short term and the<br />
long term.<br />
• Assess the situation. Exam<strong>in</strong>e the<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation you’ve gathered. How does<br />
<strong>in</strong>come compare to spend<strong>in</strong>g? How much<br />
debt do you have? How much are you sav<strong>in</strong>g?<br />
• create an action plan. Compare your<br />
assessment to your goals. Is there a path to<br />
reach those goals? Can you create a plan with<br />
better spend<strong>in</strong>g and sav<strong>in</strong>gs habits?<br />
• execute the plan. A plan that isn’t executed<br />
is useless. Draw up a realistic timetable and<br />
commit to follow<strong>in</strong>g through. Can someone<br />
help keep you accountable?<br />
• monitor the plan. Circumstances change <strong>in</strong> life;<br />
make adjustments as needed. Rema<strong>in</strong> honest<br />
with yourself and your f<strong>in</strong>ancial habits. q<br />
Access<strong>in</strong>g Disability benefits<br />
2.<br />
As <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s disability<br />
specialist, Robert Antonisse guides<br />
patients and their families through the<br />
process of apply<strong>in</strong>g for disability benefits<br />
– such as Social Security Disability<br />
Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental<br />
Security Income (SSI) through Social<br />
Security, Medicaid and Medicare – that<br />
can help cover medical costs, loss of<br />
work and long-term expenses.<br />
One of the first staff members that<br />
patients’ families meet, Antonisse<br />
answers questions and helps gather the<br />
paperwork and medical records needed to apply for benefits.<br />
He also arranges the required family <strong>in</strong>terview with Social<br />
Security staff.<br />
Below are a few facts to know when apply<strong>in</strong>g for disability benefits:<br />
1<br />
Patients are eligible for Social Security disability benefits<br />
the month they apply. “So if you get hurt <strong>in</strong> March and<br />
don’t apply until April or May,” says Antonisse, “you’ve missed a<br />
couple months’ support. If people have no <strong>in</strong>surance, it’s really<br />
critical to do this as early as possible – especially for a young<br />
person who hasn’t worked enough to be eligible for work-based<br />
benefits and is rely<strong>in</strong>g on need alone.”<br />
2<br />
If accepted, Social Security disability benefits can <strong>in</strong>clude<br />
Medicaid coverage and an additional monthly payment<br />
beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g the follow<strong>in</strong>g month: $698 is the current monthly<br />
maximum. Patients’ children may also receive benefits.<br />
3<br />
Disability benefits are available to patients who are unable<br />
to go back to work or are disabled for at least 12 months.<br />
Earn<strong>in</strong>g more than $1,000 annually is considered ga<strong>in</strong>ful<br />
employment. Though if you do go back to work after collect<strong>in</strong>g<br />
SSDI, that doesn’t mean you automatically lose all benefits.<br />
“Call Social Security when you go back to work so they can<br />
place you <strong>in</strong> their Ticket to Work program,” Antonisse says. You<br />
may still be eligible for n<strong>in</strong>e to 11 more months of SSDI benefits<br />
<strong>in</strong> addition to your salary. And if you relapse or lose your job <strong>in</strong><br />
the next three years, you can automatically renew your disability<br />
benefits the very next month.<br />
4<br />
For patients not at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, Antonisse advises<br />
visit<strong>in</strong>g http://ssa/gov – the official website of the U.S.<br />
Social Security Adm<strong>in</strong>istration.<br />
5<br />
What is the most important th<strong>in</strong>g anybody can do long<br />
before a potentially life-chang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>jury or illness can occur?<br />
“If you’re eligible for long- and short-term disability coverage<br />
through your job, make sure you have it!” Antonisse says.<br />
Story and photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
22 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 23<br />
1.
a successful<br />
entrepreneur<br />
and Family man<br />
Former patient nick kyriakidis<br />
works hard <strong>in</strong> rehabilitation to<br />
return to home and work.<br />
by Jane M. SanDerS<br />
Nick Kyriakidis, 39, now known as Zorba by his<br />
doctor and Iron Man by his kids, used to th<strong>in</strong>k that<br />
simply be<strong>in</strong>g known as chef and restaurateur by his<br />
community was enough for him.<br />
A hard-work<strong>in</strong>g and successful entrepreneur <strong>in</strong><br />
Chattanooga, Tenn., Nick was raised <strong>in</strong> a family of<br />
restaurateurs with a passion for cook<strong>in</strong>g Greek food.<br />
Seventy-hour workweeks at Nikos Southside Grill –<br />
the restaurant he and his wife Amy co-own – were the<br />
norm for Nick, who says he “lived to work.”<br />
That was the old Nick. The new Nick “works to<br />
live,” appreciates time with his wife Amy and three<br />
young sons more than ever and takes noth<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
granted, he says. His metamorphosis began this past<br />
spr<strong>in</strong>g with swell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his right leg. Those who have<br />
never dealt with a blood clot might not have been as<br />
attuned to the signs. But Nick had been there before.<br />
He recognized the symptoms.<br />
Nick went to the emergency room at Erlanger<br />
Hospital <strong>in</strong> Chattanooga and was soon <strong>in</strong> an<br />
operat<strong>in</strong>g room. No one anticipated what happened<br />
next. When he awoke follow<strong>in</strong>g lengthy vascular<br />
surgery, Nick could not feel or move his legs. Doctors<br />
suspected a stroke <strong>in</strong> Nick’s bra<strong>in</strong>, but tests were<br />
negative. Eventually, they attributed the paralysis<br />
PhotoS BY louie Favorite<br />
to a sp<strong>in</strong>al column stroke at the T-10 level. Sach<strong>in</strong><br />
Phade, M.D., Nick’s vascular surgeon and a fellow<br />
alumnus at McCallie School <strong>in</strong> Chattanooga, tirelessly<br />
researched rehabilitation options for Nick and<br />
concluded that <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center was the best place<br />
to send his patient.<br />
At <strong>Shepherd</strong>, Nick participated <strong>in</strong> physical and<br />
occupational therapy. He learned daily liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
skills, wheelchair maneuver<strong>in</strong>g and transfers, and<br />
participated <strong>in</strong> therapeutic recreational activities.<br />
“Therapy was very physically demand<strong>in</strong>g,” Nick<br />
recalls. “My body would be exhausted at the end<br />
of the day. It was the hardest th<strong>in</strong>g I’ve ever done<br />
physically and mentally, and I used to play sports.”<br />
But Nick pursued his task with vigor, motivated to<br />
return home to his family and to work at his restaurant.<br />
“Nick embraced rehabilitation <strong>in</strong>credibly well,” says<br />
Gerald Bilsky, M.D., his <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center physician,<br />
who playfully nicknamed him Zorba the Greek, a<br />
character <strong>in</strong> the 1964 film by the same name. “Initially,<br />
he <strong>in</strong>tellectualized th<strong>in</strong>gs, but then he really took it<br />
to heart and worked very hard. He realized our staff<br />
members were tell<strong>in</strong>g him important th<strong>in</strong>gs he needed<br />
to learn. It was just a pleasure to work with Nick.”<br />
Initially overwhelmed, Nick’s outlook began to<br />
change as he observed and got to know other<br />
patients at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, he says. He began<br />
to feel hopeful and then dedicated himself to<br />
rehabilitation.<br />
“Early on at <strong>Shepherd</strong>, I began direct<strong>in</strong>g my own<br />
care,” Nick says. “I managed my medic<strong>in</strong>es and<br />
worked with Dr. Bilsky on reduc<strong>in</strong>g or elim<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
meds I didn’t need. I learned to care for myself and<br />
ga<strong>in</strong>ed confidence. That helped me transfer what I<br />
learned from the hospital environment to my home<br />
and workplace.”<br />
It was while Nick was harnessed <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center’s Lokomat robotic gait tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g device that he<br />
got his superhero nickname.<br />
“My kids were amazed,” Nick says. “They called me<br />
Iron Man. They would help my physical therapist (PT)<br />
by hold<strong>in</strong>g a soccer ball <strong>in</strong> front of me while I was on<br />
the Lokomat. My PT would tell me to visualize kick<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the ball, and it helped me on the Lokomat. The<br />
therapists kept vary<strong>in</strong>g the rout<strong>in</strong>e on the Lokomat,<br />
and they got different muscles to fire.”<br />
In time, Nick rega<strong>in</strong>ed some movement <strong>in</strong> his toes<br />
and some movement and sensation <strong>in</strong> his left leg.<br />
After meet<strong>in</strong>g all of his therapy goals, Nick returned<br />
home to undergo physical therapy twice a week. He<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued to rega<strong>in</strong> some movement <strong>in</strong> his left leg<br />
and was able to stand for a short time. His sons – Eli,<br />
6, Matthias, 5, and Fisher, 3 – enjoyed help<strong>in</strong>g Nick<br />
with exercises to supplement his therapy.<br />
In late June 2012, Nick returned to Atlanta to<br />
participate <strong>in</strong> six weeks of outpatient therapy <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s Beyond Therapy® program. “I<br />
wanted to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to improve and get stronger,” Nick<br />
says. “I hit it hard and kept mov<strong>in</strong>g forward.”<br />
And that is exactly what Nick did, accord<strong>in</strong>g to his<br />
therapists. After all, he has a restaurant to run and a<br />
family who needs him. Nick’s work ethic and passion<br />
for food and family run deep. As a young child, he<br />
began cook<strong>in</strong>g with his father, who immigrated to the<br />
United States from Greece <strong>in</strong> 1952. After complet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
prep school at McCallie <strong>in</strong> Chattanooga, Nick earned<br />
a bachelor’s degree <strong>in</strong> economics. Draw<strong>in</strong>g upon<br />
both his tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and passion for food, he entered the<br />
restaurant bus<strong>in</strong>ess with his father, an experienced<br />
restaurateur, and brother after college. Then <strong>in</strong> 2007,<br />
he made the plunge and started Nikos Southside<br />
Grill, which has become a popular eatery housed <strong>in</strong> a<br />
former meat-pack<strong>in</strong>g plant <strong>in</strong> downtown Chattanooga.<br />
With the support of his family and dedicated staff,<br />
Nick returned to work at Nikos on a part-time basis –<br />
35 hours week – almost immediately after discharg<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center <strong>in</strong> May 2012. He needed<br />
to return to get back to his life, he says. Now, he is<br />
back <strong>in</strong> the restaurant’s kitchen – sometimes with<br />
his children alongside him – work<strong>in</strong>g to develop new<br />
menu items. And he’s greet<strong>in</strong>g guests and chatt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with them as they d<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
“By the time Nick left <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, I was not<br />
worried about him go<strong>in</strong>g back to work,” says G<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
Perritt, OT, who worked with Nick on cook<strong>in</strong>g skills <strong>in</strong><br />
an accessible kitchen as part of his therapy. “Nick’s<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d was constantly work<strong>in</strong>g. His job is so much a<br />
part of him. I knew he could handle it because he<br />
loves it…. His wife is so supportive, and Nick is so<br />
motivated by his sons.”<br />
Dr. Bilsky says he has high expectations for Nick to<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue be<strong>in</strong>g the successful person he was before<br />
his <strong>in</strong>jury. “He is dedicated to do<strong>in</strong>g the right th<strong>in</strong>gs to<br />
get better, and he’s work<strong>in</strong>g to improve his physical<br />
fitness,” Dr. Bilsky notes.<br />
Nick credits his doctors and medical team – at<br />
both Erlanger and <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center – for giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
him excellent care that improved his chances<br />
for recovery. He envisions himself walk<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong><br />
someday and considers it a realistic goal. In the<br />
meantime, he ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>s the positive outlook he<br />
developed at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center and counts every<br />
moment of life as precious. q<br />
nick kyriakidis, 39,<br />
and his wife amy own<br />
nikos southside grill<br />
<strong>in</strong> chattanooga, tenn.<br />
nick returned to work<br />
soon after complet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rehabilitation at<br />
shepherd center.<br />
the couple has three<br />
sons, who love to go to<br />
work with their dad.<br />
Story and more photos at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
24 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 25
pArALyMpiC StArS<br />
Four <strong>Shepherd</strong> sports team members compete at the 2012 paralympic Games <strong>in</strong> London.<br />
by PhILLIP JorDan<br />
That’s because Julio is the coach for the <strong>Shepherd</strong> schools’ jo<strong>in</strong>t faculty, research<strong>in</strong>g neurological<br />
Swords wheelchair fenc<strong>in</strong>g team of which Curtis is<br />
also a member.<br />
<strong>in</strong>juries and diseases.<br />
“Curtis is still one of the best fencers, too,” Julio RACING TO WIN<br />
says. “He’s fantastic, a world champion. At his age, For Krige Schabort, London marked his fifth<br />
it’s pretty <strong>in</strong>credible that he’s still go<strong>in</strong>g so strong. Paralympic Games – and the first time to compete for<br />
Hopefully, he’ll go after fenc<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Rio de Team USA.<br />
Janeiro <strong>in</strong> 2016!”<br />
A South African by birth, Krige and his wife moved<br />
This past summer, Julio served as an<br />
to Atlanta before the 2000 Sydney Games. “My<br />
1.<br />
Curtis Lovejoy holds 10 world records <strong>in</strong> the pool.<br />
USA Swimm<strong>in</strong>g, the national govern<strong>in</strong>g body for the<br />
assistant coach for the U.S. wheelchair fenc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
team <strong>in</strong> London.<br />
goal was to tra<strong>in</strong> here and do my best to prepare for<br />
Sydney,” he says. After Sydney, though, they realized<br />
sport <strong>in</strong> the United States, named him an “Icon of<br />
“It was an honor to go with the team,” Julio says. they wanted to stay <strong>in</strong> Atlanta.<br />
Paralympics <strong>in</strong> Swimm<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
“My goal was just to be there for them. That’s where I Part of that decision had to do with friendships<br />
And yet, there was a time when be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> water<br />
get my satisfaction. These are amaz<strong>in</strong>g athletes. I get made through <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s sports program.<br />
downright petrified him.<br />
my <strong>in</strong>spiration from them.”<br />
“Several guys there asked me if I wanted to jo<strong>in</strong> them<br />
A car accident <strong>in</strong> 1986 left Curtis with a C-5 to<br />
He has deep fenc<strong>in</strong>g roots. Julio’s father, also for track practice,” he says. “I jo<strong>in</strong>ed the team, started<br />
-7 sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury. As part of his rehabilitation at<br />
named Julio, was on the Cuban national fenc<strong>in</strong>g swimm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the pool, work<strong>in</strong>g out there. Everyone 1. Krige Schabort<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, therapeutic recreation therapists<br />
team. When the family moved to Atlanta 40 years was great to me and my wife, and I met a lot of my competed <strong>in</strong> Paralympic<br />
conv<strong>in</strong>ced him to give the pool a try.<br />
ago, Julio Sr. started the first fenc<strong>in</strong>g program at a buddies there.”<br />
wheelchair rac<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“I’d never swam a day <strong>in</strong> my life,” Curtis says. “I<br />
Decatur, Ga., YMCA.<br />
Krige was <strong>in</strong>jured <strong>in</strong> 1987, and competes <strong>in</strong><br />
distance events.<br />
was terrified. After about a dozen sessions of be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“My dad taught me everyth<strong>in</strong>g about fenc<strong>in</strong>g,” distance events as a double-amputee above the 2. Cassie Mitchell<br />
scared, I remember I was just sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the corner of<br />
says Julio, who was a one-time U.S. national team knees. Over the past few years, he has focused on competed <strong>in</strong> three track<br />
the pool with my life jacket on. I started dream<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
member himself. “It’s my passion.”<br />
triathlons, a sport that debuts at the 2016 Games <strong>in</strong> events. 3. julio diaz<br />
saw medals on my neck, stand<strong>in</strong>g on a podium. I<br />
It’s also his spouse’s passion. Julio and his wife, Brazil. He has already set world records <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g helped coach the u.S.<br />
decided to start swimm<strong>in</strong>g then.”<br />
Tania, are both paramedics and fencers.<br />
the 2010 and 2011 Iron Man World Championships. Paralympic fenc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
In the water, he rediscovered his joy and realized<br />
In London, Krige attacked a technically<br />
team. 4. Curtis lovejoy<br />
he could <strong>in</strong>deed w<strong>in</strong> those medals.<br />
NEW DREAMS<br />
demand<strong>in</strong>g marathon course on Sept. 9 – his 49th competed <strong>in</strong> swimm<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
In the Paralympic Games alone, Curtis was a<br />
Cassie Mitchell grew up <strong>in</strong> Warner, Okla., and birthday.<br />
results are available<br />
n<strong>in</strong>e-time medalist go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the London games – <strong>in</strong><br />
excelled <strong>in</strong> track, dance and gymnastics. She also “It was quite a day,” he says with a laugh. “It was at: london2012.com/<br />
swimm<strong>in</strong>g and fenc<strong>in</strong>g, his second sport. (He was<br />
won four world championships <strong>in</strong> Western-style very excit<strong>in</strong>g to compete for the United States – paralympics/sports/<br />
the first quadriplegic athlete to w<strong>in</strong> a gold medal for<br />
horseback speed events by the time she was 16. someth<strong>in</strong>g I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’ve won<br />
2. the United States <strong>in</strong> fenc<strong>in</strong>g.)<br />
At 55, Curtis is the oldest member of the 2012 U.S.<br />
Two years later, Cassie woke one morn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and couldn’t move her legs. The cause turned<br />
silver and bronze medals <strong>in</strong> Paralympic marathons.<br />
On paper, I was probably not the guy to w<strong>in</strong> this one.<br />
3.<br />
swim team. He might not possess the speed he had<br />
out to be a neurological condition called Devic’s But I don’t race for second place. I race to w<strong>in</strong>.”<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2000 when he won two gold medals at the Sydney<br />
Neuromyelitis Optica. The effects left her<br />
Games and broke three world records <strong>in</strong> a s<strong>in</strong>gle<br />
paralyzed from the chest down and limited use of HOW TO PLAy<br />
day. But he contended <strong>in</strong> five events dur<strong>in</strong>g his fifth<br />
her arms and hands. It also left her with permanent For those <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
Paralympic Games this summer.<br />
double vision.<br />
sports team, more <strong>in</strong>formation is available at<br />
“I’m used to be<strong>in</strong>g the old guy,” Curtis says with a<br />
“After that, it was, ‘What do I want to do with my life shepherd.org/sports. Membership on a <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
laugh. “I was the oldest athlete on the team <strong>in</strong> 2004 and<br />
now?’” Cassie says.<br />
Center sports team is open to athletes with any type<br />
2008, too. Some of [my teammates] call me Pop-Pop.”<br />
Quite a lot, as it turns out. After graduat<strong>in</strong>g from of a physical disability, as long as the disability falls<br />
Three other athletes from <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center jo<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
Oklahoma State University, Cassie moved to<br />
with<strong>in</strong> the guidel<strong>in</strong>es of the sport. <strong>Shepherd</strong> sports<br />
Curtis <strong>in</strong> London – track-and-field participant Cassie<br />
Atlanta to pursue a doctoral degree <strong>in</strong> biomedical <strong>in</strong>clude basketball, quad rugby, fenc<strong>in</strong>g, power<br />
Mitchell, long-distance racer Krige Schabort and<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g. Once there, she started do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
soccer, rac<strong>in</strong>g, handcycl<strong>in</strong>g, swimm<strong>in</strong>g, bass fish<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
fenc<strong>in</strong>g coach Julio Diaz.<br />
outpatient occupational therapy at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. water ski<strong>in</strong>g, softball and <strong>in</strong>door shoot<strong>in</strong>g. q<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce the 1996 Paralympic Games <strong>in</strong> Atlanta, 26<br />
“When I was first paralyzed, I didn’t go through<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center athletes have qualified to represent<br />
the United States. <strong>Shepherd</strong> sponsors 11 sports<br />
rehabilitation,” Cassie says. “ My paralysis was<br />
not from a traumatic <strong>in</strong>jury, so accord<strong>in</strong>g to my<br />
4.<br />
teams annually, with more than 100 athletes now<br />
<strong>in</strong>surance at that time, I was <strong>in</strong>eligible. Later, I had<br />
participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> recreational or competitive leagues.<br />
the opportunity to go to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, and it was<br />
These sports are as important to newly recover<strong>in</strong>g<br />
amaz<strong>in</strong>g. It re<strong>in</strong>vigorated my desire to pursue those<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> patients as they are to world-class athletes<br />
athletic dreams I’d had.”<br />
like Curtis and his teammates.<br />
She started with wheelchair basketball and quad<br />
“These teams help support physical improvements<br />
rugby, but eventually gravitated to <strong>in</strong>dividual sports.<br />
<strong>in</strong> strength, coord<strong>in</strong>ation and endurance,” says Matt<br />
She jo<strong>in</strong>ed the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Cyclers cycl<strong>in</strong>g team and<br />
Edens, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s sports teams coord<strong>in</strong>ator,<br />
the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Sp<strong>in</strong>ners track team. Cassie is a world-<br />
“and they assist <strong>in</strong> team camaraderie, self-confidence<br />
record holder <strong>in</strong> cycl<strong>in</strong>g, but it’s track that took her to<br />
and self-esteem.”<br />
London. She competed <strong>in</strong> the 100- and 200-meter<br />
races, as well as discus.<br />
FAMILy TRADITION<br />
The Games were a nice break from her day job as<br />
The one person who might have been a bit sad<br />
a biomedical eng<strong>in</strong>eer. After earn<strong>in</strong>g her doctorate<br />
watch<strong>in</strong>g Curtis swim <strong>in</strong> London was Julio Diaz.<br />
from Georgia Tech and Emory, Cassie jo<strong>in</strong>ed the<br />
PhotoS BY garY MeeK<br />
26 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 27
Pstaff<br />
profile<br />
did you know?<br />
• Injuries are the<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g cause of<br />
death for children<br />
and adults ages<br />
1 to 44.<br />
• While most <strong>in</strong>juries<br />
can be treated at<br />
a local emergency<br />
department, if you<br />
are severely <strong>in</strong>jured,<br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g care at a<br />
Level I trauma center<br />
can lower your risk<br />
of death by<br />
25 percent.<br />
• Nearly 45 million<br />
Americans do not<br />
have access to a<br />
Level I or II trauma<br />
center with<strong>in</strong> one<br />
hour of be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>jured.<br />
That is equal to<br />
the populations of<br />
Arizona, New Mexico,<br />
Texas, Louisiana,<br />
Mississippi and<br />
Alabama comb<strong>in</strong>ed.<br />
Source: Centers for<br />
Disease Control and<br />
Prevention<br />
Doctors <strong>in</strong> the nation’s trauma centers are on the<br />
front l<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong> car<strong>in</strong>g for severely <strong>in</strong>jured patients, and<br />
they often refer recover<strong>in</strong>g patients to specialized<br />
rehabilitation hospitals such as <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong> Croce, M.D., is a trauma surgeon at the Elvis<br />
Presley Memorial Trauma Center at the Regional<br />
Medical Center <strong>in</strong> Memphis, Tenn. He has referred<br />
patients to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
Q: What’s your role <strong>in</strong> treat<strong>in</strong>g patients with<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord or bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>juries?<br />
A: I’m one of the attend<strong>in</strong>g surgeons <strong>in</strong> our trauma<br />
center. It’s a very busy trauma center, and my role is<br />
to first get patients through their acute or immediate<br />
<strong>in</strong>jury and try to m<strong>in</strong>imize the long-term effects<br />
of the immediate <strong>in</strong>jury. Then, once we stabilize<br />
the patient and repair what we can, it’s up to the<br />
rehabilitation centers. In many ways, their job is<br />
much harder than m<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Q: What factors help determ<strong>in</strong>e recovery<br />
prospects for these patients?<br />
A: Well, so much of it has to do with the constellation<br />
of <strong>in</strong>juries susta<strong>in</strong>ed. For example, if the patient has a<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury, but also has extremity fractures, it makes<br />
their rehabilitation much more difficult because now<br />
they have the physical limitations of not be<strong>in</strong>g able to<br />
bear weight and also have rehabilitation needs from<br />
their bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury, as well.<br />
We have to care for the entire patient and their family,<br />
as well. Trauma is devastat<strong>in</strong>g. One m<strong>in</strong>ute everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is f<strong>in</strong>e, and the next m<strong>in</strong>ute your whole life is turned<br />
upside down. Strong family support is very important<br />
for recovery follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>jury. That, plus hav<strong>in</strong>g access<br />
to a place that is specialized to care for these patients,<br />
affects the outcome of the <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
Q: Why is early rehabilitation so important?<br />
A: If you look at the literature, it clearly affords better<br />
functional outcomes follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>jury. It would be ideal<br />
if everyone could start rehabilitation after be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
the hospital for a couple days, but that’s not always<br />
practical or feasible, especially for patients who have<br />
Referr<strong>in</strong>g Physician Q & A<br />
MartIn CroCe, M.D.<br />
trauMa Surgeon, eLvIS PreSLey MeMorIaL trauMa Center<br />
IntervIeWeD by aManDa CroWe, Ma, MPh<br />
significant <strong>in</strong>juries. Ideally, we just want to get th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
roll<strong>in</strong>g as soon as possible.<br />
Q: What types of functional outcomes do you<br />
hope patients might achieve when you refer<br />
them to rehabilitation care?<br />
A: It depends on the severity of the <strong>in</strong>jury to beg<strong>in</strong><br />
with, but our goal is to help patients get back to do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs. For some people, a great functional outcome<br />
may be to feed and dress themselves, or to be able to<br />
walk or take some steps with assistance. For others, it<br />
might be to go back to school or to live <strong>in</strong>dependently.<br />
Q: What are the advantages for patients<br />
receiv<strong>in</strong>g rehabilitation care at a specialty<br />
hospital like <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center?<br />
A: By specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> these <strong>in</strong>juries, we can pay more<br />
attention to some of the little th<strong>in</strong>gs, and it’s these little<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs that really set some of the specialty centers<br />
apart. These are devastat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>juries, and you have to<br />
be able to tailor everyth<strong>in</strong>g to an <strong>in</strong>dividual patient’s<br />
needs. These hospitals have specific programs that<br />
are designed to optimize outcomes <strong>in</strong> patients with<br />
these <strong>in</strong>juries.<br />
I can th<strong>in</strong>k of several patients that we transferred<br />
to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center who had fairly significant<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>juries, and we’ll see them come back to<br />
Memphis, and they are thriv<strong>in</strong>g. We’ve also had<br />
some patients with sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>juries transfer there,<br />
and now they’re able to drive and live completely<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependently. So those are really huge success<br />
stories, not only for the trauma center, but also for the<br />
rehabilitation centers. Most importantly, these are<br />
huge success stories for the patient.<br />
Q: Do you have a checklist <strong>in</strong> your m<strong>in</strong>d<br />
about the patients that could benefit most<br />
from these programs?<br />
A: I tend to send younger patients because we know<br />
this group tends to do better and benefit from more<br />
<strong>in</strong>tensive rehabilitation. Age really impacts outcome.<br />
Of course, the [<strong>in</strong>tegrated] services, length of care<br />
required and need for re<strong>in</strong>tegration – all of these<br />
factors <strong>in</strong>to our decision.<br />
Photo BY garY MeeK<br />
Expanded Focus on the NEurosciENcE of<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
Friends raise more than $1 million to expand <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center SCi research lab.<br />
by aManDa CroWe, Ma, MPh<br />
In 2009, Billy Hulse, a successful Atlanta-area<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>essman, susta<strong>in</strong>ed a C-2 sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
after hitt<strong>in</strong>g his head <strong>in</strong> the middle of the night. From<br />
that night on, life was never the same. Still, Billy, who<br />
passed away <strong>in</strong> September 2012, credited <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center for help<strong>in</strong>g him rega<strong>in</strong> some function and<br />
extend<strong>in</strong>g his life.<br />
Filled with gratitude, he and his wife, Betty, looked<br />
for opportunities to give back to the hospital. Dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
their stay, they met Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D., the<br />
director of sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury research at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center. Dr. Tansey has created a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
lab (SCIL) to conduct mechanistic research to<br />
learn more about the underly<strong>in</strong>g neurobiology of<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury <strong>in</strong> patients who are undergo<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rehabilitation. He hopes to f<strong>in</strong>d new ways to <strong>in</strong>crease<br />
functionality and quality of life for patients – and<br />
maybe even cure paralysis someday.<br />
While some early fund<strong>in</strong>g allowed him to acquire<br />
equipment for the SCI Research Program, he<br />
needed more money to expand SCIL.<br />
“Early on, most grant agencies won’t support you<br />
until you can collect pilot data prov<strong>in</strong>g that your<br />
efforts will br<strong>in</strong>g results,” says Dr. Tansey, add<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that this process can take decades and neglects the<br />
need for staff and supplies to get that pilot data.<br />
The Hulses were so impressed with Dr. Tansey’s<br />
work that Billy knew he wanted to give to <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center and help future patients.<br />
Betty and Billy have lived <strong>in</strong> Atlanta all of their adult<br />
lives, and they have an extended network of friends.<br />
Among them are Atlanta philanthropists Tommy and<br />
Beth Holder. The Hulses shared the concept beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />
the SCIL, and the Holders got on board immediately.<br />
“Tommy and I were so happy to lend support<br />
to Betty and Billy, and also to support <strong>Shepherd</strong>,”<br />
Beth says.<br />
To help kickoff their fundrais<strong>in</strong>g efforts, the<br />
Holders hosted a reception at their home for 120<br />
of the Hulses’ friends and supporters. Dr. Tansey<br />
talked about his group’s research goals. Billy and<br />
Betty spoke about the care they received and how<br />
<strong>in</strong>vestments to expand the research lab could benefit<br />
future patients. The Holders also sent out hundreds<br />
of appeal letters.<br />
The response was enormous. Their goal was to<br />
raise $1 million. They surpassed that amount, rais<strong>in</strong>g<br />
$1.2 million <strong>in</strong> only three months.<br />
“There was a pent-up desire to show love and<br />
support for Billy and Betty, and this was the way that<br />
their friends could do that,” Beth expla<strong>in</strong>s. “We had<br />
donors from Thomasville, Ga., to Tokyo who were<br />
eager to write large checks.”<br />
Betty Hulse was overwhelmed by the response.<br />
“The devotion of our friends is so far-reach<strong>in</strong>g,”<br />
Betty says. “I’ve never really experienced anyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
like this. There was so much love and momentum to<br />
raise money <strong>in</strong> Billy’s name to help br<strong>in</strong>g this lab to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>.”<br />
With this seed money, Dr. Tansey and his team<br />
are able to hire additional researchers and buy new<br />
equipment that will help to secure additional grant<br />
fund<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
“This is go<strong>in</strong>g to allow us to expand the lab – now<br />
known as the Betty and Billy Hulse Sp<strong>in</strong>al Cord Injury<br />
Lab – <strong>in</strong> a way that would not have been possible<br />
if we were just go<strong>in</strong>g grant by grant,” Dr. Tansey<br />
says. “We can hire people sooner, and we will collect<br />
pilot data faster, which <strong>in</strong> turn will help us secure<br />
additional grants and publish our work faster. This<br />
accelerates our scientific endeavor beyond where we<br />
would have been <strong>in</strong> a typical academic environment.”<br />
Billy hoped the work done <strong>in</strong> the new laboratory<br />
will yield immediate and long-term results to help<br />
improve functionality for patients.<br />
In the meantime, the lab is help<strong>in</strong>g to advance<br />
the scientific understand<strong>in</strong>g of the human body’s<br />
neurophysiology after <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
“We give some of the best cl<strong>in</strong>ical care there is,<br />
and now this lab will <strong>in</strong>crease our contribution,” Dr.<br />
Tansey says. “It’s where we believe the future of the<br />
field is be<strong>in</strong>g def<strong>in</strong>ed.”<br />
Billy was proud of what has already been achieved.<br />
“It’s a chance to give back to the people at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
who provide such a tremendous service to those of us<br />
with catastrophic <strong>in</strong>juries,” he said earlier this year. q<br />
Rresearch<br />
The Betty and<br />
Billy Hulse Sp<strong>in</strong>al<br />
Cord Injury Lab at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
was dedicated on<br />
Sept. 11, 2012. At<br />
the ceremony, The<br />
Hulses, center,<br />
were surrounded<br />
by their friends,<br />
who donated to the<br />
lab. They are, left<br />
to right, Tom and<br />
Kathy Weller, Rex<br />
and Duvall Fuqua,<br />
William Crozer,<br />
Beth Holder, Mark<br />
PIrrung, Tommy<br />
Holder, and Carrie<br />
and Page Crozer.<br />
More story and photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
28 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 29
Ppatient<br />
profile<br />
Keaston White<br />
Tak<strong>in</strong>g Control, Push<strong>in</strong>g Forward<br />
keaston White graduates from<br />
law school and prepares for a<br />
career despite complications<br />
from a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
by John ChrIStenSen<br />
On the next to last day of exams <strong>in</strong> his f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
semester of law school, Keaston White lost it.<br />
One of his medications had stopped work<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
and his body felt overheated sharply. Along with<br />
the mental fatigue of tak<strong>in</strong>g an exam, he was lightheaded,<br />
exhausted and couldn’t move. He was<br />
also scared, angry, frustrated and wondered how<br />
much more he could possibly tolerate.<br />
His nurse checked his blood pressure and,<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g it extremely low, gave him water and a<br />
pill and put an abdom<strong>in</strong>al b<strong>in</strong>der on him. Then<br />
Keaston asked her to leave the room.<br />
After she left, he says, “I broke down.”<br />
Mean<strong>in</strong>g?<br />
“It’s very hard,” he says. “Mentally, I was done.<br />
It’s stressful to be on a medication that stops<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
So for two full m<strong>in</strong>utes, Keaston gave <strong>in</strong> to<br />
despair. Then he called the nurse, and when his<br />
condition stabilized 40 m<strong>in</strong>utes later, he completed<br />
the exam.<br />
“I don’t know if I passed,” he wrote <strong>in</strong> a text<br />
message to his mother, “but I’m done.” (He later<br />
learned that he passed “with fly<strong>in</strong>g colors.”)<br />
Keaston, 25, has been <strong>in</strong> the spotlight s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
he susta<strong>in</strong>ed a complete C-5 sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
play<strong>in</strong>g football as a high school freshman.<br />
Fundraisers and other support <strong>in</strong> Gw<strong>in</strong>nett County,<br />
north of Atlanta, were immediate and cont<strong>in</strong>ued<br />
throughout his rehabilitation at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
and beyond. When he returned to high school,<br />
he earned straight A’s, was the prom k<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
MeeK<br />
voted “Most Unforgettable” <strong>in</strong> his class and “Mr.<br />
garY<br />
Eagle.” He also received an award from the<br />
BY<br />
Atlanta Journal-Constitution for academic and<br />
leadership excellence, and his <strong>in</strong>spirational essay PhotoS<br />
was <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> “Chicken Soup for the Soul:<br />
Extraord<strong>in</strong>ary Teens.”<br />
At Emory University, Keaston majored <strong>in</strong><br />
psychology and participated <strong>in</strong> extracurricular<br />
activities that <strong>in</strong>cluded theater and a step group.<br />
Then he completed his studies at Atlanta’s John<br />
Marshall Law School <strong>in</strong> three years despite<br />
limitations imposed by his disability.<br />
Keaston wears a cuff on his hand and uses the<br />
eraser-end of a pencil to operate a computer and<br />
smart phone. But he can’t write as fast as others<br />
and used a note-taker and an audio recorder <strong>in</strong><br />
class. He also took tests <strong>in</strong> a separate room.<br />
“Those are needs, not wants,” says M<strong>in</strong>na Hong,<br />
peer support coord<strong>in</strong>ator at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. “It<br />
takes extra work if you have a disability.”<br />
Cathi Dugger, a physical therapist at <strong>Shepherd</strong>,<br />
says Keaston <strong>in</strong>spires other people with disabilities.<br />
“Even as an <strong>in</strong>patient, Keaston tried as hard as<br />
he could, never gave up and never gave <strong>in</strong> to selfpity,”<br />
Cathi says. “Despite complications with his<br />
<strong>in</strong>jury, he had a great attitude, and he has a great<br />
sense of humor. He never stopped, and he didn’t<br />
give up on what he wanted. That’s great for others<br />
to see.”<br />
What others have not seen is his struggle to stay<br />
upbeat despite repeated complications.<br />
“When I was younger,” Keaston says, “I didn’t<br />
know how to make sense of life. I thought I would<br />
be paralyzed, but I would be OK. Then I started law<br />
school, and I’ve had all these medical setbacks,<br />
and it’s turned my world upside down. In February,<br />
I had urosepsis. My immune system was affected,<br />
and my body has been up and down. Now, I suffer<br />
from hypotension that requires medication, and I<br />
have to wear an abdom<strong>in</strong>al b<strong>in</strong>der. If I don’t wear it,<br />
I could pass out.”<br />
He also has learned to supervise his caregivers<br />
closely – “Some of them don’t know what they’re<br />
supposed to know,” he expla<strong>in</strong>s – and what to do<br />
when medications fail. Life is not a matter of a “new<br />
normal,” but rather a series of them.<br />
“Before, I thought my m<strong>in</strong>d was <strong>in</strong> control,”<br />
Keaston says. “Now, my life is driven by changes<br />
<strong>in</strong> my body, and none of it is predictable. As a<br />
kid grow<strong>in</strong>g up, you make a lot of mistakes. But I<br />
don’t have that luxury. If I don’t take control, the<br />
disability will, and I didn’t realize how important and<br />
necessary it was. I didn’t know my health could be<br />
so up and down.”<br />
“He’s had more than his share of complications,”<br />
M<strong>in</strong>na says, “but he’s kept plugg<strong>in</strong>g away.<br />
Whatever your disability, it’s what you make of it,<br />
and Keaston has stepped up when it would have<br />
been easy not to. He’s tenacious and he’s kept his<br />
perspective and moved forward. I’m very proud of<br />
that young man.”<br />
Keaston has had excellent support from his<br />
family: His father, Brady, is an eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
manager; mother, Shirley, is a registered nurse;<br />
and older sister, Brandi Hoyos, is a teacher. He<br />
was a superior student and never left home<br />
without tell<strong>in</strong>g his mother he loved her. But despite<br />
Keaston’s accomplishments, he also realizes<br />
that he’s been <strong>in</strong> school s<strong>in</strong>ce his <strong>in</strong>jury, and he<br />
wonders what life will be like when he’s on his own.<br />
“He’s still got a learn<strong>in</strong>g curve,” Shirley says, “but<br />
his father and I have been try<strong>in</strong>g to prepare him to<br />
be <strong>in</strong>dependent and get him ready for th<strong>in</strong>gs he’s<br />
not aware of.”<br />
As an undergraduate, Keaston participated<br />
<strong>in</strong> extracurricular activities to prove a po<strong>in</strong>t.<br />
“Society doesn’t cater to or consider people with<br />
disabilities,” he says. “I had this need to belong <strong>in</strong> a<br />
place where I felt I didn’t belong, so I had to make<br />
myself a place. And that still drives me. It keeps me<br />
from accept<strong>in</strong>g the way I move, the way I look and<br />
the way I’m perceived. I’m never satisfied. I have a<br />
strong long<strong>in</strong>g for everyth<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
He’s consider<strong>in</strong>g a career <strong>in</strong> federal government<br />
and as an advocate for people with disabilities, but<br />
he hasn’t given up on his love of the theater, and<br />
he also enjoys motivational speak<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
As for the occasional meltdown, he says, “You<br />
can only sulk for so long. It’s counter-productive.<br />
It’s too much time wast<strong>in</strong>g what God has given me.<br />
It’s a self-esteem th<strong>in</strong>g: I have to accept where I<br />
am, but I don’t accept that I can’t do better.” q<br />
former patient keaston<br />
White, 25, of metro<br />
atlanta, overcame<br />
many obstacles related<br />
to his sp<strong>in</strong>al cord<br />
<strong>in</strong>jury to graduate from<br />
John marshall law<br />
school <strong>in</strong> may 2012.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
30 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 31
Aalumni<br />
profiles<br />
1<br />
Keith<br />
Polischuk<br />
MarIetta, ga.<br />
Keith Polischuk, 34, of Marietta, Ga., doesn’t<br />
know how long he spent underwater the<br />
summer even<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 2005 when he susta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
a C-5 sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury <strong>in</strong> a div<strong>in</strong>g accident.<br />
“But I learned I could hold my breath for a<br />
terribly long time,” he says.<br />
Swimm<strong>in</strong>g with friends <strong>in</strong> the ocean,<br />
Keith tried to dive from the edge of a<br />
sandbar <strong>in</strong>to a deeper channel of water. “I<br />
misjudged the depth and didn’t get out<br />
far enough,” he recalls, “and I slammed<br />
my head <strong>in</strong>to the sand. I was <strong>in</strong>stantly<br />
paralyzed, but I never lost consciousness.<br />
I remember all that time wait<strong>in</strong>g until my<br />
friends realized someth<strong>in</strong>g was really<br />
wrong and were able to get me out.”<br />
Keith spent most of the next three<br />
weeks <strong>in</strong> a medically <strong>in</strong>duced coma<br />
until he was stabilized and transferred to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
“I loved that they took the rehab<br />
seriously and challenged me,” he says,<br />
“because I approached it seriously. I was<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to work every day. It was my job. If<br />
you put a lot <strong>in</strong>to it, they really maximize<br />
what you get out of the program.”<br />
3<br />
1<br />
2<br />
4<br />
From near<br />
and Far<br />
Former <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
patients from across the<br />
nation report on their<br />
productive lives post-<strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
by PhILLIP JorDan<br />
Today, <strong>in</strong> addition to a full-time day job,<br />
he has gotten back <strong>in</strong>to photography<br />
and is develop<strong>in</strong>g a website offer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
wheelchair-friendly travel tips. In 2011, he<br />
married his wife, Hattie, and the couple’s<br />
first child was born <strong>in</strong> August.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g moved recently from<br />
Massachusetts to metro Atlanta, the<br />
Polischuks – along with Keith’s service<br />
dog, a Great Dane named Hudson<br />
– have become peer supporters at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. “I learned so much<br />
from other wheelchair users who came<br />
<strong>in</strong> to talk when I was there,” he says.<br />
“See<strong>in</strong>g other people with sp<strong>in</strong>al cord<br />
<strong>in</strong>juries get on with their lives meant<br />
the most to me. I want to be that k<strong>in</strong>d<br />
of resource.”<br />
Allyson (Ally) Arnold, 23, of Fort Valley,<br />
Ga., spent last year as the head coach<br />
of Covenant Academy’s C-team softball<br />
and women’s basketball squads <strong>in</strong><br />
Macon, Ga.<br />
“I really love the kids and just want to<br />
pour my heart <strong>in</strong>to them,” she says. “I’ve<br />
always been really competitive. I can’t<br />
perform athletically at the level I used<br />
to before my accident. So this is how I<br />
can compete and contribute now. The<br />
Lord has other th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> store for me. If it<br />
glorifies him, that br<strong>in</strong>gs joy to me.”<br />
Ally susta<strong>in</strong>ed a traumatic bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
<strong>in</strong> January 2011 dur<strong>in</strong>g a missed jump<br />
on a snowboard<strong>in</strong>g trip with her church<br />
<strong>in</strong> Boone, N.C. Her <strong>in</strong>jury was classified<br />
as a Rancho 4 upon admission to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. Rehabilitation brought<br />
her back physically, but her vision was<br />
impaired, mak<strong>in</strong>g read<strong>in</strong>g a laborious,<br />
frustrat<strong>in</strong>g challenge.<br />
Further work through <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Pathways’ outpatient program helped.<br />
“It was frustrat<strong>in</strong>g at first to even read a<br />
simple paragraph,” Ally says. “I know<br />
beyond a shadow of a doubt that without<br />
Pathways, I wouldn’t have recovered as<br />
much as I did.”<br />
Ally will serve as an assistant coach<br />
at Covenant this school year. She<br />
doesn’t have time for head coach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
duties because she’ll be go<strong>in</strong>g back to<br />
school as a student herself, study<strong>in</strong>g<br />
health and human performance at<br />
Georgia Military College.<br />
“I th<strong>in</strong>k I’d like to be a physical tra<strong>in</strong>er<br />
<strong>in</strong> high school or college athletics,<br />
focus<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong>jury prevention,” Ally says.<br />
“I like to help people. I’d love to mix my<br />
profession with m<strong>in</strong>istry, too, to give<br />
hope and encouragement through my<br />
faith and what I’ve learned. I’m open to<br />
whatever God opens up.”<br />
2 3 4<br />
Allyson<br />
Arnold<br />
Fort vaLLey, ga.<br />
Tommy<br />
Hicks<br />
PanaMa CIty, FLa.<br />
Tommy Hicks, 38, of Panama City, Fla.,<br />
says he appreciates daily how far he has<br />
come <strong>in</strong> the past eight years. In June 2004,<br />
a man tried to rob Tommy and his cous<strong>in</strong>.<br />
In the course of the attempt, the assailant<br />
shot Tommy. The bullet entered through<br />
his neck and hit his C-5 and -6 vertebrae.<br />
“Honestly, it’s still an ongo<strong>in</strong>g<br />
transition,” Tommy says of life with<br />
quadriplegia. “I’m still not f<strong>in</strong>ished<br />
adjust<strong>in</strong>g. There’s never really been a<br />
f<strong>in</strong>al process accept<strong>in</strong>g that change. You<br />
just adapt and live day by day, and work<br />
to make the best of the situation.”<br />
And he has. Tommy recently earned<br />
an associate’s degree <strong>in</strong> computer<br />
science, earn<strong>in</strong>g a 3.9 GPA to graduate<br />
summa cum laude. He plans to work<br />
toward a bachelor’s degree next,<br />
most likely at Florida State University.<br />
Tommy studies at night <strong>in</strong> a house of<br />
his own, one that is disability-friendly<br />
right down to its voice-activation<br />
technology, provided thanks to a Florida<br />
homeownership assistance program.<br />
“I was def<strong>in</strong>itely afraid when I got to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center back <strong>in</strong> July of ’04,”<br />
Tommy says, “but I was ready to start<br />
rehabb<strong>in</strong>g and to learn how to move on<br />
with life.<br />
“The people at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
were awesome,” he adds. “It was just<br />
unbelievable. I always felt like there were<br />
angels at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center – all the staff,<br />
the way that everyth<strong>in</strong>g was set up, the<br />
way even patients would help each other<br />
out. It was an awesome experience, and it<br />
gave me confidence as much as anyth<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
Brad<br />
Smith<br />
DeCatur, ga.<br />
Brad Smith, 35, of Decatur, Ga., and his wife,<br />
Carrie, have always biked together. “It’s been<br />
our lifestyle,” he says.<br />
In 2010, that lifestyle was put on hold. On<br />
June 1, a car pulled out <strong>in</strong> front of Brad while<br />
he was rid<strong>in</strong>g. The ensu<strong>in</strong>g crash left him<br />
paralyzed from the waist down. Ten days<br />
later, Brad contracted a rare autoimmune<br />
disorder called Guilla<strong>in</strong> Barré, which<br />
temporarily paralyzed his upper body.<br />
“It was such a crazy th<strong>in</strong>g to get,” he says.<br />
“It delayed me start<strong>in</strong>g my rehabilitation at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>. By the time I recovered and got<br />
there, I had no upper body strength at all. It<br />
had just zapped me. I was <strong>in</strong> a neck brace<br />
and a back brace for three months. The<br />
rehab was hard <strong>in</strong> that condition.”<br />
But he worked at it for three months<br />
as an <strong>in</strong>patient and throughout the rest of<br />
2010 <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s outpatient physical and<br />
occupational therapy programs. Today, the<br />
Georgia State University graduate assistant<br />
is pursu<strong>in</strong>g a master’s degree <strong>in</strong> school<br />
counsel<strong>in</strong>g. And Brad is also a member of<br />
the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Sp<strong>in</strong>ners, a wheelchair rac<strong>in</strong>g<br />
team sponsored by <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
“It’s huge for me,” Brad says. “If it wasn’t for<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> to help with f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g, I wouldn’t<br />
be able to race like this.”<br />
He completed the Atlanta Marathon<br />
on his handcycle <strong>in</strong> fall 2011, then placed<br />
sixth overall <strong>in</strong> the Tri-1 Division at the U.S.<br />
Paratriathlon Championships <strong>in</strong> Aust<strong>in</strong>,<br />
Texas, <strong>in</strong> May 2012.<br />
Just as important, Brad and his wife<br />
are rid<strong>in</strong>g together aga<strong>in</strong>. The couple<br />
even started a paratriathlon program<br />
<strong>in</strong> Atlanta with weekly workouts to get<br />
more <strong>in</strong>volvement among athletes with<br />
disabilities. “We want to show others<br />
what’s possible – to help other <strong>in</strong>jured<br />
riders see that they can do this aga<strong>in</strong>.”<br />
Story and photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
32 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 33
34 • shepherdcentermagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
VOLUNTEER PROFILE<br />
Duane Morrow<br />
CORPORATE PARTNER<br />
BB&T<br />
DONOR PROFILE 38<br />
Lewis and Faye Manderson<br />
MS WELLNESS PROGRAM 40<br />
BEYOND BBQ<br />
NASHVILLE REUNION<br />
THE TAILGATE 45<br />
SUMMER IN THE CITY 46<br />
LEGENDARY PARTY PREVIEW<br />
DERBY DAY 2013<br />
PECANS ON PEACHTREE 49<br />
HONORARIUMS & MEMORIALS<br />
Summer <strong>in</strong> the City 2012 was co-chaired<br />
by Sai reddy, left, and Kelley anne Smaha.<br />
36<br />
37<br />
42<br />
44<br />
48<br />
49<br />
50<br />
Photo BY louie Favorite<br />
Photo oF SCott SiKeS BY louie Favorite<br />
NoteS from<br />
scott h. sikes<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center foundation executive Director<br />
Six <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Programs That Need Your Donations<br />
Many people don’t realize <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center is a nonprofit organization. Why do I say this?<br />
Often, I see or hear of folks (who have been <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patients, families, visitors,<br />
vendors, etc.) spend<strong>in</strong>g a great deal of their time rais<strong>in</strong>g money for other charitable organizations.<br />
Some people must th<strong>in</strong>k the federal or state government supports us or that the <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
family solely supports us. Perhaps it is our own fault that people don’t realize we’re a charitable<br />
organization: We don’t have a big clear plastic box at each entrance with a sign ask<strong>in</strong>g visitors<br />
to donate.<br />
However, from our found<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 1975 to this day, we have needed your gifts each year to help<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue our lead<strong>in</strong>g-edge research and to operate 20 or more of our programs at the highest<br />
quality level. In this issue, I’d like to br<strong>in</strong>g to your attention just six of our donor-funded programs<br />
and ask you to choose one to support f<strong>in</strong>ancially this year. Just as importantly, please tell your<br />
friends about what we do, and ask them to make a gift, too:<br />
• Therapeutic Recreation (TR): We operate the largest therapeutic recreation program<br />
<strong>in</strong> the country and believe this program is crucial to giv<strong>in</strong>g patients and their families the<br />
highest quality of life possible. Our program encompasses both TR specialists and exercise<br />
specialists <strong>in</strong>volved with every sort of <strong>in</strong>door and outdoor sport imag<strong>in</strong>able. Easily more<br />
than $1 million annually is needed for this program, which exemplifies the heart and soul<br />
of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
• Hous<strong>in</strong>g: We provide a complimentary apartment, park<strong>in</strong>g and laundry facilities for 30<br />
days to the families of patients who must travel to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center from 50 miles away<br />
or more. We have apartments on our ma<strong>in</strong> campus and just a few city blocks off the ma<strong>in</strong><br />
campus. We provide complimentary transportation between our different apartments to<br />
the ma<strong>in</strong> campus and to/from <strong>Shepherd</strong> Pathways – our post-acute/outpatient bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury<br />
program. Just imag<strong>in</strong>e how many hundreds of thousands of dollars per year this costs<br />
– nearly $1 million annually.<br />
• Assistive Technology: We provide custom-made solutions to patients <strong>in</strong> the hospital,<br />
<strong>in</strong> their offices and back at home to help them control all sorts of devices with their eyes,<br />
breath, voice, head, arms and hands. As <strong>in</strong>expensively as possible, we work to return<br />
them to control of everyth<strong>in</strong>g possible as quickly as possible.<br />
• SHARE Military Initiative: We treat active-duty military personnel and new veterans<br />
(from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts) for traumatic bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury and a host of complications<br />
at no cost to the military personnel or their families.<br />
• Beyond Therapy ® Tennessee: In Frankl<strong>in</strong>, a suburb of Nashville, we provide a specialized,<br />
<strong>in</strong>tensive activity-based physical therapy program to former patients who have a bra<strong>in</strong> or<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury or other neuromuscular condition. We provide scholarships to assist<br />
many of them with payments for these services.<br />
• Injury Prevention: We are <strong>in</strong> the early stages of launch<strong>in</strong>g a new <strong>in</strong>jury prevention<br />
program and need your donations to help us f<strong>in</strong>ance the costs of produc<strong>in</strong>g public service<br />
announcements across all media platforms.<br />
If you would like to know more about any of these programs, please call me at<br />
404-350-7305 or email me at scott_sikes@shepherd.org.<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 35
v<br />
shepherd center<br />
volunteer, former<br />
patient and wheelchair<br />
racer duane morrow<br />
provides news<br />
commentary on the<br />
Wheelchair division<br />
of the peachtree<br />
road race.<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
VOLUNTEER PROFILE<br />
Duane Morrow<br />
Former <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center patient refuses to let adversities<br />
prevent him from liv<strong>in</strong>g and giv<strong>in</strong>g back.<br />
by raCheL FranCo<br />
With a successful career, a happy marriage and<br />
five children by age 36, Duane Morrow had a<br />
wonderful life. Work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> London <strong>in</strong> 2004, Duane<br />
took up rugby, which he played with relatively<br />
m<strong>in</strong>or <strong>in</strong>cident until an <strong>in</strong>jury that Duane <strong>in</strong>itially<br />
shrugged off.<br />
He does not recall anyth<strong>in</strong>g unusual happen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the game, but the next day, however, he<br />
experienced swell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his sp<strong>in</strong>e, and he felt his<br />
body shut down. In short, dur<strong>in</strong>g this seem<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
uneventful rugby game, Duane had critically<br />
ruptured a disk at the base of his neck and<br />
subsequently developed quadriplegia.<br />
After undergo<strong>in</strong>g surgery <strong>in</strong> London, Duane was<br />
taken to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center via jet ambulance for<br />
rehabilitation. As much as the therapists pushed<br />
Duane, he pushed his therapists to push him to<br />
do more – to practice gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> and out of his<br />
wheelchair aga<strong>in</strong>, to practice gett<strong>in</strong>g dressed<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>, to do whatever he needed to do to ga<strong>in</strong><br />
more movement aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
“I worked hard to become as <strong>in</strong>dependent as<br />
possible,” Duane says. “Today, I am a ‘walk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
quadriplegic’, mean<strong>in</strong>g I can walk us<strong>in</strong>g either a cane<br />
or FES Bioness leg brace. I credit my cool God, my<br />
hard work, my positive attitude, my family and my<br />
<strong>in</strong>credible therapists at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center for help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me achieve all of the movement I have today.”<br />
Now that Duane has found what he calls his<br />
“new normal,” he gives back to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center <strong>in</strong><br />
any way he can. For example, s<strong>in</strong>ce 2008, he has<br />
volunteered at <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s annual Adventure Skills<br />
Workshop (ASW), a camp-like weekend held at<br />
Lake Mart<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Jackson’s Gap, Ala., for people with<br />
a sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury or other disabilities. At the camp,<br />
Duane generously donates his all-terra<strong>in</strong> vehicles,<br />
mans the water ski<strong>in</strong>g station and, most importantly,<br />
offers camp participants <strong>in</strong>valuable encouragement<br />
as they engage <strong>in</strong> different activities.<br />
Duane also serves on the Center’s Foundation<br />
board, through which he and his fellow board<br />
members have helped raise $6 million this year for<br />
hospital renovations. Duane attributes his success<br />
<strong>in</strong> fundrais<strong>in</strong>g to his serv<strong>in</strong>g as liv<strong>in</strong>g proof of the<br />
value <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center provides.<br />
Of all his volunteer activities at <strong>Shepherd</strong>, Duane<br />
says his favorite one is help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
other patients. “In my corporate job,<br />
I help people succeed,” he says.<br />
“But help<strong>in</strong>g people at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
has become a whole other call<strong>in</strong>g<br />
where I get to show them that you<br />
do not have to be a victim. Life <strong>in</strong> a<br />
wheelchair can be pretty cool.”<br />
Duane also volunteers at<br />
the Peachtree Road Race as a<br />
broadcaster for 11Alive TV. In this<br />
role, he provides commentary on<br />
the race as an expert from the<br />
Wheelchair Division.<br />
Between his volunteer activities,<br />
his still successful career and happy<br />
family, and his participation <strong>in</strong><br />
various sports, Duane has certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
not slowed down.<br />
“Duane is one of a k<strong>in</strong>d,” says<br />
Kelly Edens, therapeutic recreation<br />
manager at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. “He<br />
is always help<strong>in</strong>g other patients and<br />
show<strong>in</strong>g them firsthand that they can<br />
still live life to the fullest.” q<br />
Photo BY louie Favorite<br />
Photo BY louie Favorite<br />
A Corporate Partner<br />
BB&t transcends client-banker relationship to become<br />
a dedicated partner to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
by raCheL FranCo<br />
There are some client-banker relationships that are<br />
just that – client-banker relationships. There are<br />
others, however, that are true partnerships, like the<br />
one that has evolved between <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
and f<strong>in</strong>ancial services <strong>in</strong>stitution BB&T.<br />
Headquartered <strong>in</strong> W<strong>in</strong>ston-Salem, N.C., BB&T<br />
is one of the largest f<strong>in</strong>ancial services hold<strong>in</strong>g<br />
companies <strong>in</strong> the United States. Operat<strong>in</strong>g more<br />
than 1,800 f<strong>in</strong>ancial centers, the bank follows a<br />
unique community-bank<strong>in</strong>g model, one that drives<br />
both decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g and community service<br />
<strong>in</strong>volvement down to the local level. Driven by<br />
BB&T’s strong vision, mission and values, each<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial center, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g those <strong>in</strong> Atlanta, prides<br />
itself on develop<strong>in</strong>g high-touch, long-term client<br />
relationships and on mak<strong>in</strong>g the community <strong>in</strong><br />
which it operates stronger.<br />
Thus, it is no surprise that, beyond serv<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
one of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s bank<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stitutions,<br />
BB&T has also become deeply <strong>in</strong>volved with the<br />
hospital <strong>in</strong> numerous other capacities. In support<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>, members of the Corporate Bank<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Group <strong>in</strong> Atlanta especially appreciate the Center’s<br />
emphasis on self-reliance and <strong>in</strong>dependence.<br />
“At BB&T, we talk often about <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and self-reliance,” says Jordan Kiel, vice<br />
president of BB&T’s Corporate Bank<strong>in</strong>g Group <strong>in</strong><br />
Atlanta. “When we see how <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center is<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dividuals with catastrophic <strong>in</strong>juries to<br />
rega<strong>in</strong> as much <strong>in</strong>dependence as possible, we at<br />
BB&T really connect with that. Those values of selfreliance<br />
and <strong>in</strong>dependence closely align with ours.”<br />
In addition to sponsor<strong>in</strong>g numerous <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center events, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g The Legendary Party, the<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Cup golf tournament and Derby<br />
Day, BB&T has also supported other, more <strong>in</strong>timate<br />
events. For example, BB&T recently hosted two<br />
patient cookouts, which were held <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
garden. For each cookout, BB&T supplied most of<br />
the food donations, as well as volunteers to operate<br />
the grill, serve food to patients and family members,<br />
and take meal orders from patients who were<br />
unable to come outside and enjoy the festivities.<br />
A w<strong>in</strong>-w<strong>in</strong> for all, the cookouts provided patients<br />
with a welcomed break from their rigorous therapy<br />
sessions. Also, the events gave patients and<br />
families the chance to enjoy time together outside,<br />
and BB&T employees experienced an enrich<strong>in</strong>g<br />
opportunity to <strong>in</strong>teract with patients and families.<br />
BB&T employees enjoyed the cookouts so much<br />
that Jordan recently contacted Ansley Mart<strong>in</strong>, major<br />
gifts associate at the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Foundation,<br />
and told her the bank would like to host an ice<br />
cream social for patients and their families.<br />
“We are thrilled to have BB&T’s cont<strong>in</strong>ued support<br />
of our patients,” Ansley says. “Like all sponsors and<br />
donors of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, BB&T has a strong<br />
desire to give back to its community. We are forever<br />
grateful for BB&T’s efforts and passion.”<br />
A member of <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s Pacesetter Society,<br />
which recognizes donors whose cumulative<br />
gifts are between $50,000 and $99,999, BB&T<br />
also sponsored the Wheelchair Division of the<br />
Peachtree Road Race this year. Volunteers from<br />
the bank cheered on racers as they made their way<br />
up “Cardiac Hill,” which runs <strong>in</strong> front of <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center and Piedmont Hospital and is a steep and<br />
particularly challeng<strong>in</strong>g section of the race. They<br />
also helped provide hospitality to the wheelchair<br />
racers, patients and family members at the postrace<br />
brunch held at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
In terms of develop<strong>in</strong>g personalized, long-term<br />
relationships with its clients and strengthen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the community <strong>in</strong> which it serves, BB&T <strong>in</strong> Atlanta<br />
has exceeded the company’s vision, mission and<br />
values. And <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center greatly appreciates<br />
the partnership that has developed.<br />
“It’s always gratify<strong>in</strong>g whenever people you<br />
conduct bus<strong>in</strong>ess with want to give back,” says<br />
Steve Holleman, chief f<strong>in</strong>ancial officer at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center. “There is never that expectation, but we<br />
appreciate it when those we work with develop<br />
a passion for partner<strong>in</strong>g with us <strong>in</strong> serv<strong>in</strong>g our<br />
patients and families.” q<br />
Volunteers from BB&t<br />
help with serv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
brunch to participants<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Wheelchair<br />
division of the<br />
peachtree road race.<br />
36 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 37
d<br />
DONOR PROFILE<br />
38 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Lewis and Faye<br />
MAnDerson<br />
Atlanta philanthropists create a legacy for <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
by raCheL FranCo<br />
PhotoS BY garY MeeK<br />
Andrew Carnegie once said, “You should spend the<br />
first half of your life mak<strong>in</strong>g money and the second half<br />
of your life giv<strong>in</strong>g it away.” Judg<strong>in</strong>g by the professional<br />
success and generous spirit of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
donors Lewis and Faye Manderson through the years,<br />
one could say that the Mandersons have lived their<br />
lives <strong>in</strong> a way that beautifully reflects the essence of<br />
Carnegie’s message.<br />
Lewis, orig<strong>in</strong>ally from Cordova, Ala., and Faye,<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>ally from Chattanooga, Tenn., began their<br />
life together <strong>in</strong> Tuscaloosa, Ala. After meet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
serendipitously <strong>in</strong> the park<strong>in</strong>g lot of the office<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g where they both worked, Lewis and Faye<br />
started dat<strong>in</strong>g and later married. Go<strong>in</strong>g on 36 years<br />
together, Lewis and Faye were very active <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Tuscaloosa community before adopt<strong>in</strong>g Atlanta as<br />
their home <strong>in</strong> 1983.<br />
Now retired, Lewis enjoyed a successful<br />
career. After runn<strong>in</strong>g Creative Displays Inc., an<br />
outdoor advertis<strong>in</strong>g company, for more than 20<br />
years, Lewis sold the company and served as<br />
president of Manderson and Associates Inc. He<br />
then established the management firm, MGH<br />
Management Inc., and later founded Cordova<br />
Capital Inc., a venture capital fund.<br />
While Lewis worked hard outside of the home,<br />
Faye worked equally as hard <strong>in</strong>side the home by<br />
rais<strong>in</strong>g their six children and volunteer<strong>in</strong>g for causes<br />
such as Buckhead Christian M<strong>in</strong>istries and others.<br />
Both Lewis and Faye agree that their children have<br />
been their greatest success and have brought<br />
them the most gratification, as has the feel<strong>in</strong>g they<br />
experience when giv<strong>in</strong>g back to their community.<br />
“Help<strong>in</strong>g others is one of the most gratify<strong>in</strong>g<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs you can do,” Lewis says. Faye agrees: “It’s<br />
almost addictive when you start giv<strong>in</strong>g back. If<br />
you are fortunate enough to be able to help other<br />
people, you feel obligated to do so. It makes you<br />
feel good <strong>in</strong> your heart, and help<strong>in</strong>g people is fun.”<br />
Lewis and Faye have had “fun” donat<strong>in</strong>g to many<br />
wonderful causes. They <strong>in</strong>clude: The University of<br />
Alabama’s graduate bus<strong>in</strong>ess school, which has<br />
been named The Manderson Graduate School of<br />
Bus<strong>in</strong>ess; the Druid City Hospital Cancer Center,<br />
which has been named the Lewis and Faye<br />
Manderson Cancer Center; and <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, to<br />
which they have recently made a significant bequest.<br />
The Mandersons’ <strong>in</strong>volvement with <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center began <strong>in</strong> 1988 when friend and Atlanta<br />
attorney David Fl<strong>in</strong>t called Lewis and asked him to<br />
make a contribution to <strong>Shepherd</strong>. Lewis agreed,<br />
and he and Faye, both impressed by the lifechang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
work that <strong>Shepherd</strong> does, have donated<br />
annually to the Center ever s<strong>in</strong>ce. Most notably, their<br />
donations have supported the construction of the<br />
locker rooms <strong>in</strong> the pool area and the renovation of<br />
the Billi Marcus Build<strong>in</strong>g lobby.<br />
It is their latest gift, however, that is the most<br />
transformational, says Ty Tippett, senior director of<br />
planned giv<strong>in</strong>g at the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Foundation.<br />
Both Lewis and Faye have named <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
<strong>in</strong> their estate plans and, <strong>in</strong> do<strong>in</strong>g so, will enhance<br />
“It’s almost addictive<br />
when you start giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
back. If you are<br />
fortunate enough to<br />
be able to help other<br />
people, you feel<br />
obligated to do so. It<br />
makes you feel good <strong>in</strong><br />
your heart, and help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
people is fun.”<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>’s ability to expand its services and help<br />
more patients recover and flourish after a sp<strong>in</strong>al<br />
cord or bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury.<br />
“As members of our Bridge Builders Society, Lewis<br />
and Faye have made a transformative commitment<br />
to leave a last<strong>in</strong>g legacy to the future generations of<br />
patients and patient families who will benefit from the<br />
high-quality research, medical care and rehabilitation<br />
provided by <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center,” Ty says.<br />
In recognition of Lewis and Faye’s planned estate<br />
gifts, which are among the largest ever received by<br />
the Center, <strong>Shepherd</strong> renamed the hospital’s ma<strong>in</strong><br />
driveway entrance “Manderson Way.” <strong>Shepherd</strong> also<br />
commissioned the creation of two bronze busts of<br />
Lewis and Faye that are permanently displayed <strong>in</strong><br />
the renovated Marcus Woodruff Pavilion entrance<br />
lobby alongside those of <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s founders, two<br />
medical directors and other major donors.<br />
Honored by this recognition, Lewis and Faye<br />
were thrilled to see the f<strong>in</strong>al bronze busts unveiled<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the dedication ceremony held at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center on June 15, 2012. Start<strong>in</strong>g with dr<strong>in</strong>ks and<br />
hors d’oeuvres on the terrace and cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
d<strong>in</strong>ner and a program <strong>in</strong> the Callaway Auditorium,<br />
the event was, as described by Lewis and Faye, “a<br />
fabulous even<strong>in</strong>g.” Many of the Mandersons’ family<br />
and friends attended, as did numerous <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
from <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g co-founders<br />
Alana and Harold <strong>Shepherd</strong>, CEO Gary Ulicny,<br />
Ph.D., and medical director Donald Peck Leslie,<br />
M.D. Dr. Leslie, <strong>in</strong> addition to treat<strong>in</strong>g Lewis for<br />
chronic back pa<strong>in</strong>, has become close friends with<br />
Lewis and Faye.<br />
“Lewis and Faye just have a love for life and for<br />
help<strong>in</strong>g others,” Dr. Leslie says. “Susta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the<br />
<strong>in</strong>novative programs at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center requires<br />
a lot of money, and Lewis and Faye have been<br />
so generous with their time and their f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
resources. It’s what makes my life absolutely<br />
charmed to be able to work at <strong>Shepherd</strong>.” q<br />
shepherd center<br />
medical director<br />
donald p. leslie,<br />
m.d., left, unveils<br />
bronze busts of donors<br />
faye and lewis<br />
manderson (pictured<br />
at left and above).<br />
Story and more photos onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 39
40 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
A one-of-a-K<strong>in</strong>d Approach to<br />
Multiple sclerosis<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>’s new <strong>in</strong>tegrated wellness program for MS patients is unparalleled.<br />
by Sara baxter<br />
The virtues of exercise are widely known and well documented. But for<br />
people with multiple sclerosis, these virtues were at one time cloaked <strong>in</strong><br />
a peculiar warn<strong>in</strong>g – physical activity can cause more harm than good.<br />
Research has s<strong>in</strong>ce reversed that th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, and medical professional<br />
now know that people with MS stand to benefit greatly from exercise.<br />
Physical activity not only provides relief from symptoms of the disease,<br />
it can also help stave off future complications.<br />
PhotoS BY leita CoWart and garY MeeK<br />
That’s one reason <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center opened the<br />
Eula C. and Andrew C. Carlos MS Rehabilitation and<br />
Wellness Program. Launched July 1 and funded<br />
primarily through a grant from Ela<strong>in</strong>e and John Carlos<br />
and Eula C. Carlos, the program is the first <strong>in</strong> the<br />
nation to <strong>in</strong>tegrate all aspects of wellness – fitness,<br />
nutrition and education – <strong>in</strong>to a s<strong>in</strong>gle approach<br />
tailored specifically for people with MS.<br />
“I have benefitted firsthand from the great<br />
resources and expertise available at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center,” John Carlos says. “Through this grant,<br />
more people liv<strong>in</strong>g with MS will improve their<br />
quality of life and hopefully improve their resilience<br />
after an exacerbation. They will benefit from the<br />
comprehensive approach and vision of the Center<br />
and its cl<strong>in</strong>icians.” The grant is also fund<strong>in</strong>g two new<br />
positions – an exercise specialist and a dedicated,<br />
Ph.D.-level researcher.<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> patients with multiple sclerosis have<br />
always had an opportunity to be physically active<br />
through the Center’s ProMotion Fitness Center.<br />
But the Center recognized that a more holistic and<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividualized approach would strengthen the caliber<br />
of care for <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s MS patients.<br />
“We wanted to give these patients everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> one place – skilled therapy, community-based<br />
exercise, education and emotional support,” says<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center MS Institute therapy manager Chris<br />
Manella. “We also felt strongly our offer<strong>in</strong>gs should<br />
be research based and take <strong>in</strong>to account feedback<br />
from the MS patients themselves.” Manella adds that<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> has been conduct<strong>in</strong>g focus groups to get<br />
<strong>in</strong>put from people with MS to develop the program.<br />
“I th<strong>in</strong>k it’s a great idea,” says Richard Colby, 69,<br />
who has been com<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center for physical<br />
therapy and exercise to help with MS for the past<br />
six months. When he heard about the new wellness<br />
program, he quickly signed up. “I like the fact that<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g is customized for those of us with MS.”<br />
Blake Burdett, an exercise physiologist who has<br />
been <strong>in</strong>volved with <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s Beyond Therapy ®<br />
program, is serv<strong>in</strong>g as the new program’s exercise<br />
specialist. In this role, he will conduct fitness<br />
assessments on members every six months and be<br />
available to teach fitness classes and conduct oneon-one<br />
sessions for people with MS.<br />
The four-hour assessments, conducted over two<br />
days, gauge rest<strong>in</strong>g metabolic rates, test upperbody<br />
strength and coord<strong>in</strong>ation, and measure other<br />
facets of functionality and fitness. Participants will be<br />
evaluated every six months to track their progress.<br />
“It is excit<strong>in</strong>g that we are offer<strong>in</strong>g fitness<br />
assessments,” Burdett says. “They will keep clients<br />
focused on their goals. We want to show them the<br />
importance of stay<strong>in</strong>g active, and that exercise can<br />
make a real difference. It will be more motivat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
when they can see their progress over six months.”<br />
Membership <strong>in</strong> the Wellness Program <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
a full gym membership at <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s ProMotion<br />
Fitness Center. In addition to hav<strong>in</strong>g access to the<br />
gym and exercise classes offered through ProMotion,<br />
program participants can take specialized classes <strong>in</strong><br />
cardiovascular exercise, core condition<strong>in</strong>g and lowerextremity<br />
strength.<br />
The key word is specialized. “For example,<br />
people with MS get overheated more easily,” Burdett<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>s, “so we’ll make sure we have fans and ice<br />
vests <strong>in</strong> the classes to make it more comfortable<br />
and safer for them to exercise. We can also pace<br />
the class differently to meet their needs.” Small class<br />
sizes – some with as few as five participants – will<br />
enable him to monitor each participant more closely.<br />
And that’s appeal<strong>in</strong>g to people like Richard Colby.<br />
“MS is a strange disease,” he says. “No two people<br />
are the same, so even if you’re <strong>in</strong> a class where<br />
everyone has MS, you may not be able to do the<br />
same exercise. Blake understands that.”<br />
A class regular, Colby says that know<strong>in</strong>g he has<br />
someplace to be at 11 a.m. three times each week<br />
keeps him motivated. “It’s easy to get apathetic and<br />
not want to go anywhere,” he says. “Know<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
I’ve paid for classes and people are expect<strong>in</strong>g to see<br />
me gets me out of the house.”<br />
In addition to exercise, the Wellness Program<br />
will offer MS-specific education classes on a wide<br />
range of topics, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g medication management,<br />
nutrition and alternative therapies.<br />
“MS is a lifelong health condition that tends to<br />
affect quality of life more than quantity of life,” says<br />
Ben Thrower, M.D., medical director of the MS<br />
Institute. “A comprehensive approach, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
focus on both physical and emotional wellness, is<br />
most likely to result <strong>in</strong> improved quality of life.”<br />
Research is another important aspect of the new<br />
wellness program. “Up until this po<strong>in</strong>t, most of the<br />
MS research done at <strong>Shepherd</strong> has centered around<br />
drug trials,” says Debbie Backus, PT, Ph.D., the new<br />
director of research for the MS Institute. “Now, we<br />
will be look<strong>in</strong>g at the different types of exercise that<br />
can be beneficial, ways to deliver those exercises<br />
and how it impacts the disease itself. The research<br />
and cl<strong>in</strong>ical arms of the MS Institute will be further<br />
strengthened because cl<strong>in</strong>ical needs will <strong>in</strong>form the<br />
research agenda.”<br />
John Carolos adds: “It’s my hope that through<br />
this research, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center can cont<strong>in</strong>ue to<br />
positively impact the lives of people with MS. The<br />
most important th<strong>in</strong>g we have is hope, and through<br />
this program and the work of Dr. Ben Thrower and<br />
his team, we are able to make great strides <strong>in</strong> the<br />
care and treatment options available.“ q<br />
Blake Burdett, an<br />
exercise physiologist<br />
<strong>in</strong> shepherd center’s<br />
new eula c. and<br />
andrew c. carlos ms<br />
rehabilitation and<br />
Wellness program,<br />
conducts fitness<br />
assessments on<br />
members every six<br />
months, teaches<br />
fitness classes and<br />
conducts one-onone<br />
sessions for<br />
people with ms.<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 41
Beyond BBQ<br />
Chair Rhiana<br />
Pfaff, second from<br />
right, m<strong>in</strong>gles<br />
with guests, left<br />
to right, Paul and<br />
Ashley Sidoti,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger Gary Ray,<br />
and Hillary Baker.<br />
Photo BY Brian tiPton<br />
Nashville’s chapter of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Society<br />
(SCS-NASH) hosted Beyond Barbecue, an<br />
awareness and fundrais<strong>in</strong>g event for <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center’s Beyond Therapy ® program <strong>in</strong> Frankl<strong>in</strong>,<br />
Tenn. The Sept. 8 food and music extravaganza<br />
drew together SCS members, Beyond Therapy ®<br />
patients, staff and donors with members of the<br />
community to have a great time while help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
raise scholarship funds for Tennessee patients.<br />
Al and Sylvia Ganier hosted the event on their<br />
beautiful Hidden Valley Farm. The even<strong>in</strong>g began<br />
Beyond Barbecue<br />
committee<br />
rhiana Pfaff, Chair<br />
Committee Members<br />
richard Chambers<br />
Shauna Coll<strong>in</strong>s<br />
Peggy & dick<br />
Fitzgerald<br />
andrew K<strong>in</strong>tz<br />
janet leese<br />
donna richardson<br />
gabe Shrum<br />
scs-nashVille’s Beyond BarBecue raises scholarships<br />
and aWareness for Beyond therapy ®<br />
thanks to our<br />
sponsors and<br />
partners<br />
PreSent<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Charlie and<br />
Moll anderson<br />
Family Foundation<br />
Silver<br />
raven tools<br />
PatronS<br />
Mr. & Mrs. richard<br />
Chambers<br />
by Dean MeLCher<br />
nan & neil Parrish<br />
Peggy & dick<br />
Fitzgerald<br />
donna & Bill<br />
richardson<br />
PartnerS<br />
greendoor gourmet<br />
Cobbie’s Barbecue<br />
Sauce<br />
BMi<br />
Spr<strong>in</strong>ger Mounta<strong>in</strong><br />
Farms<br />
Perdue Poultry<br />
107.5 the river<br />
with a VIP reception <strong>in</strong> the Ganiers’ fabulous<br />
home for Beyond Barbecue sponsors. The<br />
festivities cont<strong>in</strong>ued at the Ganiers’ GreenDoor<br />
Gourmet <strong>in</strong> their newly built, rough-hewn<br />
oak “barn,” which will be used as an upscale<br />
event venue for parties and wedd<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
Ashlee Foxx of 107.5 The River served as emcee<br />
and <strong>in</strong>troduced performances by s<strong>in</strong>ger/songwriters<br />
Nick Malloy, Trent Jeffcoat and Gary Ray (Nick<br />
and Trent are <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center alumni). Popular<br />
Nashville band Sixwire closed the show with two<br />
sets of great music that filled the dance floor.<br />
Throughout the even<strong>in</strong>g, guests enjoyed delicious<br />
barbecue – featur<strong>in</strong>g Cobbie’s Sauce – prepared<br />
by nationally acclaimed barbecue artist Arlee<br />
Bragg. Partiers cooled down with w<strong>in</strong>e and craft<br />
beers donated by Lipman Bros. and ice-cold<br />
spr<strong>in</strong>g water from Spr<strong>in</strong>ger Mounta<strong>in</strong> Farms.<br />
Beyond Barbecue Chair Rhiana Pfaff and<br />
her committee and volunteers worked diligently<br />
for months plann<strong>in</strong>g and implement<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this <strong>in</strong>augural fundrais<strong>in</strong>g event.<br />
To learn more, visit SCS-NASH.com or contact<br />
Beyond Therapy ® Market<strong>in</strong>g and Development<br />
Manager Shauna Coll<strong>in</strong>s at 615-656-4656<br />
or shauna_coll<strong>in</strong>s@shepherd.org. q<br />
WSix<br />
WtvF<br />
loews vanderbilt Plaza<br />
lipman Bros.<br />
Music impr<strong>in</strong>ts<br />
Classic Party rentals<br />
special thanks to:<br />
al and Sylvia ganier<br />
Sixwire<br />
gary ray<br />
trent jeffcoat<br />
nick Malloy<br />
gabe Shrum<br />
jeff hooper,<br />
Chick-fil-a<br />
Zac Forbes<br />
Miel<br />
towne Park<br />
Brantley Sound<br />
arlie Bragg<br />
Fresh design<br />
nate rob<strong>in</strong>son<br />
help<strong>in</strong>g hands<br />
grace Cumm<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Brian tipton<br />
the Majestic<br />
Photo Booth<br />
d & d events<br />
5. 6.<br />
memBership <strong>in</strong> shepherd center society-nashVille<br />
to borrow a phrase from american express, membership<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Society-nashville (SCS) has<br />
its privileges. With annual membership dues at<br />
$75 per person and $150 per couple, members<br />
receive a host of special benefits, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
Make new friends and reconnect with old ones. through<br />
seasonal events and monthly mixers at different venues<br />
around town, young professionals get to network and<br />
socialize over delicious food and dr<strong>in</strong>ks. (Membership<br />
dues cover free admission to monthly happy hours/socials<br />
and discounted admission to select seasonal events.)<br />
receive special discounts from the hottest venues.<br />
Show your membership card and receive special offers<br />
and discounts from SCS-nashville partners, which<br />
1. 2.<br />
3. 4.<br />
range from restaurants to bars to sports and workout<br />
facilities, and more. the society’s grow<strong>in</strong>g list of partners<br />
<strong>in</strong>cludes dan Mcgu<strong>in</strong>ness Pub (nashville and Cool<br />
Spr<strong>in</strong>gs), Margaritaville (nashville), Cabana nashville,<br />
d1 Sports (Cool Spr<strong>in</strong>gs) and losers 2 (Cool Spr<strong>in</strong>gs).<br />
have fun while do<strong>in</strong>g good. While network<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
socializ<strong>in</strong>g with fellow members (and guests at a<br />
discounted rate), members raise much-needed funds<br />
that enable patients with limited f<strong>in</strong>ancial resources to<br />
receive treatment at Beyond therapy ® <strong>in</strong> Frankl<strong>in</strong>, tenn.<br />
to learn more and to jo<strong>in</strong> SCS-nashville, visit:<br />
shepherdcentersociety.com/nashville. and to schedule an<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual or group tour of the Beyond therapy®-tennessee<br />
facility, contact Shauna Coll<strong>in</strong>s at 615-656-3934 or<br />
shauna _ coll<strong>in</strong>s@shepherd.org. q rachel franco<br />
PhotoS BY Brian tiPton<br />
Beyond BBQ<br />
attendees<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded, left to<br />
right: 1. Scott<br />
Massey, Sylvia<br />
Ganier, Ryan and<br />
Bonnie Hardage,<br />
and Betty and<br />
the late Billy<br />
Hulse, owners of<br />
Cobbie’s Sauce. 2.<br />
Beyond Therapy ® -<br />
Tennessee staff<br />
members Nate<br />
Rob<strong>in</strong>son, Andrew<br />
Kurek, Teriq Perry,<br />
C<strong>in</strong>dy Ryals, Scott<br />
Hawes and Jenna<br />
Briggs. 3. Nan<br />
and Neil Parrish,<br />
Boone Marable,<br />
and the Hardages.<br />
4. Sixwire s<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
Andy Childs and<br />
Susie Bowman. 5.<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> VP of<br />
Cl<strong>in</strong>ical Services<br />
Sarah Morrison,<br />
and Dick and<br />
Peggy Fitzgerald.<br />
6. S<strong>in</strong>ger/<br />
songwriter Nick<br />
Malloy, event host<br />
Ashlee Foxx and<br />
Tim Patterson.<br />
42 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Summer 2012 • 43
1. former patient don<br />
ste<strong>in</strong>feldt, center, and<br />
his family enjoy the<br />
reunion. 2. former<br />
patient ify nonyelu<br />
and his family visit<br />
with medical director<br />
donald p. leslie, m.d.<br />
3. guests watch Brian<br />
shaffer demonstrate<br />
a powered orthosis<br />
developed by<br />
Vanderbilt university<br />
researchers and<br />
tested at shepherd<br />
center. 4. former<br />
patient stephanie<br />
Beard, center, visits<br />
with Vanderbilt<br />
chief of trauma<br />
and surgical critical<br />
care richard<br />
miller, m.d.<br />
44 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
nashville reunion Draws Former<br />
Patients and Local Medical staff<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center held a reunion for former patients<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Nashville, Tenn., area <strong>in</strong> July, giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> staff members an opportunity to honor the<br />
hospital’s alums for their hard work, determ<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
and successful return to their communities.<br />
The event – hosted by the <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
Market<strong>in</strong>g and Public Relations Department –<br />
drew about 150 people to the Loews Vanderbilt<br />
Hotel. Guests <strong>in</strong>cluded former patients and<br />
their family and friends, as well as local medical<br />
professionals from Vanderbilt University Medical<br />
Center’s trauma care team, Select Specialty<br />
Hospital Nashville and <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s Beyond<br />
Therapy ® -Tennessee facility <strong>in</strong> Frankl<strong>in</strong>, Tenn.<br />
Former patients, both those who were recently<br />
discharged and some from more than 10 years<br />
ago, traveled from throughout Tennessee and<br />
beyond to attend the event.<br />
Among them were two military service members<br />
– U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. First Class Tom<br />
Boone, who is stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and<br />
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Charles Wesson, who<br />
is stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. Both susta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
1. 2.<br />
3.<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>juries <strong>in</strong> separate, stateside<br />
accidents <strong>in</strong> 2010 and 2012, respectively. They<br />
received trauma care at Vanderbilt and underwent<br />
rehabilitation at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center.<br />
Speak<strong>in</strong>g at the event were <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
Medical Director Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.;<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center vice president of cl<strong>in</strong>ical services<br />
Sarah Morrison, PT; Vanderbilt Chief of Trauma<br />
and Surgical Critical Care Richard Miller, M.D.;<br />
and Susan Sutton, director of Vanderbilt’s Trauma<br />
Survivors Network. Dr. Miller praised the work<br />
of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center staff and congratulated the<br />
former patients <strong>in</strong> the room for their determ<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
and hard work.<br />
A highlight of the event was a demonstration of<br />
an exoskeleton robotic assisted walk<strong>in</strong>g device<br />
developed by Professor Michael Goldfarb, Ph.D.,<br />
of Vanderbilt University. He is test<strong>in</strong>g the device<br />
<strong>in</strong> collaboration with <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center. Former<br />
patient Brian Shaffer of Summertown, Tenn.,<br />
tested the exoskeleton with assistant from Scott<br />
Hawes, program director of Beyond Therapy ® -<br />
Tennessee. q Jane m. sanders<br />
4.<br />
PhotoS BY terrY WYatt<br />
PhotoS BY Carol<strong>in</strong>e harrell<br />
THE TAILGATE<br />
Football fans gather<br />
for a good time<br />
for a great cause.<br />
Football season has officially started, and<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Society and the Junior<br />
Committee made sure it was celebrated <strong>in</strong> style!<br />
The two groups collaborated <strong>in</strong> organiz<strong>in</strong>g The<br />
Tailgate, a college football party fundraiser.<br />
For the second year <strong>in</strong> a row, The Tailgate was<br />
an <strong>in</strong>credible success, attract<strong>in</strong>g close to 1,000<br />
people. Chairs Taylor and Michael Butkus and<br />
William Stallworth took last year’s prototype,<br />
made some great additions and presented an<br />
even bigger, better event that had everyone<br />
talk<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The Tailgate was held Labor Day weekend on<br />
Saturday, Sept. 1, from noon until 7 p.m. <strong>in</strong> the<br />
park<strong>in</strong>g lot across the street from the Georgia<br />
Dome. The game at the Dome that day was<br />
Auburn vs. Clemson, and Tailgate patrons enjoyed<br />
gourmet food trucks, an open bar, live music and<br />
TVs for game watch<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
West Water Outlaws started the day off right<br />
with great music, cont<strong>in</strong>ued by the Reid Stripl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Band and followed by the highly anticipated<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ale presented by The Last Waltz. Multiple bars<br />
provided dr<strong>in</strong>ks, and the food truck vendors<br />
made sure no one went hungry. q flor<strong>in</strong>a newcomb<br />
food trucks<br />
thanks to our food truck partners<br />
that provided food to the tailgate fans!<br />
yumbii<br />
tastee truck<br />
sweet auburn BBQ<br />
metro city dogs<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
3.<br />
1. tailgate guests, left<br />
to right, John harrell,<br />
Jason armes, taylor<br />
Butkus, hilary kidd and<br />
Zachry young gather to<br />
kickoff football season.<br />
2. a group of auburn<br />
fans enjoy the<br />
festivities at the<br />
tailgate before the<br />
big game.<br />
3. left to right, sydney<br />
murphy, krist<strong>in</strong>a<br />
schatz, ellen Watson,<br />
mary Beth Watson and<br />
Jenny rikelman sport<br />
the auburn colors.<br />
thanks to our tailgate sponsors<br />
Choate Construction Company – heisman Sponsor<br />
alcohol heroes – game day Sponsor<br />
Beard Shuford F<strong>in</strong>ancial group – Bowl game Sponsor<br />
rural Metro ambulance, georgia – Bowl game Sponsor<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong> robb<strong>in</strong>s Fence Company – Bowl game Sponsor<br />
the Butkus Family with jP Morgan Chase – touchdown Sponsor<br />
Bank of north georgia – touchdown Sponsor<br />
the Five Paces <strong>in</strong>n – Field goal Sponsor<br />
Waste Management – Field goal Sponsor<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 45
Summer <strong>in</strong> the City 2012 Draws Large<br />
Crowd to Enjoy Atlanta’s Delicious Food and F<strong>in</strong>e W<strong>in</strong>es<br />
Photo BY xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Society’s Summer <strong>in</strong> The City<br />
2012 was a spectacular success, treat<strong>in</strong>g guests to<br />
a beautiful sett<strong>in</strong>g at the Greystone Conservancy<br />
at Piedmont Park <strong>in</strong> Atlanta, delicious food from<br />
some of Atlanta’s most excit<strong>in</strong>g restaurants and<br />
22 w<strong>in</strong>e selections provided by National<br />
Distribut<strong>in</strong>g Company.<br />
Held on July 18, 2012, more than 500 people<br />
sipped f<strong>in</strong>e w<strong>in</strong>es, sampled delicious dishes and<br />
bid on marvelous items <strong>in</strong> a silent auction. On<br />
the veranda, guests listened to live music while<br />
captivated by mixologists who made the sort of<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>ks that seem complicated, yet refresh<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
a muggy summer night. It was a fun even<strong>in</strong>g, a<br />
perfect way to break up the monotony of the<br />
workweek and a great way to meet with friends.<br />
Summer <strong>in</strong> the City is organized by <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center Society (SCS), a fundrais<strong>in</strong>g volunteer<br />
group that supports <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center and serves<br />
as advocates for the hospital. National Distribut<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Co.’s Mitch Kerpoe recruited the chefs, solicited<br />
w<strong>in</strong>e and spirit donations, and managed the event<br />
logistics, while Co-Chairmen Kelley Anne Smaha<br />
and Sai Reddy and the plann<strong>in</strong>g committee<br />
solicited auction items and sponsorships.<br />
The cl<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g of w<strong>in</strong>e glasses, the laughter of<br />
beautifully dressed guests and the excitement of<br />
the silent auction made Summer <strong>in</strong> the City yet<br />
another successful <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center event.<br />
Summer <strong>in</strong> the City<br />
2012 Committee<br />
Co-Chairs<br />
Kelley Anne Smaha<br />
Sai Reddy<br />
Committee<br />
Lauren Barnett<br />
Johanna Barnes<br />
Adam Bell<br />
Paige Booker<br />
DuVall Brumby<br />
Gena Bryant<br />
McQueen Calvert<br />
Alex Deitch<br />
Svea Hall<br />
Carol<strong>in</strong>e Harrell<br />
Ashley Johnston<br />
Mitch Kerpoe<br />
Courtney Lundeen<br />
Kirk Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
Reagan Michaelis<br />
Brandie M<strong>in</strong>er<br />
Michelle Nichols<br />
Kato Nims<br />
Henley Odom<br />
Mary Richardson<br />
Shannon Rucks<br />
Jamie <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Wes Snap<br />
Todd Stone<br />
Taylor Weitz<br />
Olivia Willis<br />
Summer <strong>in</strong> the City 2012 Sponsors<br />
Sommelier<br />
Brand Fever<br />
National Distribut<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Company<br />
Double Magnum<br />
The Color Spot, Inc.<br />
Spr<strong>in</strong>ger Mounta<strong>in</strong> Farms<br />
Magnum<br />
A Legendary Event<br />
BMack Art<br />
Jessica and Just<strong>in</strong> Jones<br />
Philips Arena<br />
Mary Richardson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Southwire<br />
Standard<br />
Dr. Rives and Beth Cary<br />
Equifax Foundation<br />
E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc.<br />
Mitch Kerpoe<br />
Special Thanks to Summer <strong>in</strong> the City<br />
Featured Restaurants:<br />
Aria – Chef Gerry Klaskala: Chicken<br />
drummetts braised <strong>in</strong> a black peppercorn<br />
caramel sauce<br />
Bistro Niko – Chef Gary Donlick: Shrimp<br />
wrapped <strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong> phyllo<br />
Café Intermezzo: A variety of fabulous<br />
desserts<br />
Coast – Chef Quent<strong>in</strong> Donnaud: Oyster<br />
buttermilk shooter and Creole shrimp with<br />
heirloom tomato salad<br />
Davio’s – Sous Chef Carlos Tavarez:<br />
Gnocchi <strong>in</strong> Bolognese sauce<br />
Illy Espresso: Espressos to order<br />
Kev<strong>in</strong> Rathbun Steak – Chef Kev<strong>in</strong> Rathbun:<br />
His grandmother’s fried chicken <strong>in</strong> a spicy<br />
honey sauce<br />
Petite Auberge – Chef Michael Gropp:<br />
Variety of delicious passed appetizers for the<br />
VIP reception<br />
Seed – Chef Doug Turbush: Seared tuna on<br />
a faro and roasted corn salad<br />
The Shed at Glenwood – Chef Lance<br />
Gummere: Tri-color beet salad with<br />
goat cheese<br />
Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft – Chef Dee Dee<br />
Niyomkul: A creamy coconut chicken curry<br />
Batchelor and Kimball<br />
Ms. Mary Beth Lester<br />
Michal Evans Floral Design<br />
Kelley Anne Smaha<br />
Amy Lee Story<br />
Albie Whitaker<br />
Lee Zell<br />
Glass<br />
Elizabeth and Carl Allen<br />
Ruth and Tom Anthony<br />
Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP<br />
Aycock Properties<br />
B.D. Jeffries<br />
Car<strong>in</strong>g for Causes<br />
Dermatology Affiliates<br />
William L. Dobes of<br />
Dermatology Consultants,<br />
P.C.<br />
Four Seasons Hotel<br />
GLOW Mobile Airbrush<br />
Tann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey P. Hall<br />
Healthcare Georgia<br />
Foundation<br />
William and Angie Hoyt<br />
Miller Jackson<br />
John and Sherry Lundeen<br />
One on One Matchmak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
PH W<strong>in</strong>e Merchants<br />
Rosewood Hotel Georgia<br />
Jamie and Sarah <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Valerie and Scott Sikes<br />
Mrs. J. Lucian Smith<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Smith<br />
The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James D.<br />
Thompson<br />
June and John Weitnauer<br />
Anne and Andrew Worrell<br />
summer <strong>in</strong> the city<br />
2012 guests enjoy f<strong>in</strong>e<br />
w<strong>in</strong>es and delicious,<br />
chef-prepared<br />
foods. guests also<br />
peruse items at the<br />
silent auction.<br />
46 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 47
seated left to right:<br />
c<strong>in</strong>dy Voyles, patron<br />
co-chair, lisa fuller,<br />
fundrais<strong>in</strong>g cochair.<br />
stand<strong>in</strong>g left<br />
to right: Bill Voyles,<br />
patron co-chair, kay<br />
Quigley, legendary<br />
party chairman, karen<br />
spiegel, legendary<br />
party chairmanelect,<br />
faye and lewis<br />
manderson and donald<br />
peck leslie, m.d.,<br />
honorary chairmen.<br />
48 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org<br />
The Legendary Party 2012 to showcase “American splendor”<br />
the legendary Party is always an even<strong>in</strong>g to remember, but<br />
this year’s american Splendor-themed event – scheduled for<br />
nov. 3 – promises to be even more spectacular. Past legendary<br />
Parties have taken guests on a whirlw<strong>in</strong>d adventure – around<br />
the World, versailles, london and many more exotic places.<br />
this year’s legendary Chair, Kay Quigley, will br<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Party and our attention back home. american Splendor is<br />
set to rem<strong>in</strong>d us of the beauty and magnificence of our<br />
country, the importance and bravery of those who defend<br />
it and the strength of the people that truly <strong>in</strong>spire us.<br />
nowhere is it more evident than <strong>in</strong> the generosity of the<br />
sponsors and donors who support <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center and<br />
the patient programs it provides for people with sp<strong>in</strong>al cord<br />
or bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>juries, and those with multiple sclerosis. out<br />
of <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s 23 programs, this year’s legendary Party<br />
will highlight the Share Military <strong>in</strong>itiative, a cont<strong>in</strong>uum<br />
of rehabilitation care for military service members who<br />
have susta<strong>in</strong>ed a traumatic bra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>jury while serv<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
united States on active duty <strong>in</strong> iraq or afghanistan.<br />
american Splendor will delight all of the guests with a<br />
beautiful sett<strong>in</strong>g created by tony Conway’s a legendary<br />
event. the red, white and blue – colors that have been<br />
<strong>in</strong>gra<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> our country’s history – will be elegantly displayed<br />
throughout the newly renovated ritz-Carlton, Buckhead<br />
ballroom. a state d<strong>in</strong>ner is planned and will be prepared<br />
by recently appo<strong>in</strong>ted executive Chef Franck Steigerwald.<br />
this year’s honorary Chairmen are lewis and Faye<br />
Manderson and <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Medical director donald<br />
Peck leslie, M.d. the Mandersons have been supporters of<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center for many years, and dr. leslie began his<br />
career at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center <strong>in</strong> 1983 and has been medical<br />
director s<strong>in</strong>ce 2005. Chairman Kay Quigley, Chairman-elect<br />
Karen Spiegel and the legendary Party Committee have<br />
been work<strong>in</strong>g hard fundrais<strong>in</strong>g and plann<strong>in</strong>g for the event.<br />
the legendary Party 2012 will be held on Saturday, nov. 3,<br />
at the ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. tickets and sponsorships for the<br />
event may be purchased onl<strong>in</strong>e at thelegendaryparty.com.<br />
For more <strong>in</strong>formation, please visit the website or contact<br />
annual events manager Flor<strong>in</strong>a newcomb at 404-350-7302<br />
or flor<strong>in</strong>a _ newcomb@shepherd.org. q flor<strong>in</strong>a newcomb<br />
Photo BY garY MeeK<br />
Plann<strong>in</strong>g Under Way for Derby Day 2013<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s Derby Day celebrated its<br />
30th year <strong>in</strong> style <strong>in</strong> May. The event’s $85,500<br />
<strong>in</strong> net proceeds supported <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center’s<br />
Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Program.<br />
Now, Co-Chairs Cather<strong>in</strong>e Skeen and Wesley<br />
Snapp are already hard at work plann<strong>in</strong>g for next<br />
year’s Derby Day. Mark your calendars for May<br />
4, 2013!<br />
The first meet<strong>in</strong>g of the 2012-13 Junior<br />
Committee was held on Wednesday, Sept.12.<br />
Members enjoyed a reception before the meet<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
which gave members the opportunity to mix<br />
and m<strong>in</strong>gle.<br />
Once the meet<strong>in</strong>g started, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center<br />
TR therapist Drew Bogenschutz welcomed the<br />
crowd and spoke on behalf of <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s TR<br />
Department. Drew expla<strong>in</strong>ed the importance of TR<br />
as part of rehabilitation at <strong>Shepherd</strong>. Afterwards,<br />
Junior Committee members were excited to<br />
start plann<strong>in</strong>g with a better understand<strong>in</strong>g of the<br />
program for which they are rais<strong>in</strong>g money.<br />
Follow<strong>in</strong>g Drew’s talk, last year’s co-chairs,<br />
Shannon H<strong>in</strong>son and Trey Weatherly, were<br />
presented with photo collages from Derby Day<br />
2012 as a token of appreciation for their hard work<br />
and dedication. After the special presentation, the<br />
committee members discussed their plans for<br />
sponsorship, an auction and ideas to make the<br />
2013 event the best Derby Day to date.<br />
The Junior Committee will be accept<strong>in</strong>g new<br />
members until Dec. 30, 2012. Meet<strong>in</strong>gs are held<br />
each month with the exception of December, when<br />
the committee holds its annual holiday party.<br />
shepherd Center Auxiliary<br />
Announces Pecans Fundraiser<br />
For more <strong>in</strong>formation on jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the Junior<br />
Committee or sponsor<strong>in</strong>g Derby Day, please<br />
contact Cara Puckett at 404-350-7778 or<br />
cara_puckett@shepherd.org. q Cara puckett<br />
2012-2013 executive Board<br />
derby day Co-Chairs: cather<strong>in</strong>e skeen and Wesley snapp<br />
Sponsorship Co-Chairs: claire Bovat and Joe mays<br />
auction Co-Chairs: tricia cl<strong>in</strong>eburg and allison dick<br />
Membership Co-Chairs: Joe Bricker and suzanne pickens<br />
Beverage Co-Chairs: duVall Brumby and rob hefley<br />
Food Chairs: Jackie gibson and matt moore<br />
operations Committee: adam diamond, chris forenza and todd l<strong>in</strong>dsey<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Staff: cara puckett<br />
The <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Auxiliary’s annual holiday<br />
fundraiser, Pecans on Peachtree, runs from Nov. 7 to<br />
Dec. 24. This is the 29th year for the fundraiser, which<br />
has raised more than $1.4 million for patient-related<br />
programs and Auxiliary operations s<strong>in</strong>ce 1982.<br />
All of the fundraiser’s delicious pecan and nut<br />
varieties will be available aga<strong>in</strong> this year onl<strong>in</strong>e at<br />
www.pecansonpeachtree.org or at the Center.<br />
Selections this year <strong>in</strong>clude a larger t<strong>in</strong> of the<br />
Holiday Trio, which was the best seller last year.<br />
Back by popular demand is the Customers’<br />
Favorite t<strong>in</strong> filled with chocolate-covered pecans<br />
and golden roasted and lightly salted pecans.<br />
The Auxiliary is busy sign<strong>in</strong>g up volunteers to<br />
work the sales tables <strong>in</strong>side <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center from<br />
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and to host “Pecan<br />
Parties” <strong>in</strong> their homes or bus<strong>in</strong>esses. If you would<br />
like to volunteer, receive a brochure or place an<br />
order, call 404-367-1322 or go to<br />
www.pecansonpeachtree.org. q midge tracy<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 49
h 1.<br />
HONORARIUMS<br />
Honorees are listed first <strong>in</strong> bold pr<strong>in</strong>t followed by the<br />
names of those mak<strong>in</strong>g gifts <strong>in</strong> their honor. This list<br />
reflects gifts made to <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center between<br />
May 1, 2012 and July 31, 2012.<br />
dr. Fahed Abu-Akel’s retirement<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg<br />
dr. david F. Apple, Jr.<br />
Cous<strong>in</strong>s Foundation, Inc.<br />
dr. and mrs. david Apple<br />
Mr. William S. Murphy, Jr.<br />
brad Arms<br />
Mr. Paul Aglialoro<br />
dr. Joe Arnold’s retirement<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg<br />
Amanda b. bachelor<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Barnes III<br />
Mr. and Mrs. V<strong>in</strong>cent D. Cater<br />
deborah backus – “congratulations on<br />
director of ms research!”<br />
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.<br />
danielle barber<br />
Mrs. Yael Mohan<br />
elizabeth l. bell’s bat mitzvah<br />
Ms. Gwenn Holland<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Isenberg<br />
lisa bendetti’s race Across<br />
America with Team shepherd<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bendetti<br />
marla J. bennett’s birthday<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bennett<br />
eleanor bernhardt’s birthday<br />
Judge Phyllis Kravitch<br />
Mrs. Bettty G. Karp<br />
Ms. Evie P. Wolfe<br />
marv<strong>in</strong> bone<br />
Mr. Mark T. Bowers<br />
deann bosiljevac<br />
Ms. Jane Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
greg brakel<br />
Mr. Horst Brakel<br />
Peter brookner<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Brookner<br />
carolyn and ron buice<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William K. McDaniel<br />
Tim carder<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Wilkie<br />
george carros<br />
Mr. John L. Taylor<br />
Thomas chandler<br />
Mrs. Theodosia C. Moore<br />
Jeannie cheung<br />
Mr. John Nicklos<br />
katie choate<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Boudoucies<br />
Anne clenden<strong>in</strong><br />
Mrs. John R. Poer<br />
Almeda cooper<br />
Mrs. Anne Haltiwanger<br />
Joy culbreth’s birthday<br />
Mr. Eugene S. Asher<br />
staff sgt. Ari cullers<br />
Mr. Jeffrey Holmes<br />
lTc brent cumm<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Yellowlees<br />
kacie darden<br />
Ms. Maura Brand<br />
Mr. Jeff Caplan<br />
William J. Grist, M.D.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. David Wetty<br />
claire P. derr<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Derr<br />
Anne donahoo<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence S. Donahoo, Jr.<br />
harriet draluck’s recovery<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Marv<strong>in</strong> H. Draluck<br />
scott elliott<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald H. Elliott<br />
Frank F<strong>in</strong>dley<br />
Ms. Jane S. Greenberger and<br />
Mr. P. Douglas Wexler<br />
Fourth Floor staff at shepherd<br />
center – “Awesome crew”<br />
Ms. Lillian R. Shirley<br />
michael Flynn<br />
Mrs. Theodosia C. Moore<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>y Foltz<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Foltz<br />
chico garcia<br />
Give With Liberty Employee<br />
Donations<br />
mark gernazian<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Mackey<br />
noelle gibson<br />
Ms. Jane Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
matthew P. godw<strong>in</strong><br />
Ms. Patricia Godw<strong>in</strong><br />
stephen b. goot<br />
Dr. and Mrs. J. Rhodes Haverty<br />
stephen goot – 11Alive<br />
community service Award<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Koenig<br />
dr. chenault w. hailey’s<br />
85th birthday<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Jami hanzman<br />
Mr. Benjam<strong>in</strong> S. Ste<strong>in</strong><br />
Mr. Michael Wall<br />
noah harris<br />
Mr. Paul Aglialoro<br />
Tim haskew’s race Across<br />
America with Team shepherd<br />
Ms. Delta Booker<br />
Mr. T. Coile<br />
Madame Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Pantano<br />
carol<strong>in</strong>e g. hazel’s birthday<br />
Ms. Karen A. Moschetto<br />
david herr<strong>in</strong>gton, Jr.<br />
Mr. R. G. Edwards<br />
douglas J. hertz<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Fishman<br />
m<strong>in</strong>na hong<br />
Mr. Barry A. Gallas<br />
James howard<br />
Ms. Nancy E. Wellons<br />
bart hudson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory A. Dunn<br />
betty and billy hulse<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Armfield, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Everette L. Doffermyre, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Holder, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Inman II<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Moore<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Payne, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Weller, Jr.<br />
b. henderson Johnson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Johnson, Jr.<br />
col<strong>in</strong> Johnson<br />
Ms. Michelle Warren-Johnson<br />
lisa and John k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mrs. Elizabeth A. K<strong>in</strong>g<br />
dylan k<strong>in</strong>ion<br />
Ms. Mary McEneaney<br />
nathan kle<strong>in</strong><br />
Mrs. Gloria B. Kle<strong>in</strong><br />
Phyllis kravitch’s birthday<br />
Mrs. Bernice K. Mazo<br />
deborah g. krotenberg<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Neil H. Novick<br />
Mr. Stephen A. Zipris<br />
mary kyle<br />
Mrs. Elliott Kyle<br />
Jason langdon<br />
Mrs. Anita Langdon<br />
edward leatherman’s 21st birthday<br />
Castle Builders of Miami, Inc.<br />
Ross and Associates, Inc.<br />
Mr. Stefan H. Zachar III<br />
robert leggiero<br />
Dr. Elie Kobr<strong>in</strong><br />
Mr. and Mrs. Butch Sergiano<br />
Mr. Leonard Stanmore<br />
dr. donald P. leslie<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Philip S. Beeson, Sr.<br />
dr. John l. l<strong>in</strong><br />
Mr. and Mrs. Steven H. Dowlen<br />
benjam<strong>in</strong> r. lipp<strong>in</strong>cott<br />
Mr. Thomas B. Slick<br />
charlie loudermilk’s birthday<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Thomas loupe’s recovery<br />
Mrs. Amanda Silvey<br />
maureen macdonald<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Leo A. Sanchez<br />
nick malloy<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas K. Alston<br />
Faye and lewis m. manderson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. McG<strong>in</strong>nis<br />
billi marcus<br />
Ms. Dore Pollock<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Kalish<br />
matthew marcus<br />
Mr. Robert I. Marcus<br />
Anita mar<strong>in</strong>o<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Fishman<br />
ben masters<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jon D. Jeffries<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William McLean<br />
david masters<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jon D. Jeffries<br />
bernice k. mazo’s birthday<br />
Judge Phyllis Kravitch<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lipton<br />
Dr. Karen Sumers and Mr. Jeffry F<strong>in</strong>kel<br />
shari mcdowell – “congratulations<br />
on your promotion!”<br />
Ms. Cherie L. Kunik<br />
maureen mcgee<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Sean McGee<br />
mr. and mrs. david mcPherson<br />
Mr. Richard P. Smith<br />
evelyn d. mims<br />
Mr. Jeremy Anderson<br />
bill mulligan<br />
Ms. Denise Miller<br />
donna m. neff<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Neff<br />
katie nettles<br />
Ms. Jane Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
Jordan normann<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Maness<br />
sally d. nunnally’s birthday<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Griff<strong>in</strong> B. Bell, Jr.<br />
lance o’cull<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John D. O’Cull<br />
chris owens<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jerold Lynch<br />
kacey Patterson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Besal<br />
Ms. Lorra<strong>in</strong>e Wais<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Zerylnick<br />
eugene l. Pearce –<br />
“happy Fathers day!”<br />
Ms. Elizabeth R. Pearce<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Haygood P. Seawell, Sr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew P. Worrell<br />
kenneth Phillips<br />
Mr. Jerome Rob<strong>in</strong>son<br />
ryan redner<br />
Mr. James G. Coyle<br />
Ms. Marthalee F. Esoda<br />
cody reyes<br />
Mr. Ronald R. Reyes<br />
shirley s. rich’s birthday<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Victor L. Cohen<br />
debbie rigsby<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Peller<br />
debra rogers<br />
Reba’s Hair Fashions<br />
dwayne sanders<br />
Mrs. Betty Sanders<br />
mark m. sandifer<br />
Mr. James A. Curtis<br />
Thomas r. sessions<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Sessions, Jr.<br />
leslie shapiro<br />
Mrs. Gloria Shapiro<br />
Alana shepherd<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. Root<br />
Alana shepherd’s birthday<br />
Ms. Mary Bickers – Bickers<br />
Consult<strong>in</strong>g Group, LLC<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
eloise F. shepherd’s birthday<br />
Ms. Mary B. Bickers<br />
l<strong>in</strong>da shepherd<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. Root<br />
rebecca s. shepherd’s birthday<br />
Ms. Mary Bickers – Bickers<br />
Consult<strong>in</strong>g Group, LLC<br />
natalie sh<strong>in</strong>n’s recovery<br />
Mr. Gregg Sh<strong>in</strong>n<br />
Ms. Sally Sh<strong>in</strong>n<br />
Jay shue<br />
Ms. Patricia M. Shue<br />
steven J. siegler<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Koivu<br />
sigma nu of georgia southern’s<br />
Fundrais<strong>in</strong>g efforts for shAre<br />
military Patients<br />
Mr. James R. Carter, Jr.<br />
Frankl<strong>in</strong> GM<br />
Ms. Jane M. Hilley<br />
Ms. Marilyn Jeans<br />
Ms. Nancy J. Jordan<br />
Mrs. Leigh W. Kelly<br />
Mr. Kirk Knous<br />
Peoples Loan and F<strong>in</strong>ance Corp.<br />
Mrs. Leslie Schulte<br />
Thigpen Lanier Westerfield and Deal<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wadsworth<br />
Joel e. simmons for the memory<br />
of debbie mcspadden<br />
Ms. Evelyn V. Albright<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Guy E. Baker<br />
Ms. Janet E. Hutsell<br />
Ms. Dixie D. Powers<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Roby, Jr.<br />
The Swift Museum Foundation, Inc.<br />
bradlee and kelley simoneaux<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Bradly J. Atk<strong>in</strong><br />
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Fullmer<br />
kelley simoneaux<br />
Mrs. Amanda Silvey<br />
david w. smith<br />
Mrs. Sarah Marie Huban<br />
glenn smith<br />
Mrs. Theodosia C. Moore<br />
Thomas sowell<br />
Ms. Kristi Fuqua<br />
stewart sneed hewes<br />
Chubb<br />
neil swenson<br />
Ms. Anne H. Swenson<br />
Tom Tanner<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joe G. Tuggle<br />
kristie Tant<br />
Mr. and Mrs. David Allen<br />
meg Throckmorton’s recovery<br />
Ms. Carolyn August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Mrs. Lisa Kreuzer<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert R. Thompson<br />
dr. Abraham s. Velkoff’s birthday<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg<br />
davis wallace<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Godw<strong>in</strong><br />
betty and Jesse warren<br />
Infectious Diseases Specialists<br />
of Virg<strong>in</strong>ia, LLC<br />
carrie F. whitney<br />
Mrs. Rebecca S. Flagler<br />
Jane woodruff – “with great<br />
affection and admiration”<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. D’Huyvetter<br />
3.<br />
Anita woody<br />
Ms. Bennette Womack<br />
Jacob wooley<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Wooley<br />
mason Zimmerman and Team<br />
shepherd’s race<br />
Across America<br />
Mr. Steven Barton<br />
Mr. John Kirkpatrick Bill<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Mr. Michael L. Bray<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Burch, Jr.<br />
Ms. Tracy S. Cone<br />
Mr. John Crawford<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Chris J. Dardaman, Jr.<br />
Ernest Communications, Inc.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Gauthreaux<br />
Mr. David Greene<br />
Mrs. Lanie Hoover<br />
J. Lynn Ra<strong>in</strong>ey, P.C.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence P. Kelly<br />
Ms. Nancy Kelly<br />
Mr. Aaron J. Land III<br />
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Land, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. L<strong>in</strong>dauer<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. Morgan<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ott<br />
Ms. Shelley Zimmerman<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
many wheelchair<br />
athletes, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
some from shepherd<br />
center, participated <strong>in</strong><br />
a wheelchair lacrosse<br />
cl<strong>in</strong>ic and exhibition<br />
organized by holy<br />
<strong>in</strong>nocents episcopal<br />
school student sam<br />
fallon. 2. the 2012<br />
uga game Ball relay<br />
fundraiser benefited<br />
shepherd center. 3.<br />
former patient doug<br />
Worful of roswell,<br />
ga., paddles down<br />
the nantahala river<br />
<strong>in</strong> north carol<strong>in</strong>a<br />
accompanied<br />
by friends.<br />
50 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 51
m 1.,<br />
MEMORIALS<br />
Deceased friends of <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center are listed first <strong>in</strong><br />
bold pr<strong>in</strong>t followed by the names of those mak<strong>in</strong>g gifts <strong>in</strong><br />
their memory. This list reflects gifts made to <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center between May 1, 2012 and July 31, 2012.<br />
karl michael Anschutz<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Werner Anschutz<br />
Mrs. Roberta Gorham<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Dale L. Hardy<br />
laura A. Anschutz<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Werner Anschutz<br />
Mrs. Roberta Gorham<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Dale L. Hardy<br />
Toni J. baker<br />
Regional Dance America/Northeast<br />
larry dean beck<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry R. Overfelt<br />
glenda m. bedell<br />
Mr. Mark BeDell<br />
muriel boyko<br />
Mr. Dave Boyko<br />
A. worley brown<br />
Mrs. Lou B. Jewell<br />
John charles “Jack” busb<strong>in</strong><br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
Mr. William A. Dupre IV<br />
Mrs. Harriett H. Gallion<br />
Ms. Norma Garner<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gibson<br />
Mrs. Seth L. Knight<br />
Ms. Anna C. Lucas<br />
Capta<strong>in</strong> Charles Maynard<br />
Mrs. Sandra M. Mion<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Harlan M. Starr<br />
Mr. Walter K. Vollberg<br />
Ms. Nancy Woodis<br />
Tom camp<br />
Mr. Edward Katz<br />
emile caron<br />
Ms. Lillie Ley<br />
sgt. steven checo, 82nd Airborne<br />
Mr. and Mrs. David Reed<br />
marie chriscoe<br />
Mrs. Henry C. Faust, Jr.<br />
grace goldsmith cox<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
larry croup<br />
Mr. Waynon Johnson<br />
betty danneman<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg<br />
Paul l. dill<strong>in</strong>gham<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
mark english<br />
Ms. Ann R. Fairey<br />
Ms. Betty G. Hawsey<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Gene C. Hubbard<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Billy J. Jones<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Polatty<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jack A. Poole<br />
Ms. Frankie Rickenbaker<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Llewellyn Sharpe<br />
Ms. Annie M. Stodghill<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Bobby L. Wade<br />
r. mark english<br />
Ms. Tara Koppel<br />
Ms. Marilyn Loo<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Moses<br />
Mrs. Jean L. Robertson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan A. Wallace<br />
kather<strong>in</strong>e c. evans<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Evans III<br />
Angelo T. Fabrizio<br />
Mr. James Palermo<br />
donovan Faulk<br />
Ms. Betty A. Smith<br />
A.J. Fisher<br />
Mrs. Joan Woodall<br />
dave garrett<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
william “billy” george<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Addison<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Alston, Sr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Bridges, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Norris A. Broyles, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. Coleman Budd<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Sammy Caves<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Crawley<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Delcourt<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Denny, Jr.<br />
Mrs. Matilda Dobbs<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Elt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mr. Randy Evans<br />
Mrs. Dak<strong>in</strong> B. Ferris<br />
Mrs. Laleah Furniss<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Glenn<br />
Mrs. Frank S. Goodman<br />
Mrs. William E. Grabbe<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Hatcher<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. H<strong>in</strong>es V<br />
Mr. Jack Hodge<br />
Mrs. L<strong>in</strong>dsey Hopk<strong>in</strong>s III<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Howard<br />
Mrs. Kathryn H. Hutchison<br />
Mr. Barry V. Hutner<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Izlar, Jr.<br />
Jamie and Charlie Jacobson-Adams<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Craig B. Jones<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun M. McDougall<br />
Joyce L. Milner Charitable Trust<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Mozley<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Murphy<br />
Mr. and Mrs. M. Lamar Oglesby<br />
Mr. and Ms. Brooks Patterson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Pendergrast, Sr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Pritchard<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Rowland A. Radford, Jr.<br />
Mr. Hugh Richardson, Jr.<br />
Mr. Miller Rob<strong>in</strong>son, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Rob<strong>in</strong>son<br />
Mrs. Jane D. Scruggs<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Sherman<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Charles U. Slick<br />
Mrs. Elizabeth H. Smith<br />
Mrs. Miriam W. Smith<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor W. Smith<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John C. Spa<strong>in</strong><br />
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Sprunt<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Travis<br />
Ms. Heather Tucker<br />
Ms. Eugenia Wattles<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William H. White<br />
Mrs. John D. Wood<br />
Mr. Louis B. Wood, Jr.<br />
Mr. Eric Zimmermann<br />
Phillip g. grimes<br />
Ms. Janet G. Craig<br />
nicholas hardage<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Hardage<br />
rosa hatch<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Mike D. Armstrong<br />
Ms. Elizabeth U. Cobb<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Mark G. Fair<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Theodore M. Forbes, Jr.<br />
Mrs. Frank S. Goodman<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Hanger<br />
Mrs. Betty Kreimer<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Louie A. Pittman, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Barry W. Reid<br />
Mr. Spencer W. Smith, Sr.<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth S. Taratus<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Gary R. Ulicny<br />
Ms. Dorothy Upton<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. White, Jr.<br />
Mrs. Charles R. Yates<br />
richard l. hoffman<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John C. Bacon<br />
Fred A. hoyt, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William L. Bost, Jr.<br />
Ms. Katie Dillon<br />
emogene humhries<br />
Mr. and Mrs. C. Richard Hosk<strong>in</strong>son<br />
Floyd e. “bill” Johnson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd E. Johnson, Jr.<br />
matthew Johnson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Adolphson<br />
Mr. Wayne G. Blunck<br />
Mr. D. L. Johnson<br />
Ms. Margaret Van Nest<br />
miriam “mimi” Jones<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Theodore M. Forbes, Jr.<br />
Frank lawrence k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mr. Joseph H. Brooks<br />
Anne and Paul Petrey<br />
Patricia A. kloeblen<br />
Mrs. Amy Jarvis<br />
John c. kranyecz, Jr.<br />
Ms. Michelle Stulack<br />
John r. “rick” leone iii<br />
AIV, LP<br />
Ms. Kristi Anderson<br />
Hal N. Arnold, D.M.D.<br />
Beyer-Barber Company<br />
Ms. Cheryl A. Verlander and<br />
Mr. Charles N. Bracht<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Certa<strong>in</strong><br />
Clark-Reliance Corporation<br />
Ms. Elizabeth C. Clough<br />
Dodson Global, Inc.<br />
Ms. Susan P. Hicks<br />
Kitz Corporation of America<br />
Mr. Stephen J. Lorenz<br />
Mr. Robert Reed<br />
Mr. Kenneth M. Sarkis<br />
Ms. Lisa Seeley<br />
Ms. Sherry Shank<br />
The Shaw Group<br />
Ms. Mary A. Starrett<br />
Ms. Cather<strong>in</strong>e Stephens<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Randall D. Wilhoit<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Williammee<br />
Wilson Industries LP<br />
robert P. ludwig<br />
Mrs. L<strong>in</strong>dsey Hopk<strong>in</strong>s III<br />
Pen lybrook<br />
Ms. Phyllis Brooks<br />
Tom maiwald – For his courage<br />
and hope<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William G. Moody<br />
cecil c. malone<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Smith<br />
charles m. mccullough<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
kenneth mcgaha<br />
Ms. Lois Benfield<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland Boggs<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Roger W. Carter<br />
Ms. Irene Fulbright<br />
Ms. Jackie Head<br />
Ms. Susan McGaha<br />
Ross Group, Inc.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Shirley<br />
Ms. Mary Anne Thompson<br />
Ms. Barbara Tito<br />
Ms. Jane R. Waddell<br />
Julius mihalik<br />
Mr. Bob Rohr<br />
l<strong>in</strong>da noel<br />
Ms. Leigh Parson<br />
Frances wiley Parish<br />
Ms. Meri Cotney<br />
d. F. Parker<br />
Mr. Del L. Parker<br />
Preston Parnell<br />
Ms. Cather<strong>in</strong>e Gue<br />
Mrs. Kather<strong>in</strong>e Henken-Gerhardt<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Randal Sanford<br />
Miss Jessica Wagner<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Weil<br />
margaret Perdue<br />
Mrs. L<strong>in</strong>dsey Hopk<strong>in</strong>s III<br />
gail Perno<br />
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Mrs. Joan Woodall<br />
william m. Presley<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Laney<br />
Felicia ramacciotti<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Caldwell<br />
robby redd<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Redd<strong>in</strong>g III<br />
wesley renfroe<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie K. Garnto<br />
mary Patricia reynolds<br />
Mr. and Ms. Jeffrey E. Morrison<br />
clarence haverty “clancey” ridley<br />
Crawford & Company<br />
Ms. Constance L. Dittmann Frazier<br />
william m. “bill” robertson<br />
Mrs. Grant R. Curtis<br />
david e. rose, sr.<br />
Mrs. W. R. Berry<br />
larry schellhase<br />
Mrs. Charles W. Sprott<br />
Fred schultz<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.<br />
shelby scott<br />
Mr. Johnnie Reddick<br />
grant siegel<br />
Ms. Dianne Shelton<br />
wendy simmons<br />
Mrs. Reg<strong>in</strong>ald He<strong>in</strong>itsh<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Ventulett III<br />
Joan carol simpson<br />
Mr. Dan Ratanasit<br />
ronald simpson<br />
Mr. Mart<strong>in</strong> J. Troy<br />
sam s. s<strong>in</strong>ger iii<br />
Mrs. Ann S<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
elizabeth helen sligar<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Kassel<br />
bootsie smith<br />
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams<br />
capta<strong>in</strong> michael steflovich<br />
Maj. (Ret) and Mrs. Karl V. Marzocchi<br />
charlene stevens<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus M. Kitchens<br />
chris stone<br />
Albany Land Co., Inc.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Barksdale<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Beavers<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Bennett<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Ty Bettis<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Billy W. Boles<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Creamer<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn E. Creech<br />
Ms. L<strong>in</strong>da K. Durden<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Flatt<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Dexter Griff<strong>in</strong><br />
Ms. Diana Helton<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William F. Hugg<strong>in</strong>s<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Johnson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Lee D. Keller<br />
Ms. Susan C. Lehr<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Reid Logan<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy McLean<br />
Ms. Mary L. Mills<br />
Moore, Clarke, DuVall & Rodgers, P.C.<br />
Mr. J. B. Pellicano, CPA<br />
Ms. Edna E. Peterson<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Pitts III<br />
Reese Construction Company<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Salter III<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert F. Scott, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald A. Shook<br />
Ms. Patrice S. Simpson<br />
Mrs. Peggy P. Tierney<br />
U-Sav-It Pharmacy, Inc.<br />
Ms. Debra L. West<br />
Mr. and Mrs. David Wigg<strong>in</strong>s<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Wilson<br />
Ms. Frances W. Zolomy<br />
david straub<br />
Ms. Mary C. Straub<br />
mike P. sturdivant<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Connor F. Nelson, Jr.<br />
m<strong>in</strong>nie m. sunderland<br />
Mr. Mark S. Sunderland<br />
eunice “Peach” Taylor<br />
Ms. Eileen Shuman<br />
Ms. Mona Shuman<br />
Paul Taylor<br />
Mrs. L<strong>in</strong>dsey Hopk<strong>in</strong>s III<br />
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Sowell<br />
marty Thurmond<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg<br />
betty Jane boll<strong>in</strong>g Tippett<br />
Mr. Emory Schwall<br />
robert h. Tweedy iii<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Paschall<br />
george ulicny<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald T. Seel<br />
brent walker<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Glen H. Holiman<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Philip R. Stuart<br />
Mr. and Mrs. William T. White<br />
James F. walker<br />
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams<br />
michael carson waters<br />
Mrs. and Mrs. Mario J. DeLaguardia<br />
Frances willen<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bennett, Jr.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg<br />
The <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center Auxiliary<br />
Ms. Selma S<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy<br />
iris g. williams<br />
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Crist III<br />
max<strong>in</strong>e wolchansky<br />
Ms. Selma S<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
John “Jay” barnett woodruff iii<br />
Ms. Ada Lewis<br />
John “bart” woodruff, Jr.<br />
J.W. & Ethel I. Woodruff Foundation Inc.<br />
Jordan woods<br />
Jordan Woods Legacy Fund<br />
Mr. and Mrs. David Woods<br />
4.<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
3.<br />
2. shepherd<br />
center employees<br />
dedicate the assistive<br />
technology van they<br />
helped purchase <strong>in</strong><br />
memory of karl and<br />
laura anschutz, the<br />
children of assistive<br />
technolgy center<br />
manager John anschutz<br />
and his wife terri. 3., 4.<br />
atlanta Braves baseball<br />
players tommy hanson<br />
and mart<strong>in</strong> prado<br />
and manager fredi<br />
gonzalez visit shepherd<br />
center patients aust<strong>in</strong><br />
Whitten (3) and<br />
andrew W<strong>in</strong>frey (4).<br />
52 • <strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org Sp<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Column</strong> ® / Fall 2012 • 53
aDDreSS ServICe requeSteD<br />
Scan this QR code with your smart phone or go to<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong>CenterMagaz<strong>in</strong>e.org to view more photos and content.<br />
atlanta to host national assembly<br />
for rehabilitation Physicians<br />
Nearly 2,000 physiatrists will gather <strong>in</strong> Atlanta <strong>in</strong> November for the<br />
annual meet<strong>in</strong>g of AAPM&R – the national association for doctors who<br />
specialize <strong>in</strong> restor<strong>in</strong>g optimal function to people with <strong>in</strong>juries to the<br />
muscles, bones, tissues and nervous system.<br />
As part of the three-day assembly, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center will host tours of<br />
its facilities and provide demonstrations of some of its latest technology,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a powered orthosis (pictured here) that assists with walk<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
people with paraplegic-level sp<strong>in</strong>al cord <strong>in</strong>jury. Eng<strong>in</strong>eers from Vanderbilt<br />
University are collaborat<strong>in</strong>g with cl<strong>in</strong>icians at <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center, where the<br />
technology is be<strong>in</strong>g tested and evaluated.<br />
<strong>Shepherd</strong> Center doctors and cl<strong>in</strong>icians will be featured as speakers<br />
and presenters dur<strong>in</strong>g the assembly at the Georgia World Congress<br />
Center, and they will participate <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shepherd</strong>’s exhibit that will feature<br />
periodic, live demos of the powered orthosis.<br />
In addition, <strong>Shepherd</strong> Center will co-host the “5K Rehab Run/Walk<br />
and Roll” on the morn<strong>in</strong>g of Saturday, Nov. 17, <strong>in</strong> Atlanta, along with the<br />
Foundation for Physical Medic<strong>in</strong>e and Rehabilitation. The race is an annual<br />
event <strong>in</strong> tandem with the conference and is a fundraiser for the Foundation.<br />
People with paraplegia who are <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> participat<strong>in</strong>g as research<br />
subjects <strong>in</strong> the ongo<strong>in</strong>g Vanderbilt powered orthosis test<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>Shepherd</strong><br />
Center should complete the <strong>in</strong>take form available at<br />
www.shepherd.org/research. q Larry Bowie<br />
Photo BY ChriStoPher Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
Non-Profit Org.<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
PAID<br />
Atlanta, GA<br />
Permit No. 1703