the BRAIN - Shepherd Center

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Photo by Gary Meek
Fall 2009
“It was an awful year, and I lived through the family
trauma of what a devastating diagnosis can do to the life of
not just the patient, but the family as a whole,” Vida says. “I
learned a lot from that experience and felt that I might be a
good fit and useful volunteer at Shepherd Center.”
Vida volunteers three days a week, dividing her time
between staffing the welcome desk, feeding lunches to
patients and assisting with Family Support Services. She
has logged more than 500 volunteer hours in the year and
“I’d say some key life lessons are: Don’t take
things for granted, count your blessings –
both big and small – daily, stay focused on
what’s really important and practice humility.
It is a virtue. Adversity can be a lesson, as
well as an opportunity.” — Vida Harmon
Volunteer Profile
Vida Harmon
Former New Yorker finds fulfilling volunteer work
at Shepherd Center. By Lauren Angelo
When Vida Harmon moved to Atlanta from New York
City two years ago, she had no idea her new home would
be within walking distance of Shepherd Center, or that her
frequent walks throughout her neighborhood would lead to
such a fulfilling volunteer opportunity.
But after passing Shepherd Center several times and
learning more about the highly specialized care the hospital
offers, Vida was impressed and wanted to give her time to
contribute to the patients and families at Shepherd.
After losing her brother to a brain tumor in 2001, Vida
says she feels an especially strong connection to families
facing the same fear and uncertainty her family experienced.
Her brother’s struggle with cancer lasted eight months, and
instead of pulling her family closer together, the tragedy
pushed them further apart, she says. He was the patriarch of
her family, and they found themselves lost without him.
a half she has been volunteering at Shepherd, and Vida
says she has loved every minute of it. Her time with Family
Support Services allows her to meet the families of the
patients and further her goal of helping families survive
difficult circumstances and emerge from them even stronger.
She also makes a great effort to answer families’ questions
and help in any way she can during the time she spends at
the welcome desk.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you can make a
difference in another person’s life, even if only for a short
time,” Vida says. “As in any area of life, I believe that a kind
word and a smile can go a long way.”
Jackie Gehner, Shepherd Center’s former volunteer
manager, says Vida is known for doing favors for people
throughout the hospital and is someone they really count on.
Vida says she has learned a lot from volunteering and
believes it is a learning experience on both ends. Through
her own life experiences and her volunteer experience at
Shepherd, Vida has a wealth of knowledge to share.
“I’d say some key life lessons are: Don’t take things
for granted, count your blessings – both big and small –
daily, stay focused on what’s really important and practice
humility,” Vida says. “It is a virtue. Adversity can be a lesson,
as well as an opportunity.”
Above: Vida Harmon, left, of Atlanta is a frequent volunteer
at Shepherd Center. She splits her volunteer time between
staffing the welcome desk, feeding lunches to patients and
assisting with Family Support Services. Here, she chats with
patient Keith Champion of Forest City, N.C.
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