INJURED - Shepherd Center

{ 

THE MAGAZINE OF SHEPHERD CENTER | WINTER 2009 

INJURED 

in the line of 

DUTY 

Police officers make great strides 

toward recovery in Shepherd Center’s 

rehabilitation programs. 

FEATURE 

Georgia's lack of designated 

trauma centers affects survival 

rates and rehab outcomes. 

PROFILE 

Athlete returns to competition in 

triathlons after rehab for a spinal 

cord injury. 

AND MORE: 

Clinical trial at Shepherd tests 

new drug to treat secondary 

progressive MS.

Letter from James Shepherd 

Dear Friends, 

With the start of this new year, it’s time for Shepherd Center to pause and reflect 

on the faith and values that motivate so much of our work and your generosity. 

Amidst economic uncertainty, it is our faith and values that provide the steadfast 

anchor we need to sustain hope for a brighter future – both for ourselves and others 

in need. It is tempting in these tumultuous times to give way to fear. But faith in 

something beyond ourselves inspires the confidence we need to continue to share what 

we have with people who are facing some of life’s most difficult circumstances. 

At Shepherd Center, no matter the state of the economy, we have patients who need 

our help and the community’s help. They need it perhaps more now than ever because 

a growing number of people are uninsured or underinsured. 

Our underinsured patients and those who become our voluntary charity cases often 

depend upon the kindness and generosity of their friends – and even compassionate 

strangers in their communities – to help provide things they need for their return 

home. These folks – whether part of a church, civic organization or workplace, or as 

individuals – help with home and workplace modifications, home maintenance and 

medical equipment needs, among other things. 

When I talk to patients, they often tell me how amazed they are about the number 

of people who join their circle of support. These supporters have no expectation of a 

reward. They just want to help. They draw upon their faith and values, and often give, 

even when they are struggling financially and physically themselves. 

Shepherd Center augments this kind of community support through the Marcus 

Community Bridge Program, which identifies $6 of community-based support for 

every $1 it spends on easing the patient’s transition back home. For example, a nurse 

who is a quadriplegic wanted to return to her job in nursing home administration, and 

Bridge partnered with her employer to get adaptive computer equipment and provide 

transportation. 

When people see these kinds of efforts happening in their own communities, they 

come to appreciate the work Shepherd has done for someone close to them, and they 

often, in turn, become Shepherd donors and volunteers. 

It is this kind of widening and unwavering circle of support that will sustain 

Shepherd Center and our patients through difficult times, and, I hope, ultimately 

inspire your hope in the future, as well. 

Warm regards, 

James H. Shepherd, Jr. 

Chairman of the Board 

Photo by Gary Meek 

THE MAGAZINE OF SHEPHERD CENTER 

WINTER 2009 

Shepherd Center 

2020 Peachtree Road, NW 

Atlanta, Georgia 30309 

404-352-2020 

spinalcolumn@shepherd.org 

www.shepherd.org/publications 

Editor 

Jane M. Sanders 

Design 

Soloflight Design 

Contributing Writers 

Sara Baxter, Amanda Crowe, Kayla 

Eubanks, Dean Melcher, Anne Pearce, 

Cathy Rosenthal, Bill Sanders, Scott 

Sikes 

Contributing Photographers 

Leita Cowart, James E. Fitts, Jack 

Kearse, Gary Meek, Lauren Nicole, 

Poané, Annemarie Poyo, Jeff Willhelm 

Board of Directors 

James H. Shepherd, Jr., Chairman 

Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., President and CEO 

Emory A. Schwall, Vice President 

William C. Fowler, Treasurer 

Stephen B. Goot, Corporate Secretary 

Alana Shepherd, Recording Secretary 

Members 

Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson, 

David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., Brock 

Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James 

M. Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman, 

John S. Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber*, 

David H. Flint, Stephen B. Holleman*, 

Michael L. Jones, Ph.D.*, Tammy 

King*, Donald Peck Leslie, M.D., Bernie 

Marcus, Joseph R. Moderow, Julian B. 

Mohr, Charles T. Nunnally III, Sally D. 

Nunnally, Clyde Shepherd III, J. Harold 

Shepherd, Scott H. Sikes*, James E. 

Stephenson, James D. Thompson, 

Goodloe H. Yancey III 

*Ex Officio 

Spinal Column is published quarterly by 

Shepherd Center, a private, not-for-profit 

hospital specializing in the treatment 

of people with spinal cord injury and 

disease, acquired brain injury, multiple 

sclerosis and other neuromuscular 

disorders, and urological problems. 

E-mail change of address information or 

request to be removed from our mailing 

list to spinalcolumn@shepherd.org, or 

by mail to Shepherd Center, Attn: Spinal 

Column Mailing List, 2020 Peachtree 

Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309. 

Please include mailing label. Spinal 

Column accepts no advertising. Spinal 

Column is a registered trademark of 

Shepherd Center.

Spinal Column: The Magazine of Shepherd Center, a Catastrophic Care Hospital | Winter 2009 

Photo by Gary Meek Photo by Leita Cowart 

4COVER STORY: 

Injured in the Line of Duty 

Police officers make great strides toward recovery in 

Shepherd Center’s rehabilitation programs. 

16 

Departments 

2 Short Takes 

9 Workers' Comp Corner 

14 Research: Drug for Secondary Progressive MS 

15 Ask-the-Doc 

16 Patient Profile: Matthew Sanchez 

18 Shepherd Alums 

20 Foundation Features 

33 Loving Tributes 

10 

12 

A Bridge to Better Days: 

Shepherd Center program funded 

by Marcus Foundation helps patients 

transition to a new life. 

Trauma Care Crisis in Georgia: 

Race against time and distance occurs 

with no trauma care network in place 

in the state. 

About the cover: 

Shepherd Center has treated nearly 100 police officers and 

firefighters in the past decade. Medical director Dr. Donald 

Peck Leslie cites Shepherd’s care – combined with the officers’ 

own determination, hard work, good fitness, and family and 

community support – in sending these public servants well 

down the road to recovery. 

Photo by Jeff Willhelm 

If you would like to make a gift to support the work you have 

read about, please contact Scott Sikes at the Shepherd Center 

Foundation at 404-350-7305 or visit shepherd.org.

{ 

{Shepherd Snapshots: A Look at News and Other Notes 

Self-defense Expert Teaches 

People in Wheelchairs How 

to Fight Back 

Change the plan of the aggressor, and you’ve got a fighter’s chance. 

That’s what self-defense expert Ryan Mitchell is trying to teach 

his students in wheelchairs – ways to make an attacker decide it’s 

just not worth it. 

Mitchell, who owns World Class American Karate in Conyers, 

Ga., began teaching self-defense classes at Shepherd Center more 

than a year ago. Since then, he’s taught about 100 patients at the 

hospital. 

“We want students to feel empowered, that they can take care of 

themselves, even though a situation is different from what they are 

used to,” Mitchell explains. 

Working with Shepherd sports specialist Chris Ravotti, 

Mitchell devised a curriculum of self-defense basics – avoiding 

certain situations and how to not look like a victim. 

“That’s how I start off any self-defense class,” Mitchell says. 

“Then we talk about how people in wheelchairs can be robbed or 

confronted while transferring into their vehicles. We teach them to 

be aware of their situation.” 

Sometimes, though, you can look like a person with purpose 

and pay attention to your surroundings, but still get attacked. So 

Mitchell spends ample time during the class, which he teaches 

every six weeks at Shepherd, to allow students to try out some selfdefense 

techniques he teaches them. 

“If you end up in a situation where you have to defend yourself, 

we go over the moves, striking targets with an elbow or fist if you 

can, using the chair as a defense mechanism, using it to throw off 

the aggressor,” Mitchell explains. “We adapt the program for students 

in power chairs or manual chairs. The students have different 

chairs and different capabilities as far as what they can move.” 

Above: Ryan Mitchell, who owns World Class American Karate in Conyers, 

Ga., teaches self-defense classes to Shepherd Center patients who use 

wheelchairs. 

And yes, a wheelchair can be used offensively, as well as defensively. “A 

power chair can be a 600-pound battering ram, doing some damage to the 

shins and ankles,” Mitchell says. “With the manual chair, the foot rest is 

great for hurting an attacker’s ankles. It’s not a mortal finishing move, but 

often it’s enough. The whole idea is to convince the aggressor they are not 

dealing with someone helpless.” — Bill Sanders 


Shepherd Center Adds New Doctor to Brain Injury Program 

Photo by Leita Cowart 

Dr. Payal Fadia, a brain injury and rehabilitation specialist, recently joined Shepherd Center’s Acquired 

Brain Injury (ABI) program. She is leading two ABI treatment teams and one neurospecialty team. 

“We are pleased to add Dr. Fadia to the Shepherd Center team as we continue to expand our ABI 

program,” says Dr. Donald Leslie, medical director of Shepherd Center. “Dr. Fadia’s experience and 

expertise will ensure Shepherd Center continues to provide the highest quality of care to its patients.” 

The hospital’s ABI unit recently increased to 30 beds with 22 private rooms as part of a $53 million 

expansion, allowing more than 250 patients to receive medical and rehabilitation care each year. 

Before joining Shepherd Center, Dr. Fadia was the attending physician at Rehabilitation Consultants 

in Norwalk, Conn. She has also practiced at The Brain Injury and Stroke Program at The Institute for 

Rehabilitation and Research in Houston. Additionally, she was an assistant professor at Baylor College 

of Medicine. — Kayla Eubanks 

2 Spinal column 

www.shepherd.org

Extensive Study at Shepherd Center 

Determining Durability of Wheelchair Cushions 

While a wheelchair cushion might look adequate, is it? And at what point could it be 

wearing out, without the user even knowing it? 

That’s what researchers at Shepherd Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s 

Wheeled Mobility Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center hope to find out in a 

five-year joint study of wheelchair cushions. 

Using volunteers mostly recruited through Shepherd, the study is testing 400 cushions 

in the skin protection category, the type most commonly used by Shepherd patients. 

For those who spend most of their day in a wheelchair, proper cushioning is vital to 

skin protection. “People with spinal cord injuries are already at high risk to develop skin 

breakdown, or pressure ulcers,” says Kim Davis, a former clinical research scientist at 

Shepherd. “It will be beneficial to know when cushions wear out.” 

The cushions are put through a battery of tests – including human pressure mapping, 

contour depth and impact dampening – to help evaluate their lifespan. The goal of the 

study is to provide clinicians with a simple test to determine whether a cushion still 

meets the needs of the wheelchair occupant. 

Results of the study also have the potential to influence how often insurance companies 

pay to replace cushions. Insurance companies usually lump cushions in with the wheelchairs 

themselves, Davis says. But, “cushions tend to wear out faster than wheelchairs,” she 

notes, adding that the timetable for replacing wheelchairs is typically five years. 

So far, researchers have tested 150 cushions of 20 different types. After testing 120 

cushions, the team found nearly 10 percent of them – all in use for less than five years – 

failed one particular standardized test. Further analysis will help determine the extent to 

which this outcome has clinical relevance. 

As the research team heads into the third year of the project and begins Phase II 

testing, they will streamline tests to eliminate those that yielded inconclusive findings, 

Davis adds. — Sara Baxter 



Shepherd Center Director 

of Advocacy Named 

Georgia Hospital Hero 

Mark Johnson, director of advocacy 

at Shepherd Center, recently received 

the 2008 Georgia Hospital Hero Award 

presented by the Georgia Hospital 

Association (GHA). GHA selected 

Mark based on his demonstration of 

honesty, integrity, commitment and 

expertise in his field, as well as his 

dedication to improving the lives of 

those around him. 

Mark, who sustained a spinal cord 

injury in 1971, has served as director 

of advocacy at Shepherd since 1986. 

In this role, he works to research and 

identify disability issues. He also educates 

staff and community members, 

organizes local networks and serves 

as a local liaison to national disability 

rights groups. 

Mark has been recognized by his 

peers numerous times, and his accolades 

include the Spirit of the ADA 

award, 2001 New Mobility Person of 

the Year award and induction into the 

SCI Hall of Fame. — Kayla Eubanks 

Above: Researchers at Shepherd Center and Georgia Tech are conducting a study that 

will help them devise a simple test to determine whether a person’s wheelchair cushion 

is adequate or needs to be replaced. Here, Shepherd study coordinator Brian Dunlap 

tests the cushion of Leslyn Berry of Atlanta. 

Above: Mark Johnson is Shepherd Center's 

director of advocacy. 

winter 2009 3

+ Police officers 

make great strides 

toward recovery in 

Shepherd Center’s 

rehabilitation 

programs, drawing 

upon their mental 

and physical 

strength, and family 

and community 

support. 

By Bill Sanders 

Right: Athens, Ga., police officer Courtney 

Gale, second from right, received a 

tremendous outpouring of support from 

her co-workers and community after 

sustaining a brain injury caused by a 

stabbing that resulted in a massive 

blood loss, which reduced oxygen to her 

brain. Courtney plans to return to her 

career in law enforcement. 

4 Spinal column

IN THE 

DUTY 

LINE OF 

Pat Cocciolone knows she’ll never be a police officer 

again. Courtney Gale and Bryan Lawrence know one day 

they will. All three can applaud Martin Lawing and Mark 

Ayers, a couple of cops who are already back on the job. 

Those five public safety officers have never worked together. But 

they share more than one common bond. All five were critically 

injured while on the job and eventually underwent treatment at 

Shepherd Center – the rehabilitation center of choice for police 

officers and firefighters in the Southeast and beyond. 

All five police officers have made miraculous strides toward 

recovery, and each is a portrait in courage. 

Dr. Donald Peck Leslie, medical director at Shepherd, can’t help 

but admit that there’s something special about caring for people 

who put their lives on the line to care for their communities. 

“By and large, they are remarkable people,” Dr. Leslie says. 

“They get a tremendous outpouring of support from communities, 

churches, friends and family. And if injured in the line of duty, they 

fall under workers’ compensation, which requires that they get 

optimal treatment – whatever they need. 

“It is an honor when they come here. I, personally, am very 

honored to have them as patients and to minister to their needs. 

They minister to us, and we feel safer because of them. To give 

support back to them when they need us is truly very rewarding.” 


winter 2009 5


Above: Shepherd Center medical director Dr. Donald Peck Leslie has formed a 

special bond with patient Pat Cocciolone, a former Atlanta Police Department 

officer who sustained a traumatic brain injury when she was shot while 

responding to a domestic dispute call. 

+ “I was shot six times. 

Most of my hip was 

gone. I figured, ‘OK, I’ll 

have to show them what 

I can do then. Right 

then, I decided to see 

how much stronger I 

could make myself.” 

— Pat Cocciolone 

Dr. Leslie and his team of physicians have formed special bonds with 

the police officers they have cared for with both expertise and diligence. 

Shepherd Center has treated nearly 100 police officers and firefighters 

in the past decade. Dr. Leslie cites Shepherd’s care – combined with 

the officers’ own determination, hard work, good fitness, and family and 

community support – in sending these public servants well down the 

road to recovery. 

One remarkable patient that Dr. Leslie treated came to Shepherd 

Center more than a decade ago. Atlanta Police Department Officer Pat 

Cocciolone, now 49, who had been on the job for 10 years, was shot 

six times at close range with a high-powered rifle while responding to 

a domestic dispute in 1997. Her partner, John Sowa, was killed in the 

incident. One of the bullets penetrated Pat’s skull, affecting her visual 

comprehension, memory and ability to communicate. 

“They could hear me on my radio trying to get help after I was shot,” 

Pat recalls. “They couldn’t tell what I was saying, but I thought I was 

talking plainly. I wanted us to get help; I did not want to give up. Part 

of it is the academy training that I’d had. They taught us about how 

we had to decide whether to fight or give up. I decided I had to fight. 

Part of it is because how I was brought up. We were that way. I was not 

ready to give up, and I’m still not.” 

Dr. Leslie admits he’s pleasantly surprised by how well Pat has 

recovered. “She was so tough from the word ‘go.’ She wanted to know, 

‘How can I get over this?’ But I never imagined she would make this 

much progress.” 

With most of her left hip shot off, would she ever be able to walk 

again? “Dr. Leslie said he didn’t know if I’d walk again,” Pat says. “I 

was shot six times. Most of my hip was gone. I figured, ‘OK, I’ll have 

to show them what I can do. Right then, I decided to see how much 

stronger I could make myself. 

“The first time I tried to pull myself into bed, my legs were dead; I 

couldn’t do it. The nurse had to help me. Every time I tried, though, I 

got a little stronger. I got to where I could walk a little at a time with 

a walker. God, it hurt. I’d cry taking a few steps. But it worked. I got a 

little better every time. 

“I still have pain in different places in my body, and I can’t walk real 

far. But more than 10 years into it, I’m still getting better. A lot of that 

is because of Dr. Leslie,” Pat adds. 

For his part, Dr. Leslie realized his patient – and friend – was getting 

better while she was still an inpatient. With brain injuries, if a 

sense of humor returns, odds are good that other cerebral capacities 

may follow. 

One afternoon, Pat and a group of other patients were outside 

of Shepherd on an outing when she observed Dr. Leslie crossing 

Peachtree Street without the benefits of a crosswalk or a signal. In layman’s 

terms: He was jaywalking. 

With the help of one of her therapists, she wrote an “official” ticket 

to Dr. Leslie for the violation. They both got a laugh out of it. “She 

decided to let me off with just a warning,” Dr. Leslie recalls, chuckling. 

“But we took it as a good sign that Pat got back her sense of humor.” 

Another portrait of courage and determination is Courtney Gale, 

32, an officer with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in 

Athens, Ga. She has no memory of what happened to her in December 

2007 when she was working an off-duty security job at a grocery 

store in Athens. 

Based on what others have told her, Courtney recounts the night she 

was attacked: “A man walked in, took a knife off a rack and unpackaged 

it. The attendant was telling me that this guy was doing something 

weird. Then without any sign of violence or any kind of provocation 

or warning, he turned the knife on me. 

6 Spinal column

“From what I was told, it was so fast. I have no memory of it – thankfully. 

People rarely live after losing the amount of blood I lost,” she adds. 

An off-duty nurse, who happened to be at the store, took quick action, 

putting a tourniquet on Courtney’s leg, and then traveled with her 

in an ambulance to the hospital. 

“It was touch and go for a few days because of the blood loss,” 

Courtney says. “They couldn’t tell my family that I’d survive. As things 

stabilized, they didn’t know what the permanent damage would be.” 

Because of the massive blood loss and the resulting loss of oxygen to 

her brain, Courtney also sustained a brain injury. After she was stabilized 

in an acute-care hospital, Courtney spent six weeks in Shepherd’s 

inpatient Acquired Brain Injury Program, then went to Shepherd 

Pathways for another six weeks of residential program care. 

Today, she continues therapy at a facility near her home outside 

Athens and comes to Shepherd’s outpatient clinics for follow-up visits. 

“Everyone at Shepherd has been wonderful with my rehab,” Courtney 

says. “They are very involved. If they see something, an issue, they go for 

it. They push me. My goal becomes their goal. For me, there’s been a lot 

of emphasis on speech and physical therapy.” 

In addition to hard work and determination, a patient’s good physical 

condition before being injured contributes to a successful recovery. “If 

a person was used to rigorous exercise before being injured – as many 

police officers are – he or she will be more prepared for the strenuous 

regimen therapists will put the patient through,” Dr. Leslie says. 

In that respect, Bryan Lawrence, 47, a police officer from Roanoke, 

Va., was an ideal patient at Shepherd Center. “I always exercised,” he 

says. “Before I got hurt, I had my own regimen – walking four miles and 

then biking 10 miles every day. That definitely helped me in rehab. I had 

the stamina and everything, but unfortunately, I’ve lost some of it.” 

But Bryan is less than a year into his recovery. He was assaulted in 

the process of making an arrest on May 10, 2008 and sustained a C-3 to 

C-6 complete spinal cord injury. 

“I was kicked in the back of the head while getting ready to handcuff 

another suspect,” Bryan recalls. “I knew immediately I was paralyzed. I 

thought I’d been hit with a brick…. But the day after, a bruise came up 

on my head. It was the shape of his shoe.” 

During his rehab at Shepherd, Bryan set and achieved some specific 

physical goals for himself. “Walking permanently is not a realistic goal, 

but I’m going to continue to work to get better,” Bryan says. “I’m continuing 

with therapy in Roanoke three days a week.” 

Martin Lawing, 32, a Burke County (N.C.) Sheriff ’s Department 

deputy, is another police officer who was in good physical condition 

before sustaining an incomplete C-6 spinal cord injury. Before being 

shot during a SWAT police standoff in December 2007, Martin was a 

runner and fitness buff, and he had a solid Army training background 

going for him, too. 

“Being on the SWAT team, and in the Army before that, I really have 

a background that sets the stage for what I might be able to get back – 

muscle memory,” Martin says. “It is easier to get back into that condition 

that you were once in, and it has played a big part in me surviving 

pneumonia and regaining some of the strength that I lost.” 

With recovery well under way, returning to work often becomes a 

goal for Shepherd Center patients, especially those who are police officers. 

Martin is one who has already made that goal a reality. 

After months of rehabilitation at Shepherd Center, Martin’s heroism 

was cited in May 2008 when he won the “America’s Most Wanted” 

television program’s All-Star Contest, which honors the nation’s first 

responders. 


Above: Bryan Lawrence, a police officer from Roanoke, Va., underwent 

rehab at Shepherd Center in 2008 after sustaining a C-3 to C-6 

complete spinal cord injury when he was assaulted in the process of 

making an arrest. His excellent physical fitness before being injured 

assisted greatly in helping him achieve his rehab goals. 

18,373 

16,456 

16,039 

16,328 

16,626 

16,412 

16,707 

16,072 15,916 

13,262 

Injuries to U.S. Law Enforcement Officers 1997-2006 

1997 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

+Average injuries per year: 16,219 [Source: FBI] 

winter 2009 7


+ 

Above: Martin Lawing, 32, a Burke County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Department deputy, sustained an incomplete C-6 spinal cord injury when he was shot during a SWAT 

police standoff in December 2007. After rehab at Shepherd Center, he returned to work part time in August 2008. With Shepherd Center’s help and his status as 

a military veteran, Deputy Lawing received his service dog, Phantom, and training with him from Canine Assistants in metro Atlanta in September 2008. 

With that encouragement and the tremendous progress he made 

in rehab, Martin returned to work part time as a narcotics investigator 

in August 2008. He works two to three days a week and is assisted by 

a service dog named Phantom. With Shepherd Center’s help and his 

status as a military veteran, Martin received the dog and training with 

him from Canine Assistants in metro Atlanta. 

“Phantom, who is a lab/golden retriever mix, is great at opening 

heavy doors and cabinets and picking up things I drop,” Martin says. 

“There are so many things he can help me with.” 

Another officer back on the job is Mark Ayers, 38, who works for the 

Olive Branch (Miss.) Police Department gathering criminal intelligence 

information for law enforcement agencies in northwest Mississippi and 

Memphis, Tenn. He returned to work in late spring 2007 after months of 

rehab for a T-3 complete spinal cord injury he sustained from gunshots 

fired into his chest and abdomen by a driver he pulled over for a routine 

traffic stop in August 2006. 

Mark’s story was also profiled on “America’s Most Wanted” in the 

hope that new information will emerge that may assist law enforcement 

officials in finding the gunman who shot Mark and his partner (who was 

uninjured thanks to a bulletproof vest). 

Although Mark has had some difficult days at home and work, he is 

getting back to the routine of daily life. “It feels like this is impossible (when 

you are first injured), but it gets a whole lot easier with time,” he says. 

Mark is holding out hope that he will regain some function in his legs. 


www.shepherd.org

“Nothing is coming back yet as far as movement, 

but I always hope that I’ll get something 

back,” he says. Still, Mark looks back at his time 

at Shepherd and sees how far he has come. 

Meanwhile, Courtney Gale has begun to 

think of her future in police work: “I’d love to 

go back to work in law enforcement, maybe get 

a master’s degree in public administration and 

become a chief of police.” And Bryan Lawrence 

plans to return to work at some point, as well. 

All of this recovery would not be possible 

without the support of family, friends and even 

people in the community who may not know 

these police officers. Most have benefitted from 

fundraisers to help cover their medical and 

other costs associated with the injuries. Many 

receive heartfelt words of appreciation and 

encouragement. 

“I got a lot of cards while I was in the hospital,” 

Mark Ayers recalls. “The people at the 

Shepherd mail room said they didn’t think they 

had ever had so much mail for a single patient.” 

Also, fellow police officers who have been 

injured on the job often come to the support 

of each other. For example, Pat Cocciolone has 

become a great peer supporter. “She is very willing 

to talk with patients and encourage them,” 

Dr. Leslie says. 

The greatest support often comes from patients’ 

families and loved ones. “I’m very blessed 

to have my wife, who is a great caregiver,” 

Bryan Lawrence says of his spouse Brenda. 

Dr. Leslie has seen these types of heartening 

support for police officers time and time again, 

and he is quick to acknowledge its vital role in 

recovery alongside the excellent medical care 

police officers receive at Shepherd Center. 

Above: After completing rehab at Shepherd 

Center, police officer Mark Ayers returned 

to work for the Olive Branch (Miss.) Police 

Department gathering criminal intelligence 

information for law enforcement agencies in 

northwest Mississippi and Memphis, Tenn. 

He sustained a T-3 complete spinal cord injury 

when he was shot by a driver he pulled 

over for a routine traffic stop. 

+ 

Workers’ Comp Corner 

On the Frontlines 

Shepherd Center sparks dialogue among municipalities about the 

benefits of timely, specialty care for injured heroes 

By Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH 

Police officers protect the welfare of communities across the nation. In fulfilling 

this duty, these brave men and women put their own lives at risk, and some incur 

serious injuries. 

“Whether they sustain a gunshot wound to the head or a severed spinal cord, 

they need specialized care, and the earlier the better,” says Colleen McCrory, 

Shepherd Center’s manager of marketing and managed care. 

Most municipalities are self-insured and work with third parties to administer 

workers’ compensation claims for officers injured in the line of duty. Because Shepherd 

is a national provider, even if the city is self-insured, the hospital is able to work 

with municipalities to tailor the best care for the individual and improve outcomes. 

“It’s important for municipal risk managers and other city and county officials to 

know that injured police officers have options outside of their local rehab facilities, 

most of which are often only familiar with general rehabilitation,” McCrory notes. 

Case Managers Weigh In 

Because spinal cord injuries affect all systems of the body, patients are more prone 

to secondary medical problems, such as kidney, urinary tract or lung complications, 

infections or pressure ulcers. This situation reinforces the urgency for patients with 

spinal cord injuries to receive care from a facility that is highly trained to look for and 

deal with these complex issues and prevent additional disability, says Mary Jo Reed, 

RN, CCM, an independent case manager with Rehab Innovations. Reed recently 

worked with Roanoke, Va., police officer Bryan Lawrence, and highly recommended 

to his employer and workers’ comp carrier that he be transferred to Shepherd. 

“We have very good (rehab) facilities in this area, but they are geared more 

toward rehabilitation of stroke victims, amputees or those with moderate injuries 

from auto accidents,” says Reed, who is based near Roanoke. “However, when it 

comes to spinal cord injury, these patients need advanced, coordinated care, and we 

have to consider the big picture.” 

Judi Mehl, RN, MSN, a catastrophic case manager, recently worked with two 

catastrophically injured police officers, Martin Lawing and Courtney Gale, whom she 

placed at Shepherd. (See the mainbar article.) 

“Both will end up going back to work, and Shepherd made that happen; the staff 

knows how to motivate people by focusing on patients’ capabilities rather than on what 

they can no longer do,” says Mehl, who spends a lot of time talking with and educating 

adjusters and employers about how such specialty care positively impacts patient 

outcomes. “It’s worth every cent because they can become productive members of 

society again.” 

An Early Start 

Police officers injured on the job need to be able to access and start rehab as quickly 

as possible, case managers say. Devising the most appropriate plan of care up front is 

critical to minimizing the overall cost and, most importantly, helping injured officers 

obtain maximum function over the long-term, according to Mehl and Reed. 

“Shepherd Center urges self-insured cities, counties, municipalities and employers 

to consider specialty care for their injured workers who sustain spinal cord or traumatic 

brain injuries,” McCrory says. “The self-insured should exercise their voice and preferences 

to the third-party administrators handling their claims. Proactive dialogue and 

direction in the care of their claimants early on will be the best medicine.” 

winter 2009 9

A program supported by 

the Marcus Foundation 

helps Shepherd patients 

transition to a new life. 

By Sara Baxter 

When the time came for 20-year-old Eli Brown to leave 

Shepherd Center, he had made progress in his recovery 

from a traumatic brain injury but still couldn’t speak, 

move or eat on his own. 

A Bridge 

to Better 

Days 

“We freaked a little,” admits his mother, Tanya. “We were totally 

unprepared.” Eli, who participated in Shepherd’s pre-rehabilitation 

and education program (PREP), sustained his injury in a November 

2007 car accident. But because PREP patients are eligible for transition 

services under Shepherd’s Marcus Community Bridge Program, Eli and 

his family were able to maintain a connection to the hospital through a 

videophone installed in their Woodstock, Ga., home. 

The videophone allows doctors, nurses and caseworkers to observe 

patients after they’ve left Shepherd. For Tanya Brown, it was the 

lifeline she needed. 

“It was really helpful,” she says. “We could see each other. The nurse 

would ask Eli to do certain things and then could assess how he was 

doing. She also helped me learn what to look for.” 

Launched in January 2000, Bridge is a comprehensive program 

to help Shepherd patients make the transition back to work, school, 

home and community. The program – which serves about 400 patients 

a year – offers post-discharge client education, guidance and referral 

information. It also assists families in finding a healthcare team and 

identifying resources to support their needs. The Bridge team of case 

managers, therapeutic recreation therapists and additional support 

professionals is funded by grants from the Marcus Foundation and 

long-time supporters Billi and Bernie Marcus. 

10 Spinal column


Above: Marcus Community Bridge Program client Eli Brown continues with occupational and physical 

therapy at Shepherd Pathways with therapists Caitlin Barton, left, and Sary Newman, center. Eli’s mom, 

Tanya, right, often brings him to therapy sessions. 

The Bridge Program was started at no cost to patients. But through 

efforts to obtain reimbursement, the program has been packaged 

for marketing to third-party payers. “We currently have two insurance 

companies contracted to purchase for all their patients, as well 

as workers’ compensation customers,” says Chief Nurse Executive 

Tammy King, who directs the Bridge Program. “But because the 

program is unique and not recognized by the insurance industry as a 

reimbursable service, we continue to rely on outside funding sources.” 

King describes Bridge as an enhanced case management program. 

“We are a big safety net,” she says. “We catch things that fall through the 

cracks and help clients work toward completing their goals.” 

The services provided through the 

program range from the ordinary to 

the extraordinary. Whether it’s paying 

for a suit so a person can go on a 

job interview, navigating government 

agencies to get the best benefits, or 

providing the food for Eli’s feeding 

tube when insurance wouldn’t cover 

it, King and her team get things done for Shepherd graduates. 

King tells a story of a former Shepherd patient who received 

$5,000 from the Brain Injury Trust Fund to remodel his house in 

Social Circle, Ga., to make it wheelchair accessible. When his 

caseworker visited, she saw the amount of work needed was more 

than the $5,000 would cover. So she pulled several organizations together 

– Easter Seals, Housing and Urban Development, and Goodwill 

– to rebuild the house, which became an $85,000 project. “The 

family just didn’t know how to tap into the resources available,” King 

says. “We were able to piece it all together for them.” One of King’s 

favorite examples of the program’s value illustrates how it supports 

resourcefulness – and sometimes a little ingenuity – to help a patient. 

It was September 2001, and the team had been working hard to 

help a brain injury patient discharged to his home. But the terrorist 

attacks of Sept. 11 instantly altered plans for the patient’s caregiver, 

a relative from South Africa whose visa was temporarily cancelled 

along with all other visas. 

King met with state officials to ask them to issue an independent care 

waiver. Under the state program, services are provided to eligible recipients 

with brain injuries and 

physical disabilities so they 

“We catch things that fall through the 

cracks and help clients work toward 

completing their goals.”— Tammy King 

can live in their own homes 

instead of a nursing home. 

These waivers are not easy 

to get, but King was able 

to prove that Shepherd had 

exhausted other alternatives 

and had followed all required procedures. The state agreed. “It was an 

example of private and public working together,” King says. 

Since its inception, the Bridge Program has served patients in 19 

states. Program satisfaction stands at a remarkable 100 percent. And 

Tanya Brown is one of those satisfied. 

“The Bridge Program is a port in the storm,” she says. “When all 

else failed – and it failed a lot – I knew I could call them. And I knew 

they would have an answer.” 

winter 2009 11

trauma care 

Crisis results from a race against time and 

distance with no trauma system in place. 

Crisis in Georgia 

By Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH 

Dialing 9-1-1 in some parts of Georgia, particularly the 

rural south, may reveal a tragic reality that many may find 

unthinkable in modern society. For people who sustain 

catastrophic, potentially life-threatening injuries, there may 

be no emergency medical care in the immediate area. 

Even worse, there are large geographic areas that have no designated 

trauma centers – hospitals with the resources and medical specialists 

to handle the most severe injuries. Yet, rapid response from emergency 

medical technicians by ground or air, and the distance to the nearest 

trauma center are critical factors in saving lives and lessening the likelihood 

of permanent disability. 

“We don’t have a lot of time to make the right diagnosis and coordinate 

care, and patients in these areas are being brought to hospitals with 

not nearly the expertise that is needed,” says David Feliciano, M.D., 

surgeon-in-chief at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, one of only 15 

trauma centers in Georgia that voluntarily meet guidelines from the state 

and American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma. 

“Traumatic injury is random; it can happen to anyone at anytime,” Dr. 

Feliciano says. “It’s a daily threat to everyone in a state without a system 

in place.” 

A small window exists during which traumatic injury can be successfully 

treated to prevent premature death and disability. This “golden 

hour,” as it is called, begins when the traumatic event occurs, and every 

minute lost puts lives in jeopardy. 

“If you get hurt in southern Georgia, the ‘golden hour’ of trauma 

– which we know saves lives and gives better odds of a critical injury 

having better outcomes – is stretched,” says Kathy Slonaker, B.S., R.N., 

Shepherd Center’s admissions liaison for south Georgia. “Every minute 

and mile counts.” 

A Public Health Threat 

Trauma is a major public health problem. It is a leading cause of death 

and disability worldwide, and the number four killer in the United 

States behind cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. According to the 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, traumatic injuries are 

the leading cause of death among people under the age of 44. Georgia 

has one of the highest death rates from traumatic injury; as many as 700 

lives could be saved each year if the state’s death rate improved to the 

national average. 

Also, the trauma crisis seriously threatens rehabilitation outcomes for 

catastrophic injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries. For every 

person who dies, many more are left with permanent, life-changing disability 

because of delayed or inadequate trauma care, experts say. 

“We absolutely need to focus on saving lives, but the tale not being 

told is about the number of patients who survive. Their long-term prognosis 

and outcomes are greatly compromised because they didn’t receive 

emergency care quickly enough,” Slonaker says. For patients with possible 

spinal cord injury, early immobilization and rehabilitative services to 

minimize physical impairment is essential, she adds. 

Trickle-Down Effect 

As facilities drop trauma services, designated trauma centers are getting 

more patients with traumatic injury and seeing a simultaneous increase 

in the acuity level, says Grace Rozycki, M.D., director of trauma/surgical 

critical care at Grady. Patient care is more complex nowadays because 

people often have co-morbidities, are taking multiple medications, and 

run the gamut of injuries and care needed. Hospitals have expanded their 

intensive care units (ICU), but many still don’t have enough beds for 

critically ill patients. This trend reinforces the importance of getting the 

right patient to the right hospital at the right time, Dr. Rozycki says. 

The trauma crisis in Georgia also has affected Shepherd Center. 

“The loss of trauma units has placed an increased burden on hospitals 

that offer (trauma) services and, in turn, Shepherd,” explains Andrew 

Zadoff, M.D., medical director of Shepherd’s ICU. “Patients are arriving 

at Shepherd sicker and sicker.” 

What’s Needed? 

Severely injured patients need immediate access to specialized surgeons, 

physician specialists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and resuscitation and lifesupport 

equipment. 

“We need an organized, efficient trauma system so all citizens have access 

to the best possible care,” says Dennis Wayne Ashley, M.D., chairman 

of the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission and chief of trauma 

care at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. “And it’s not one 

hospital, it’s not one stakeholder, this issue affects everyone in our state.” 

In 2007, Georgia lawmakers created the Commission, and they are 

likely to debate the trauma care issue in the 2009 legislative session. 

Advocates for a statewide trauma system stress that uniform, coordinated 

trauma services should be available, regardless of the severity of injury, 

geographic location or population density. 


www.shepherd.org

Above, from left to right: Dr. Dennis Wayne Ashley, chairman of 

the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission and chief of trauma 

care at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon; Dr. David 

Feliciano, the chief surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta; 

Dr. Grace Rozycki, director of trauma/surgical critical care at Grady 

Memorial Hospital in Atlanta; Nurse Kathy Slonaker, Shepherd 

Center’s admissions liaison for south Georgia; Dr. Andrew Zadoff, 

medical director of Shepherd Center’s intensive care unit. 

Picture of Trauma in Georgia 

• Georgia is 20 percent above the national average 

for trauma deaths. 

• Traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death for 

Georgians under 44 years of age. 

• Motor vehicle accidents and falls are the most common 

causes of traumatic injury. 

• Of the estimated 40,000 cases of major trauma each 

year in Georgia, only about 10,000 are treated in 

designated trauma centers. 

• Traumatic injury accounts for in excess of $170 million 

of uncompensated hospital care annually. 

Sources: Georgia Statewide Trauma Action Team, Georgia’s 

Office of Emergency \Medical Services/Trauma 

Areas of the United States with established trauma systems have 

reduced death and disability from traumatic injury as much as 20 to 

40 percent, according to Georgia’s Office of Emergency Medical Services/Trauma. 

Georgia needs 25 to 30 designated trauma centers in 

strategic locations – instead of the current 15 – to adequately address 

trauma care and emergency preparedness, according to the Georgia 

Statewide Trauma Action Team. 

Of course, the larger issue is funding such a system. Financial losses 

due to uncompensated care given by hospitals, physicians and emergency 

medical service providers are a major disincentive for hospitals 

to add new trauma centers. These losses also pressure participating 

hospitals to close their trauma centers. 

“It’s a money issue because patients with catastrophic injuries 

require the most resources at a hospital, and if patients are uninsured 

or underinsured, providing trauma services becomes a fiscal 

hardship,” Slonaker says. 

Georgia’s trauma care system is fragile at best, Dr. 

Ashley says, adding: “A sustainable source of trauma-care 

funding is the gas that’s going to drive the engine to expand 

and build a system.” 

Essentials for an Organized Trauma System 

The Georgia Statewide Trauma Action Team says a trauma 

system should provide: 

- Universal and rapid access to stabilizing 

pre-hospital care; 

- Rapid transport to the facility required for 

definitive treatment; 

- Prompt surgical intervention when required; 

- Availability of critical care medicine and nursing 

skills, as needed; 

-Rehabilitation, as needed. 

At different stages in the system, data should be collected, analyzed 

and used to improve performance, and to identify opportunities 

for effective injury prevention programs. 

“We can no longer run on empty or near empty,” Dr. Rozycki 

says. “Establishing a statewide trauma system is not an option, it’s 

a necessity that we can’t live without.” For more information and to 

sign the petition to support funding for a trauma system, visit 

www.GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com. 

Needs of the Injured Patient 

1. Life-threatening injuries are appropriately treated, 

promptly and in accordance with appropriate priorities, 

so as to maximize the likelihood of survival. 

2. Potentially disabling injuries are treated appropriately, 

so as to minimize functional impairment and to maximize 

the return to independence and to participation 

in community life. 

3. Pain and psychological suffering are minimized. 

Source: World Health Organization, “Guidelines for Essential 

Trauma Care” 

Miles from a GA Trauma Center 

0-25 76-100 

26-50 101+ 

51-75 

Level I Trauma Centers 

Level II Trauma Centers 

Level IV Trauma Centers 

Miles from a GA Traum 

0-25 76-1 

26-50 101 

51-75 

Level I Trauma Ce 

Level II Trauma C 

Level IV Trauma C 

winter 2009 13

{ 

{ Research 

Slowing 

the progression of 

Multiple 

Sclerosis 

Shepherd Center participates in clinical study of drug to 

treat debilitating form of MS. By Jane M. Sanders 

This spring, Joann Dickson wants to be able to walk in 

to her son’s middle school graduation ceremony without 

experiencing the extreme fatigue that plagues her because 

of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. 

Joann, 49, of Newnan, Ga., is largely pinning her hopes on dirucotide 

(MBP8298), an experimental drug being studied in clinical trials at 

Shepherd Center and other sites. The drug may delay disease progression 

in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), 

an advanced and especially debilitating form of MS characterized by 

irreversible decline in both neurological and physical function. Joann 

was diagnosed with SPMS when she was pregnant with her now-14- 

year-old son Julian. Since then, the disease has progressed, now forcing 

Joann to primarily rely on a motorized scooter for mobility. 

“If the medicine will help with my mobility, along with the physical 

therapy I’m doing at Shepherd Center, that’s what I want – to be more 

mobile,” Joann explains. She also hopes the drug will address the balance 

problems and fatigue she experiences when walking. “It’s so tiring to 

walk. It takes the last little bit of energy I have,” she adds. 


Joann shares similar expectations with eight other people participating 

in the MAESTRO-03 phase III clinical trial of dirucotide (MBP8298) 

at the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center. 

The hospital is one of 68 sites participating in the two-year study. Since 

late summer 2008, the sites have been administering the drug intravenously 

every six months to about 510 patients nationwide. 

MAESTRO-03 is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that is 

evaluating the efficacy and safety of dirucotide (MBP8298), which is 

licensed by BioMS Medical Corp. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In a 

previous study, published in the European Journal of Neurology in 

August 2006, the drug showed a five-year delay in median time to 

disease progression in a subgroup of MS patients who have immune 

response genes HLA-DR2 and/or HLA-DR4. These genes are found in 

up to 75 percent of all MS patients. 

In early September 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) granted dirucotide (MBP8298) a fast-track designation, which is 

given to products that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening 

condition and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical 

needs for that condition. Fast-track designation can potentially facilitate 

development and expedite the review process. There are few FDA-approved 

drugs to treat SPMS, which is the form of MS that afflicts 40 to 

45 percent of the 2.5 million people worldwide who have the disease. 

“Patients in the study at Shepherd Center are excited about this drug 

getting fast tracked,” says Carlyn Kappy, MAESTRO-03 research coordinator 

at Shepherd Center. “They say, ‘Maybe it will at least work for 

somebody else if it doesn’t work for me.’ They don’t have a lot of other 

options out there.” 

Dirucotide (MBP8298) appears to work by “teaching tolerance” to a 

patient’s immune system, so that the disease is not as aggressive in attacking 

and destroying patches of the protective myelin covering of the 

central nervous system, explains Dr. Ben Thrower, medical director of 

the MS Institute at Shepherd Center and the hospital’s lead investigator 

for MAESTRO-03. 

Researchers are evaluating the efficacy of dirucotide (MBP8298) 

with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), which measures a 

patient’s mobility. Study participants also undergo tests of upper extremity 

agility and serial memory, as well as regular MRI exams. Using these 

tools, along with physical examinations, researchers evaluate whether 

study participants’ neurological symptoms are changed from one exam 

to the next one three months later. 

While Joann and other study participants eagerly await the results of 

the MAESTRO-03 clinical trial, a lot of other research on treatments 

for MS is under way, Dr. Thrower notes. One such drug, which also 

recently received a fast-track designation, is BG00012, an oral therapy 

licensed by Biogen Idec for treating relapsing-remitting MS. This drug 

is also being studied at Shepherd Center and 159 other sites. For more 

information, see www.clinicaltrials.gov. 

Left: Joann Dickson of Newnan, Ga., is participating in a Shepherd 

Center clinical trial of dirucotide (MBP8298), an experimental drug 

being studied for its ability to delay disease progression in people 

with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. 


www.shepherd.org

{ 

{ Q & A 

ask the Doc 

Shepherd Center physicians answer medical questions from patients and family members. 

Q: How can the spinal cord not be cut, yet I still have 

a complete ASIA A spinal cord injury? 

A: Spinal cord neural tissue is very sensitive, and if it 

becomes bruised, causing the blood supply to be 

cut off for just a few minutes, the nerve cells are 

suffocated and die. A dead cell cannot conduct 

impulses and thus cannot transmit motor and sensory 

information. The result is a physiologically complete 

cord injury. But the good news is that about 5 percent 

of people with this type of injury end up becoming a 

higher level of ASIA designation, that is ASIA B, C or 

D. Also, when “cure” research achieves its goal of 

having an anatomically intact cord, it will make some 

recovery easier. — Dr. David Apple 

Q: How and why do Shepherd Center doctors decide 

to get follow-up CT scans after a brain injury? 

A: Once a patient is stable and ready for rehabilitation 

services, follow-up CT scans are often not necessary. 

Here at Shepherd Center, patients are participating in 

therapy programs, are often out of bed for much of the 

day and are being observed by many different staff 

members. Our teams are skilled at observing changes 

of all kinds – positive and negative – in patients, and 

they take this responsibility seriously. Follow-up CT 

scans in the rehabilitation setting are predominantly 

performed if a negative change is observed. Primarily, 

if a patient appears to be experiencing a decline from 

previous observations or abilities, and other logical 

explanations do not seem apparent, a scan may be 

obtained. The possibility of new bleeding, increased 

swelling or hydrocephalus needs to be ruled out. 

Though not likely to develop, these are potential 

complications that might warrant further attention and 

perhaps even consultation from a neurosurgeon. But, 

scans are not routinely done. — Dr. Gerald Bilsky 

Q: How might stem cell research lead to a cure or treatment 

for spinal cord injury? 

A: A stem cell might develop into a nerve cell that could serve as 

a relay between a brain cell and a spinal cord cell that were 

directly connected before a spinal cord injury (SCI). That is to 

say, the brain cell could contact the stem cell-derived nerve cell, 

which in turn could contact the spinal cord nerve cell target. 

Stem cells also could turn into support or glial cells that insulate 

nerve cell fibers to ensure conduction of electrical signals along 

those fibers. Stem cells also could serve to modulate the inflammatory 

response in SCI, provide growth factors to limit cell 

death after injury and/or improve regeneration, or affect the scar 

formation in the spinal cord to make it less of a barrier to regeneration. 

The most likely scenario is that stem cells will serve as 

a source of chemical factors, and it is probable that they could 

be engineered to deliver other therapeutic molecules, as well. 

We are still very early in our understanding of stem cells and 

their potential use in SCI.— Dr. Keith Tansey 

contributors 

Dr. David Apple, 

medical director 

emeritus of spinal 

cord research at 


Submit your questions for “Ask-the-Doc” 

to Spinal Column editor Jane Sanders 

at jane_sanders@shepherd.org or via 

fax at 404-350-3145. 

Dr. Gerald Bilsky, 

medical director 

of outpatient 

services at 


Dr. Keith Tansey, 

director of spinal 

cord injury research 

at Shepherd Center 

winter 2009 15

{ 

{ 

{ 

Determined 

to Compete 

After a football injury, one young athlete finds 

strength again in sport. 

By Cathy M. Rosenthal 

Photos by Gary Meek 

Four years ago, Matthew Sanchez was a 

sophomore football player for Our Lady of 

Mercy High School in Fairburn, Ga. Just a 

few minutes into a Friday night game, Mercy 

trailed Pacelli High School, 14-0. Matthew 

was pushing hard to get Mercy on the 

scoreboard. During one play, though, as he 

swept around for the tackle, he fell forward, 

hitting another player head on. 

16 Spinal column

Matthew was thrown backward and recalls feeling the worst pain 

of his life. “I felt like I was on fire,” he says. “But then the pain eased 

up. I tried to get up. That’s when I realized I couldn’t move.” 

Panic set in as he realized he had no feeling in his body, Matthew 

says. He remembers his friends moving out of view as coaches ran in 

to see what had happened. Suddenly, a doctor was kneeling over him 

holding his head still. “People were talking all around me,” Matthew 

says. “But I don’t remember what anyone said.” 

In the meantime, Matthew’s mom, Lorraine Sanchez Hayes, 

was working a concession stand when she received word Matthew 

was hurt. She didn’t like her 150 pound, 6-feet, 1-inch son playing 

football, but, “What mother does?” she says. The family agreed early 

on that if there was ever an injury on the field, mom would stay on 

the sidelines until Matthew’s dad, Rudjard, called from the field. 

“But he didn’t call,” Lorraine says. “I kept calling his cell phone, 

but he wouldn’t pick up. By the time he waved me over, I knew 

things were very bad.” 

Matthew was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center. “When we first 

saw the X-rays of his neck, my husband just fell into me,” Lorraine 

recalls. “He knew from the X-ray what was wrong, but I needed 

doctors to tell me that Matthew’s C-5 vertebra was shattered. ‘Could 

he die?’ I asked. ‘Yes,’ the doctors said. From that moment on, nothing 

seemed real.” 

Matthew was transferred that night to Shepherd Center. Fortunately, 

the space between his spinal column and the vertebrae was 

larger than normal, so his spinal cord had not been severed by the 

broken bone. After surgery at Piedmont Hospital adjacent to Shepherd 

Center, Matthew regained some feeling in his legs and right 

arm, but was told he might never walk again. 

Matthew, however, surprised everyone two weeks later when he 

stood up and took a few steps. He began therapy to strengthen his 

legs and walked out of the hospital just a month after his injury. Six 

months later, he told his family he wanted to run cross-country track 

for his high school. “Oh, everyone thought I was crazy,” Matthew 

says. “But I was determined to compete again.” 

Matthew pushed past the “pains and spasms,” he says, to train 

with the track team that spring and run in two cross-country races 

the next fall. In his senior year, he became part of the boys’ 400- 

meter relay team, which made it to the state track championship 

meet. In summer 2008, he ran a length of the torch relay for the 

Special Olympics. 

“It’s not been easy doing these things,” Matthew says. “But it’s 

been important for me to push as hard as I can.” 

As a sophomore at the University of Georgia, he joined the 

triathlon team, adding cycling and swimming to his daily activities. 

Now as a sophomore, he’s preparing for a 4,500-mile TransAmerican 

bike ride this summer to benefit Shepherd’s SHARE Initiative, 

a program that provides additional care to promote the recovery of 

military men and women from combat-related injuries sustained in 

Iraq and Afghanistan. 

“The staff at Shepherd played a huge role in my recovery – from 

teaching me how to tie my shoes again to writing my name,” Matthew 

says. “I am so thankful and want to help Shepherd so they can help 

others find their strength, too.” 

For more information on Matthew Sanchez’s bike ride, visit 

http://mattstransamride.blogspot.com. 

Previous page: Former spinal cord injury patient Matthew Sanchez of 

Newnan, Ga., is a member of the University of Georgia triathlon team 

and is preparing for a 4,500-mile bike ride this summer to raise money 

for Shepherd Center’s SHARE Initiative, which provides additional care to 

U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Above: Before sustaining an 

incomplete C-5 spinal cord injury while playing football, Matthew Sanchez 

never swam much. Now – even though swimming remains a challenge to 

him because his left arm is weaker than his right – Matthew swims daily as 

part of his triathlon training. 

winter 2009 17

{{ SHEPHERDALUMS 

By Bill Sanders 

{ 

“I have to do everything in a routine or I’ll 

forget. My husband is great at managing so 

much of it, but if I write things down, I’m 

usually OK. It’s a challenge, but we roll with 

the punches. Camden is here for a reason, 

and like every family with infants, we have 

good and bad days.” 

Mike Dube and family 

Mike Dube, 43, of Boiling Springs, S.C., plans 

to play golf soon. He may not play well, but if 

he’s perfectly honest, he never did play particularly 

well before his injury. 

Since leaving Shepherd Center in September 

2007, Mike, who sustained a C-6 to 7 complete 

spinal cord injury, has returned to work as the 

director of marketing for a national distributor, is 

driving again and is working out with a personal 

trainer. And he’s being a husband and dad to a 

tremendously supportive family, he says. 

Mike was injured in a 15-foot fall from a 

beach house deck in May 2007. After completing 

rehab at Shepherd, he went back to work 

part time. But it was getting an adapted van and 

driver’s license in spring 2008 that has been most 

rewarding. 

“For my wife, who was having to drive me 

around to work and rehab on the other side of 

town, it was huge,” Mike says. “But also, I got a 

little more freedom, and any little bit of freedom 

I can get is good.” 

Mike and his wife have twin 6-year-old daughters 

and a 10-year-old son, who has assigned 

himself as his dad’s chief caretaker. 

“My son has been great with this from the 

start,” Mike says. “He worries about me way too 

much for a 10-year-old and wants to help me as 

much as he can.” 

As far as getting on the links again, Mike plans 

to play golf soon, thanks to the support of some 

great friends, who helped him get a ParaGolfer, 

an all-terrain mobility device that stands him 

upright to swing a club. 

When Brandi Ray Hamann, 31, of Warner 

Robins, Ga., was critically injured in a 2000 

car crash, doctors told her she’d recover 

enough to do a lot of things she’d always 

wanted to do. 

But having a baby was one thing they said 

she wouldn’t be able to do. Camden Michael 

Hamann, 1, is evidence to the contrary. 

Brandi underwent rehab for a traumatic 

brain injury at Shepherd Center following the 

crash, which killed her friend’s 6-month-old 

child, Michael. Brandi chose Michael as her 

son’s middle name in honor of her friend’s son. 

“My goal was always to have a kid – but 

not once I had this brain injury,” she says. “I 

thought I would never get pregnant. It was an 

‘oopsie.’ Doctors said I would never be able to 

get pregnant, or if I did, I wouldn’t be able to 

carry it because of the trauma to my body.” 

Brandi’s hip 

still hurts badly, 

and she gets a 

lot of headaches. 

Also, the lingering 

effects of 

the brain injury 

require her to do 

things most new 

moms don’t have 

to worry about. 

Brandi Ray Hamann 

and family 

“I have to write 

everything down, 

make sure that 

I don’t forget anything, like if I’m supposed 

to feed Camden at 2 o’clock,” she explains. 

Caroline Hazel, 19, of Fredericksburg, Va., 

never doubted that doctors and therapists 

at Shepherd Center were experts. And she 

never got too discouraged while in the inpatient 

or day program. 

But her time in the Beyond Therapy program 

has been remarkable to her. “It’s amazing 

how I’ve progressed,” she says. “I started 

Beyond Therapy in March (2008), going 

three days a week, three hours a day. Now, 

I’m up to four days and have gotten so much 

stronger in every muscle in my body.” 

Caroline Hazel and Shepherd Center therapists 

Caroline sustained a C-5 incomplete spinal 

cord injury (SCI) in a fall when a balcony 

railing gave way in September 2007, just 

weeks after starting college at the University 

of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. 

Now, she has some ambitious goals. “My 

therapist, Candy Tefertiller, told me that a 

new goal for me would be to walk 50 steps 

on my own with a walker, maybe with one 

person helping me. That goal is getting more 

within my reach.” 

Also, Caroline is able to do more for herself 

at home. “I’m so much stronger now,” she 

says. “I’m able to do standing transfers with 

help from my mom. I rock forward and 

stand up. My mom assists me just a little, 

then I turn and sit. I know that my body has 

gained strength in every way. My core and 

my arms are stronger, too.” 


www.shepherd.org

Caroline adds, “I’m so hopeful about getting 

to the 50-step goal, and after that, there’s no 

telling what the next goal will be.” 

She plans to continue in Beyond Therapy as 

long as she needs to. Eventually, she will return 

to Virginia and resume college there. 

Doctors told 

Rachael Kent, 18, 

of Buford, Ga., that 

after being run over 

by a car in May 

2007 and sustaining 

an incomplete L-2 

spinal cord injury, 

she only had a 2 

percent chance of 

Rachael Kent 

ever walking again. 

They didn’t bother to mention the odds of her 

running on a treadmill, but that’s just what she 

is doing these days. 

“I can work out at the gym, drive a car, ride 

a bike and so much more,” Rachael says. “I’m 

working on getting down to a little ankle brace 

that basically will look like I have a sprained 

ankle. I’ve gone from the wheelchair to the 

long brace with crutches to this. If I can work 

on those muscles a little more, I’ll be back to 

normal.” 

Rachael was discharged from Shepherd Center 

in July 2007 and then returned to school a 

few weeks later. “It was really difficult being 17 

and in a wheelchair,” she says. “Going to school, 

going to my locker and walking around the 

buildings was therapy itself.” 

Rachael, who has 11 screws and three rods in 

her back, remembers her time at Shepherd as 

intense, but positive. 

“Shepherd never says anything about what 

you can’t do,” she says. “I really loved how they 

focus more on what you can do. Therapy was 

really hard. I was learning to do things like sit 

up when I was 16. That’s hard to deal with, but 

it made me stronger spiritually and physically 

knowing that I had to fully rely on God.” 

Rachael plans on attending Georgia Southern 

University beginning this fall, then transferring 

to either Louisiana State University or the 

University of Louisiana to major in sonography. 

The accomplishments of James Payne, 

38, of Rockmart, Ga., during the past decade 

are impressive by any standards. He graduated 

from college, got a master’s degree, was 

promoted three times at the Georgia Department 

of Corrections and was twice elected to 

the Rockmart City Council. And he relearned 

how to walk. 

James fell 25 feet out of a tree stand 10 years 

ago while deer hunting. He sustained a complete 

L-1 spinal cord injury and underwent 

rehabilitation at Shepherd Center. 

“When I look back on things, it’s a surprise 

how it all worked out,” James says. “Doctors 

didn’t think I’d be able to walk again. 

I remember very vividly them telling me 

that they weren’t sure I could withstand the 

amount of pain that would come with trying 

to build my strength. 

“Ten years ago, I was really struggling to 

walk with a walker. Now I use a cane I bought 

at a drug store,” he adds. 

James exercises now by walking around the 

prison grounds, where he is an assistant superintendent. 

But campaigning twice for the city 

council seat was even more rigorous. 

“You learn how 

many doorsteps 

there are in the 

city,” James says. “I 

was knocking on 

doors, especially the 

first time out, and 

that was a serious 

undertaking. It 

worked out, though, 

and it helped in my 

rehab.” 

James Payne 

James still does 

almost everything he used to do. “I think I’ve 

done more in the last 10 years, accomplished 

more, than I did in my first 28 years,” he says. 

“I still go deer hunting. I just don’t do trees.” 

Tim Simpson, 20, a sophomore at Concord 

University in Athens, W.Va., doesn’t think 

or pray that much about recovering from 

his T-10 to 11 complete spinal cord injury. 

Tim just thinks about what he’s going to do 

tomorrow – his classes, friends and living the 

college life. 

“I’m not worried about it,” Tim says. “If I 

get better, that’s good, but I’m already ready to 

live. I know how to be independent. I’ll know 

how to get a job, know how to live and take 

care of myself. I’m not really looking for some 

Tim Simpson 

cure. I’m living every day one day at a time in a 

positive way.” 

Tim was injured in December 2006 riding 

his motorcycle. “I had gone to work that day 

and went home to get it because it was a nice 

day, and it was brand new,” he recalls. “I was 

headed back to work and hit some gravel on 

the side of road. I slid off the side of road and 

hit a tree.” 

After undergoing rehab at Shepherd Center, 

Tim finished high school on time and started 

college the next fall. “I was excited to go to 

school, but scared,” he says. “I didn’t know 

where I’d go, but knew I did not want to go 

too far from home (in Ghent, W.Va.). I think a 

normal kid in a wheelchair would have a hard 

time adjusting to that. I never got real sad or 

upset. It was a known thing to me by then. I 

met everybody, and everyone knew me because 

I was the only one in a wheelchair.” 

Tim, a pre-professional biology major, plans 

to become a rehabilitation counselor when he 

finishes college. 

What’s New? 

We want to stay current on any personal 

or professional news in your life. Send 

us an update and a photo (we’ll return it 

to you): Jane Sanders, Spinal Column 

Magazine, 2020 Peachtree Rd., N.W., 

Atlanta, GA, 30309. You can also e-mail 

us at spinalcolumn@shepherd.org. 

winter 2009 19

FOUNDATION 

Features 

Volunteer Profile: 

Mark Pace 

By Sara baxter 

Mark Pace knows first hand what it’s like to recover from a catastrophic 

injury. So when he thought about giving his time and talent to a good 

cause, he thought of Shepherd Center. 

Mark had heard that Shepherd had an excellent volunteer program. 

He enrolled, received training and was assigned to help feed patients 

who are unable to hold utensils. 

But vision problems from a car accident – Mark can see only partially 

out of one eye – made feeding patients difficult. So he offered to 

put to work his skills as a professional massage therapist, massaging 

patients’ shoulders and necks. But insurance regulations prevented him 

from being able to work directly with patients. 

Determined to find something he could do to help Shepherd patients, 

Mark thought of a novel idea: Give massages to patients’ family members. 


The inspiration came from his own experience. On Dec. 20, 1986, 

Mark was involved in a serious car accident that left him with brain and 

spinal cord injuries. His family was told that even if he made it through 

the first night, he would never be able to see, hear or walk again. 

He did survive that first night, and after five months of rehabilitation, 

he learned to walk again. As a result of the head injury, Mark can 

see only partially out of his left eye and not at all out of the right one. 

He also lost hearing in one ear. Still, he feels blessed to be alive. 

“I saw what my family went through sleeping on hospital room 

floors, traveling to and from the different facilities, and really not 

sleeping at all,” he recalls. “I would have loved to have had a massage 

therapist giving my family massages to relieve some of their tension.” 

Mark now takes the bus to Shepherd every other week, sets up his 

massage chair and gives free massages to family members. The massages 

last about 10 minutes, and Mark can provide relief to about 15 

people in each of his visits to Shepherd. 

His efforts are greatly appreciated. “I have had great feedback from 

the families here at Shepherd,” Mark says. “With all of the out-oftowners 

coming to Shepherd to support their loved ones, I figured this 

was the least I could do.” 

Says Jackie Gehner, Shepherd’s volunteer manager: “Mark brings a 

special gift of relaxation to Shepherd Center. Caretakers are able to take 

a few moments to rejuvenate their spirits, which gives them that extra 

energy they need to be able to take care of their loved one in the hospital. 

We are truly grateful that Mark wants to share his talents with us.” 

Ten years ago, Mark was working as a personal trainer in a gym 

when he decided on a career change. 

He enrolled in a massage therapy 

program and, because of his vision 

With all of the out-oftowners 

coming to 

Shepherd to support 

their loved ones, I 

figured this was the 

least I could do. 

— Mark Pace 

impairment, had to learn everything 

orally. He credits a good memory 

and friends in class for getting him 

through the program. 

Since becoming certified, he’s 

been steadily working in spas 

around Atlanta. In January 2008, he 

decided to go out on his own and 

is now running a massage business 

from his home in Atlanta. 

He has volunteered at Shepherd for the past year and says he 

wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. “I get more out of volunteering 

at Shepherd Center than anything else I do or have ever done,” 

Mark says. “The most rewarding part is the appreciation I see, sense 

and feel from the families. The look on their faces is the thanks I get.” 

Left: Massage therapist Mark Pace of Atlanta volunteers his time to give 

massages to family members of Shepherd Center patients. 

20 Spinal column

Photo by Jim Fitts 

Legendary Party Patrons 

Treated to 1920s Cabaret Show 


In keeping with The Legendary Party’s theme, “Speakeasy, Legend of the Jazz Age,” the Patron 

Party treated Legendary patrons and sponsors to a fabulous party in the style of a bygone era. 

On Sept. 18, BNYMellon Regional President D. Jack Sawyer, Jr. opened his beautiful home to 

host the Patron Party, an appreciation party for the sponsors and patrons of The Legendary Party. 

Partygoers came dressed to the nines, and some even arrived in period attire. Guests gathered 

under the full moon to enjoy a highly entertaining cabaret show by Robert Ray, Courtnay 

Collins, Marsha Dupree and the Damon Goff Quartet. During a break in the performance, 

Legendary Party Chair Sally Dorsey took the stage to thank and recognize her friend and longtime 

Shepherd Center supporter, Elizabeth Allen, honoree of the 2008 Legendary Party. 

Sally and her hard-working committee thought of every detail to make sure the party was fun 

and special for the VIP guests. Buckhead Cigar Company hosted a cigar bar, and Frank Mendez 

of Diageo hosted a delightful scotch tasting. Tony Conway’s A Legendary Event catered the 

event and provided a delicious cocktail buffet complete with grasshopper cocktails and custommixed 

ice cream. —Dean Melcher 


Photo by Poané 

Top: Patron Party attendees were treated to a cabaret show featuring Robert Ray, Courtnay Collins and 

Marsha Dupree. Left to right, from top to bottom: Honoree Elizabeth Allen, Chairman Sally Dorsey, Tony 

Conway and Bill Torres; Brenda and Dick Smith, left, with Donna and Edwin Slappey; Caudia Davenport, 

Gena Bryant, Chairman-elect Cyndae Arrendale, 2001 Chairman Valery Jordan and 2000 Chairman Ruth 

Anthony; 2007 Legendary Party Chairman Juli Owens with her husband David and Tom Anthony. 


winter 2009 21

FOUNDATION 


a legend 

20 Years in 

the Making 


www.shepherd.org

FOUNDATION 

Legendary Party Chairman Sally Dorsey created a three-venue party that took 

revelers back in time to Prohibition, when late-night fun meant going to secretive 

speakeasies whose rough facades hid elegant cabarets and basement nightclubs. 

Excited guests turned the corner in the main hallway of the Ritz- 

Carlton, Buckhead and entered Lizzie’s Flower Shop. Gone were the 

familiar registration tables and podiums, and instead, The Legendary 

Party guests found themselves surrounded by buckets of white and 

purple flowers, a cash register and an imposing bouncer, Big Louie, 

who was asking, “What’s the password?” 

“Capone,” the party-goers replied as they presented their “keys” to 

enter “Speakeasy, Legend of the Jazz Age,” Shepherd Center 

Auxiliary's annual Legendary Party held Nov. 1. 

Legendary Party Chairman Sally Dorsey created a three-venue party 

that took revelers back in time to Prohibition, when late-night fun 

meant going to secretive speakeasies whose rough facades hid elegant 

cabarets and basement nightclubs. The first stop was Harold’s Joint, a 

combination bookie joint and pool parlor where guests played poker, 

watched Texas Tech beat Texas on a big screen TV and shot pool. 

The main event was in the grand ballroom, which featured Doc 

Scantlin’s Imperial Palms Orchestra, an amazing 1920s-style, 23-piece 

band complete with showgirls who sang, danced and entertained the 

crowd until midnight. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner of a deconstructed 

ceasar salad, a huge tenderloin steak and a delicious dessert of coconut 

cake, a Ritz-Carlton “moon pie” and a white chocolate martini. 

Afterwards, Legendary Party guests joined Junior Ball guests at The 

Stork Club, a recreation of the famed 1930s New York speakeasy and 

nightclub, for dancing to Atlanta Beat. A midnight buffet of sliders and 

fries, omelets and grits, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts helped fuel the 

party atmosphere. 

Advisory Board member Elizabeth Allen was the honorary chairman of 

the event, and Sally recognized Elizabeth for her years of service to 

Shepherd Center and her compassion for the hospital’s patients and families. 

This year’s ball raised $812,273 in gross revenue for Shepherd Center 

Foundation’s Campus Renovation Fund. The proceeds will be used to 

renew and refresh the Center’s original Shepherd Building and complete 

the fifth floor of the Jane Woodruff Pavilion. 

Chairman-elect Cyndae Arrendale is already gathering ideas for the 2009 

gala. For information about the event or to help plan it, email Cara Puckett 

at cara_puckett@shepherd.org or call 404-350-7778. — Dean Melcher 

Left : Shepherd Center co-founder Alana Shepherd, entertainers Doc Scantlin and Chou Chou, and Legendary 2008 Chairman Sally Dorsey 

Below, from left to right: Cindy Voyles, Victoria Farrington and Kay Quigley; Jack Sawyer, Legendary honoree Elizabeth Allen and Bill Torres; Sally Dorsey, 

Elizabeth Allen and Legendary Party Chairman-elect Cyndae Arrendale. 




winter 2009 23

FOUNDATION 

{ 2008 LEGENDARY PARTY COMMITTEES } 

Legendary Party 

Steering Committee 

Mrs. Thomas D. Anthony 

Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr. 

Mrs. Jeffrey T. Arnold 

Mrs. Jesse Crawford 

Mr. William C. Fowler 

Mrs. Frank S. Goodman 

Mrs. Holcombe T. Green, Jr. 

Mrs. Jerry M. Hux 

Mrs. Valery Voyles Jordan 

Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. 

Mrs. John Crawford Lipman 

Mrs. Bernie Marcus 

Mrs. Thomas O. Marshall 

Mrs. Ruth Dobbs McDonald 

Mrs. John O. Mitchell 

Mrs. Dudley Moore, Jr. 

Mrs. David Owens 

Mrs. James O. Patterson 

Mrs. William M. Puckett 

Mrs. William M. Scaljon 

Mr. Emory A. Schwall 

Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd 

Mr. J. Harold Shepherd 

Mr. James H. Shepherd, Jr. 

Mrs. J. Lucian Smith 

Mrs. Rebecca Smith 

Mrs. Glenn Sturm 

Ms. Sally G. Tomlinson 

Mrs. John H. Weitnauer, Jr. 

Legendary Party 

Committee-At-Large 

Mrs. Peter M. Abreu 

Mr. Mohammed Akbar 

Ms. Marlene Alexander 

Mrs. Tazwell Anderson 

Dr. David F. Apple, Jr. 

Mrs. Albert M. Ashkouti 

Mrs. Jeffery Baker 

Mr. Jeffery Baker 

Mrs. Daniel S. Baldwin 

Mrs. Robert Balentine 

Ms. Sari Bernstein 

Mrs. Brock Bowman 

Mrs. Gary Brock 

Ms. Marnite B. Calder 

Dr. G. Rives Cary 

Mrs. G. Rives Cary 

Mrs. Donald C. Chapman, Jr. 

Ms. Nina Cheney 

Mrs. H. Bruce Cohen 

Mrs. Mark Conner 

Mrs. John Costello 

Mrs. Gary D. Crouse 

Ms. Monica Dioda 

Mrs. John L. Donaldson 

Mrs. Beverly M. DuBose III 

Mrs. Samuel I. DuBose 

Mr. Kevin Esch 

Mrs. William Floyd, Jr. 

Mrs. David Forehand 

Mrs. William C. Fowler 

Mrs. Thomas Garrett 

Mrs. Duncan Gibbs 

Mrs. Stephen B. Goot 

Mrs. Alex Gross 

Mrs. Steve Gross 

Mrs. Cary Ichter 

Mrs. Eric J. Joiner 

Mrs. Darryl Kaelin 

Dr. Donald Peck Leslie 

Mrs. Bentley Long 

Mrs. Thomas Loveless 

Mrs. James F. McCaffrey 

Mrs. Hugh C. McLeod III 

Mr. Herbert Miller 

Ms. Evelyn Mims 

Mrs. Christopher Morris 

Mrs. Thomas F. Morris 

Mr. Thomas F. Morris 

Mrs. C. Patrick Nicholas 

Mrs. Christopher W. Nilan 

Mrs. McKee Nunnally 

Dr. Anna Paré 

Ms. Mary M. Portman 

Mrs. William E. Ransom 

Ms. Natalie Ransom 

Mrs. David M. Ratcliffe 

Mrs. Thomas Rosencrants 

Mr. D. Jack Sawyer, Jr. 

Ms. Cathy Selig 

Mrs. James H. Shepherd, Jr. 

Mrs. James H. Shepherd III 

Mrs. William Clyde Shepherd III 

Mr. Dell B. Sikes 

Mrs. Dan Skinner 

Mrs. John A. Smart II 

Mrs. Brenda Smith 

Mrs. John W. Spiegel 

Mrs. Steven Stoller 

Mrs. W. Rhett Tanner 

Ms. Patty Thomas 

Mrs. James D. Thompson 

Mrs. Russell V. 

Umphenour III 

Mr. Russell V. Umphenour III 

Ms. Louise Unti 

Mrs. Wesley Vawter 

Mrs. William Voyles 

Mrs. Robert J. Walker 

Mr. Robert J. Walker 

Mrs. Tony L. White 

Mrs. James Wiant 

Mrs. J. A. Wright 

Mrs. Erwin Zaban 



Photo by Poané 

Above, from left to right: Shepherd Center CEO Dr. Gary Ulicny enjoys a game of pool at Harold's Joint; Friends join Junior Ball Co-Chair Kimmy 

Umphenour, far left, for a fun night at The Legendary Party; Imperial Palms Orchestra singers lead the crowd in a dance routine. 

24 Spinal column

FOUNDATION 

{ 2008 LEGENDARY PARTY SPONSORS } 

Presenting Sponors 

Mr. and Mrs. Carleton F. Allen 

Malone Law Offices, P.C. 

Platinum Sponsors 

BNY Mellon Wealth 

Management 

Philanthropists 

Mrs. Andrew C. Carlos & 

John and Elaine Carlos 

Choate Construction Company 

and The Choate Foundation 

Coca-Cola Company 

Dennis Cooper, Cooper-Atlanta 

Transportation Services, Inc. 

Benefactors 

Fred V. Alias 

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas 

D. Anthony 

Stephanie and Arthur Blank 

Crawford & Company 

Elavon 

Genuine Parts Company 

MasterCard Worldwide 

Ruth Dobbs McDonald 

Ms. Patty Thomas, Arrow 

Exterminators, Inc. 

Michael and Charity Whitney 

Anonymous 

Gold Sponsors 

Betsy and Scott Akers 

Meg and Jeff Arnold 

Mr. and Mrs. Albert M. Ashkouti 

Tricia and Ron Bell, Bell Capital 

Management 

Dr. and Mrs. G. Rives Cary 

Mr. and Mrs. Beverly 

M. DuBose III 

Fieldale Farms 

Jere and Angela Garde 

Friend of Shepherd Center 

The Tom and Edwina Johnson 

Family Foundation 

David and Jennifer Kahn Family 

Robert B. Lipman Foundation 

Kay and Steve Lore 

Dedi and Julian Mohr 

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Morris, 

UBS Foundation 

Mr. and Mrs. McKee Nunnally 

Gwin and Lee Oliver 

Peachtree Hills Place 

James E. Prickett 

Mr. and Mrs. Tarik Welch 

Mrs. J. Lucian Smith 

Sally G. Tomlinson 

Valery Voyles and Robert 

Jordan, Jr. 

Jay and Clare Walker 

Silver Patrons 

Mr. and Mrs. P.M. Abreu 

Branch Banking & Trust 

Lynn Caldwell 

Chris and Merry Carlos 

Helen A. Carlos and 

Ron Hilliard 

Ms. Carol Clare and 

Ms. Allison Brown 

Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Clare 

Peter A. Dames and Tarasa Davis 

Donna and Chip Davidson 

Ms. Sally Dorsey and 

Mr. Herbert Miller 

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel I. DuBose 

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Escott 

Debbie and Stephen Goot 

The Leonard and Jerry 

Greenbaum Family Foundation 

Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher 

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Inman 

Ann and Michael Kay 

Karina* and Jim Miller 

Chris and Elizabeth Morris 

Piedmont Hospital 

Sandra and Larry Prince 

Dr. and Mrs. William 

Michael Scaljon 

Brenda and Dick Smith 

Linda and Mike Stephens 

SunTrust 

Jim and Carol Thompson 

Carol and Ramon Tome 

June and John Weitnauer 

Susan and Tony White 

David Yorke 

Judy and Erwin Zaban 

Patrons 

James A. Adams, Jr. 

Mo Akbar and Ed Stephenson 

Marlene Alexander 

Dr. and Mrs. David Apple, Jr. 

Ross and Yum Arnold 

Cyndae Arrendale 

Mrs. Sandra Anderson Baccus 

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Baker 

Sandra and Dan Baldwin 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Balentine 

Dr. and Mrs. Timothy A. Benich 

Melanie Boltax and Timothy Tew 

Polly Bowman and Brock 

Bowman, M.D. 

Marnite B. Calder 

Mr. and Mrs. Rives C. Carter 

Cathy and George Rives Cary IV 

Jim and Carolyn Caswell 

Sara and Donnie Chapman 

Nina Cheney 

Janet and John Costello 

Nancy Coverdell 

Drs. Carol and Van Crisco 

Claudia and Doug Davenport 

Faye and John Donaldson 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donehew 

Mrs. Joyce Ferris and 

Mr. Clifford Kirkland 

Joann and Tom Gallagher 

Mary Frances and Tom Garrett 

Budget Rent A Car of Atlanta, 

Corky and Roger Gelder 

Andrew L. Ghertner 

Kristen and Duncan Gibbs 

Carol L. Goodman 

Lauren and Jim Grien 

Vicki and William Gordon 

Dr. and Mrs. Alexander Gross 

Mr. and Mrs. William A. Hanger 

Sydell and Arthur Harris 

Robin and Hilton Howell 

Dr. Susan C. Hurt 

Barry V. Hutner 

Linda and John Jaje 

Eric and Barbara Joiner 

Anna and Galen Kilburn 

Mr. and Mrs. David Lagi 

Dr. and Mrs. Willis E. Lanier 

John Lin, M.D. 

Dr. and Mrs. John 

Crawford Lipman 

Dr. and Mrs. John Maupin 

Dr. and Mrs. Hugh C. 

McLeod III 

Beverly and John Mitchell 

Karen and Joe Moderow 

Dr. and Mrs. Abner Moore 

Ben Noble 

Dr. and Mrs. David S. Owens 

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Pirrung 

Mary M. Portman 

Kay and Ron Quigley 

Leslie and Bill Ransom 

Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Rodbell 

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas T. Rose 

Tom and Eileen Rosencrants 

Louise Sams and Jerome Gilholt 

Mr. Emory Schwall 

Steve and Eloise Shepherd 

Sarah and Jamie Shepherd 

Ms. Julie Shepherd 

Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes 

Valerie and Scott Sikes 

Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Slappey 

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Smart II 

Rebecca Smith and Gene Parker 

Karen and John Spiegel 

Carolyn and Rhett Tanner 

Cheryl and Ben Turnipseed 

Jane and Gary Ulicny 

Terry and Wes Vawter 

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Voyles 

Bob Walker, WXIA/WATL-TV 

Rebecca and Den Webb 

Allison Womack and James 

Jowers 

* = deceased 

winter 2009 25

FOUNDATION 

Golfers “Tee Up” for 


Co-chairmen Debbie Gross and Duncan Beard followed their successful 

Tee-Off Party with a terrific tournament on Oct. 20 at Cherokee Town 

and Country Club. Nearly 270 golfers enjoyed a beautiful day on two 

challenging courses. 

In its 25th year, the Shepherd Center Cup raised $175,000 in net 

proceeds for Shepherd Center Foundation’s Annual Fund. 

After registering, golfers were presented great gifts: hats compliments 

of NetJets; a sleeve of the new Bridgestone Tour B330 golf balls, compliments 

of Bridgestone Golf; and a 60-degree Cleveland wedge. 

For lunch, golfers enjoyed freshly grilled burgers and BBQ pork before 

hitting the links. During the tournament, golfers took a quick break to 

participate in a putting contest, compliments of Wings Air. 

After play, golfers gathered in the clubhouse for a reception that 

featured a gourmet feast and cocktails. Shepherd Center Foundation executive 

director Scott H. Sikes presented long-time Shepherd supporter 

and tournament honoree Julian Mohr with a framed painting by 

patient Lori Sneed in appreciation for his dedication to the event. 

Julian co-chaired the tournament for 11 years with trustee and 

advisory board member Billi Marcus. 

For information about the Shepherd Center Cup or to join the 

2009 planning committee, contact Cara Puckett at 404-350-7778 

or cara_puckett@shepherd.org. — Dean Melcher 

Below: Shepherd Center Cup honoree Julian Mohr presents the 

American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol on Memorial Day 2008 

to U.S. Marine Corps Major Bill Makepeace; Guests attending the 

2008 Shepherd Center Cup Tee-Off Party enjoy the indoor/outdoor 

set-up at the event in October; Shepherd Center Cup Co-chair 

Debbie Gross, left, enjoys the Tee-Off Party with committee members 

Winston Wiant, center, and Inny Laterveer; Shepherd Center cofounders 

Harold and Alana Shepherd, left, visit with Tee-Off Party 

hosts Chip and Amanda Reames. 

Tee-Off Party a Huge Success 

On Oct. 19, more than 300 guests, golfers and sponsors attended the 

Shepherd Center Foundation’s second annual Tee-Off Party hosted by 

Buckhead residents Chip and Amanda Reames. 

The feté was a sponsor appreciation party for Shepherd Center Cup 

sponsors and golfers, but it also provided the venue for an impressive 

auction, which has become a significant fundraiser on its own. 

This year’s auction raised more than $80,000 for the Shepherd Center 

Foundation’s Annual Fund. 

Co-chairmen Debbie Gross and Duncan Beard and their committee 

made sure there was something for everyone in the auction. Items 

ranged from wine collections to fine jewelry and stays in fabulous 

vacation homes. 

Guests were entertained with live flamenco music by local musician 

Rousbeh. Avenue Catering Concepts provided a delicious gourmet buffet, 

and a scotch tasting bar hosted by Diageo was a popular attraction. 

Before the live auction began, Shepherd Center board member and 

tournament honoree Julian Mohr reminded the crowd of the importance 

of their participation and support. He presented an American 

flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol on Memorial Day 2008 

to U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Bill Makepeace, the military liaison to 

Shepherd Center’s SHARE Initiative. Afterward, “celebrity” auctioneers 

from Moultrie, Ga., took over and entertained the crowd with an 

exciting auction. — Dean Melcher 

Photos by Poané 

26 Spinal column

FOUNDATION 

2008 Shepherd Center Cup Sponsors 

Course Sponsor 

Coloplast 

“Tee-Off” Party Presenting Sponsor 

Choate Construction Company 

“Tee-Off” Party Sponsors 

Bank of America 

Hennessy Automobile Company 

Medalist Sponsors 

Chick-fil-A 

Excel Electrical Technologies, Inc. 

Billi Marcus 

Siemens 

Michael and Charity Whitney 

Team and Hole Sponsors 

Beard – Shuford Financial Group 

Bennett Thrasher 

Joe N. Guy, Centennial Holding, LLC, 

Taz Anderson Realty, Metrac, Inc. 

John W. Rooker and Associates 

M & A Ventures 

Momar, Inc. – Honoring Julian Mohr 

Primerica Life Insurance 

Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint, LLP 

Sewell Printing Service, Inc. 

Troutman Sanders, LLP 

Turner Broadcasting 

Wachovia Securities 

Weener & Nathan, LLP 

WL Glass & Company 

TEAM Sponsors 

Art Plumbing Company 

David Aldridge 

Clyde B. Anderson Family Foundation 

The Atlanta Opera Golf Committee 

Baker Audio, Inc. 

Batchelor & Kimball 

Eugenia Battle 

Black & Decker (U.S.), Inc. 

Buckhead Community Bank 

Childs Company 

Diversified Investment Advisors 

E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. 

George F. Richardson, Inc. 

The Leonard & Jerry Greenbaum 

Family Foundation 

John and Melinda Griffin 

Joe W. Hamilton, Jr. 

Heery International, Inc. 

HIMFormatics 

J. W. Equities, LLC 

Milner, Inc., and Ricoh 

Momar, Inc. (2 teams) 

Morgan Stanley 

PC Management Company 

Peachtree Hills Place 

Piedmont Hospital 

Pittman Construction Company 

Plant Improvement Co., Inc. 

Keith and Missy Sauls 

Charles A. Smithgall III/SEI Aarons, Inc. 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stewart 

Stites & Harbison, PLLC 

Sunbelt Glass & Aluminum, Inc. 

SunTrust 

Tony L. White and Applera 

Corporation 

Yates Insurance Agency, Inc. 

Hole Sponsors 

Accume Partners 

Asbury Newton 

BB&T 

Paul Bryan & BlueCross/BlueShield 

of Georgia 

The Dryman Team 

Genuine Parts Company (2) 

George Hamilton 

Joanne and David Lagi – Sports 

Art, Inc. 

LCG Associates, Inc. 

Steve Lore 

Monterey Wealth 

Jack and Barbara Nicklaus (2) 

Regents Park at Peachtree Battle 

Smith & Howard, PC 

James and Winston Wiant 

Patrons 

Woody Cole Family Charitable 

Foundation 

India and Paul Kastin 

Valerie and Scott Sikes 

2008 Shepherd Center Cup 

Honoring Julian Mohr 

Co-Chairmen 

Debbie Gross and Duncan Beard 

2008 Shepherd Center Cup Committee 

David Aldridge 

Shaler Alias 

Hunter Amos 

William B. Ansley III 

Kendrick P. Armistead 

Russell Barber 

Shannon Battle 

Kendall Boggs 

Lynn Caldwell 

Renee Chahoy 

Matthew A. Childs 

Charlotte Christian 

Jay W. Cohen 

Kenny Colluro 

Stephen Defibaugh 

Hamilton Dickey 

Missy Gardner Dlugozima 

John S. Dryman 

Tunde Ezekiel 

John Giesler, M.D. 

Dina Giesler, D.D.S. 

William L. Glass 

John W. Griffin 

Gary Gross 

Tami Gross 

Steve Gross 

Jill Harris 

Paxton Head 

Adrienne Holmes 

Inny Ross Laterveer 

Donald P. Leslie, M.D. 

Douglas Lindauer 

Jayne Lipman 

John C. Lipman, M.D. 

Stephen M. Lore 

Pierce Lowery 

Duane Morrow 

Landria L. Onkka 

Lois Puckett 

Cam Reynolds 

James Reynolds 

John W. Rooker 

Karen Sharpless 

Kris Shea 

Crystal Sloan 

Stacy Smith 

Frank Spears 

William Stallworth 

Winston Wiant 

Bradley Wilson 

Winners of the 2008 Shepherd 

Cup Golf Tournament 

North Course South Course 

First Place 

Richard Tate, Derek Hammond, 

Mark Ross, Robin Hart 

Second Place 

Steve Ritchey, Richard Cheek, 

Tim Moore, David Lagi 

Third Place 

Frank Hahn, Julian Mohr, 

Richard Perkins, Mike Ray 

Low Gross Player 

Michael Morrison 

First Place 

Taz Anderson, Bob Cruickshank, 

Do Tomberlin, Read Morton 

Second Place 

Marshall Bloom, Billi Marcus, 

Caryl Paller, Emily White 

Third Place 

Ty Dealy, Jared Ingler, 

Samantha Maust, Rey Webb 

Low Gross Player 

Mike Battle 

winter 2009 27

FOUNDATION 

Pecans for 

Your Valentine 

Photos by Cara Puckett 

Shepherd Center Auxiliary's 

Pecans on Peachtree are available 

for purchase for those 

special people in your life for 

Valentine’s Day. Back by popular 

demand, the Valentine Chocolate 

Trio has almonds, cashews and 

pecan halves covered in mouthwatering 

milk chocolate. The trio 

is packaged in a gold tin with red 

Valentine hearts and tied with a 

large red ribbon. 

Valentine pecans are available 

for pickup at the Center while 

supplies last Feb. 2-13. Order 

by Feb. 6 for Valentine’s delivery. 

Visit pecansonpeachtree.org 

to place your order, or call 

404-367-1322 or toll free at 

1-877-5-PECANS. 

Bernie Marcus named 

Shepherd Center Angel of the Year 

Home Depot founder and Georgia Aquarium benefactor Bernie Marcus was named 

Shepherd Center’s Angel of the Year at the Foundation’s annual Angel Luncheon on 

Oct. 15, 2008 at the Piedmont Driving Club. 

Hospital co-founder Alana Shepherd lauded praise on Bernie for the two decades 

of support and leadership he has shown the Center and its patients. Among his 

accomplishments were: chairing Shepherd Center’s “The Best is Yet to Come” 

campaign, which raised money to build the Billi Marcus Building, named in honor of 

Bernie’s wife; creation of the Marcus Community Bridge Program, which provides up 

to 12 months of case management to “bridge” the transition from hospital to home; and 

creation of Shepherd’s SHARE Initiative, which provides specialized care to military 

personnel in partnership with the VA health system and TriCare. 

The Angel Luncheon also recognized Foundation donors and volunteers whose 

support is critical to the Foundation’s success. Their faithful support and tireless efforts 

help the hospital accomplish its mission of providing care for patients and families and 

helps maintain Shepherd as a leading research facility. 

Our donors’ contributions provide funding for more than 20 vital patient care 

programs not covered by insurance. Shepherd volunteers provide their skills and aid in 

everything from patient care to family services to clerical support for numerous departments 

around the hospital. 

For information on how you can make a difference at Shepherd Center, contact Scott 

Sikes, Foundation executive director, at scott_sikes@shepehrd.org or call 404-350-7305. 

— Dean Melcher 

Above: Alana Shepherd presents Bernie Marcus with the Angel of the Year Award. 

Shepherd Center would not be where it is today without the generosity of Billi and Bernie 

Marcus, Alana says. Below, from left to right: Ty Tippett, left, and Alana Shepherd, right, 

welcome the Shepherd Center Foundation’s Angel of the Year, Bernie Marcus, and his 

wife, Billi, to the 2008 Angel Luncheon held at the Piedmont Driving Club. Shepherd Center 

volunteers John Alabi, Queen Noreiga and Andrew Davis enjoy the company of others who 

also care so much about Shepherd Center. 

File Photo 

28 Spinal column

FOUNDATION 

New Shepherd Center Volunteer 

Group Up And Running 

This past summer, some individuals who have been involved with 

Shepherd Center for several years met to discuss the need for a new 

volunteer group. As a result, the Shepherd Center Society (SCS) was 

formed with Lauren Hooks and Alex Panos serving as co-chairs in 

the inaugural year. 

This new social volunteer group acts as a bridge between the Junior 

Committee and our other two volunteer groups, Peach Corps and the 

Shepherd Center Auxiliary. The SCS targets 27- to 40-year-old individuals 

who are interested in supporting Shepherd Center while being 

an advocate for the hospital. All first-year members will be classified as 

charter members to carry on their legacy at Shepherd Center. 

SCS will have four events annually – one each season. The first 

event, the SCS Launch Party, was held Nov. 6 at Shepherd Center. 

Members enjoyed viewing the Shepherd Stealers, Shepherd Center’s 

wheelchair basketball team, as they prepared for the Shepherd 

Shootout Tournament. This event was followed by cocktails and hors 

d'oeuvres in the Callaway Auditorium. 

Other events this year will include a Super Bowl party, Casino 

Night Gala and a tasting/cocktail party. The Casino Night Gala 

will be a fantastic black-tie fundraiser that will become a Shepherd 

Center tradition. 

Photo by Anne Pearce 

Above: The Shepherd Center Society targets 27- to 40-year-olds who want 

to support and advocate for Shepherd Center. Pictured is the Launch Party 

host committee, left to right: Patrick and Ginna Emmet, Hudson and Lauren 

Hooks, Kate Lovein, Anna and Kurt Stephens, Alex Panos, Justin and 

Jessica Jones, and Carter and Alden Potts. 

SCS membership dues are $75 per person or $150 per couple. Dues 

will cover admission to three of the events during the year. Tickets will 

need to be purchased for the Casino Night Gala. For more information 

on joining SCS, please contact Anne Pearce at 404-350-7302 or 

anne_pearce@shepherd.org. — Anne Pearce 

Junior Committee Aiming to Break Fundraising Records 

A new season for Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee has started, 

and the energy is high! 

Last year, the Junior Committee’s annual fundraiser, Derby Day, 

raised the second highest net proceeds in the event’s 26-year history. 

This year’s Derby Day co-chairs, Erin Jernigan and Ryan Hoyt, are 

aiming high again. The committee’s goal is to raise more money than 

last year while breaking the fundraising record for the event. That will 

enable the group to present a larger check to Shepherd Center’s Therapeutic 

Recreation Program. 

The committee wasted no time getting down to business in their 

second meeting. All members were divided into sponsorship teams, 

each named after a past Kentucky Derby winner. The teams will take 

part in a friendly competition throughout the year to raise the most 

money and bring in the most sponsors to achieve the committee’s goal. 

Proceeds from Derby Day benefit the Therapeutic Recreation 

Program, a vital part of patient recovery at Shepherd Center. It has a 

positive impact on individuals with disabilities by increasing physical 

fitness, as well as cognitive and social functioning. Participation in 

these activities also reduces social isolation and decreases depression. 

But the Therapeutic Recreation Program is not covered by most 

insurance companies, so Shepherd Center relies on the support of 

donated funds, such as proceeds from Derby Day, to continue this important 

patient program. For more information on joining the Junior 

Committee or becoming a sponsor of Derby Day, contact Anne Pearce 

at 404-350-7302 or anne_pearce@shepherd.org. — Anne Pearce 

File Photo 

Above, from left to right: The executive board for this year’s Junior 

Committee met recently to discuss fundraising plans for the group. 

Pictured left to right are: Stuart Griswold, Bobby Norwood, Annie Evans, 

John Simpson, Hamilton Bridges, Wes Snapp, Kirk Martin, Ryan Hoyt, 

Reagan Michaelis, Hunter Ross, Erin Jernigan, Lauren Tucker, Elizabeth 

Daniel, Miller Jackson, Trey Weatherly and Anne Pearce. 

Photo Courtesy of Anne Pearce 

winter 2009 29

FOUNDATION 

The 7th floor terrace atop the Jane Woodruff 

Pavilion at Shepherd Center boasts a 

panoramic view of Atlanta's north side. The 

terrace was made possible by a gift from 

James B. Miller and his late wife Katrina. 


Notes from 

Scott Sikes 

Shepherd Center Foundation 

Executive Director 

Tax-Wise Deferred Giving Through 

Your Retirement Accounts? 

Happy New Year! The month of January is named for the Roman 

mythological god Janus with one head – yet with two faces – one face 

looking forward and another looking backward. January is traditionally 

a time for each of us to look back and to look ahead. Another year is 

behind us with its own unique triumphs and tribulations. Hopefully, 

many healthy and happy years lie ahead of us. 

Many of us have spent (or will spend) years accumulating various 

kinds of retirement accounts. Retirement accounts [IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 

etc.] are the largest asset holdings for many individuals. 

Using a small portion or all of a retirement account may be the most 

“tax-wise” way to make deferred gifts to your favorite charitable organizations 

– including the Shepherd Center Foundation. Deferred gifts, 

or planned gifts, are gifts you arrange now that do not take effect until 

some point in the future. 

Contrary to what many people think, retirement accounts DO NOT 

pass via will (unless payable to the estate) or trust, but rather by whom 

is listed on the beneficiary designation form (irrevocable when the plan 

owner dies). Here are a few points to consider: 

Avoid Taxes 

• Retirement account funds grow tax-deferred until the time of 

withdrawal. 

• Retirement accounts and deferred compensation plans are the most 

expensive assets family members can inherit because of potentially 

heavy retirement plan taxation. 

• Funds remaining in retirement accounts at death can be subject to 

both state and federal income and estate taxes, which can erode a 

majority of the plan’s value – in some cases up to 80 percent. 

Make a Lasting Gift 

• Consider using these “expensive” assets to make charitable gifts, which 

do not take effect until your death. 

• It is much easier to change the beneficiary designation on your retirement 

account than to change your will. The designation can be changed 

at any time by completing a beneficiary designation form and sending it 

back to the plan administrator at the company holding the plan. 

• More than one charity can be named beneficiary of a retirement account, 

or you can designate a specific percentage to be left to a charity 

or charities (better than designating a specific dollar amount because 

the plan’s value will fluctuate). 

• Using retirement account assets to make charitable gifts from one’s 

estate can result in more total assets passing on to your heirs. 

• It’s one of the easiest and best ways to become a Bridge Builder – 

Shepherd Center’s planned giving recognition society. 

Of course, this brief article does not constitute legal, tax, investment, 

insurance, retirement or other financial advice. Please discuss your individual 

situation with your professional adviser(s) together with me and/ 

or one of our Planned Giving officers: Scott Sikes, MBA, CFRE, CFP® 

at 404-350-7305 or scott_sikes@shepherd.org, J. Tyler “Ty” Tippett, 

esq., at 404-350-7308 or ty_tippett@shepherd.org, Ms. Laurence Moore 

at 404-350-7301 or laurence_moore@shepherd.org. 

30 Spinal column

FOUNDATION 


Dedication Ceremony 

for the Woodruff Family 

Residence Center 

The $17 million Irene and George Woodruff 

Family Residence Center – paid for entirely 

with donated funds – provides free temporary 

housing for families of patients so they can be 

near their loved one during rehabilitation. Jane 

Woodruff, the lead donor for the facility named 

in honor of her parents, attended the dedication 

ceremony with her family on Sept. 10, 2008. 

Photos by Leita Cowart 

Photos, Top Row, left to right: Buck Woodruff, 

Dr. Donald P. Leslie, Alana Shepherd, Ann 

Woodruff, Alex Woodruff, John Woodruff, Jr., 

Jane Woodruff, John Woodruff and the Rev. 

Linda Whitmire; Norma and Jerry Harmon of 

Germantown, Tenn., spoke at the dedication 

ceremony on behalf of residents staying in the 

Woodruff Family Residence Center. 

Middle Row, fom left to right: Norma and 

Jerry Harmon thank Jane Woodruff for her 

vision for and support of the new Irene and 

George Woodruff Family Residence Center. 

Attending the dedication ceremony were: top 

row, from left: Maddy Urken, Cookie Aftergut, 

Peggy Slotin and Alice Sanders; bottom row, 

from left: Gloria Benamy and Bunny Rosenberg. 

Bottom Row, fom left to right: Bonnie 

Capsuto, left, and Claire Smith tour a suite in 

the new Woodruff Family Residence Center; 

Jane Woodruff talks with dedication ceremony 

guest speaker Norma Harmon. 

winter 2009 31

FOUNDATION 

Shepherd Center Needs 

Tools Donated for Patient 

Woodworking Program 

Within Shepherd Center’s 

Horticulture Program, the 

therapeutic recreation staff 

provides education and skill 

instruction for physical and 

psychological rehabilitation 

to clients to secure their 

return to a purposeful life. 

Our sessions help patients 

return home with the ability 

and knowledge to pursue 

their chosen horticultural interests, no matter what limitations 

they may have. 

Based on repeated requests from patients, the Horticulture 

Program has recently realized the need to create a woodworking 

class, a multi-task activity, within our current Therapeutic 

Recreation Program offerings. 

After a pilot program building birdhouses and wooden planters 

with several patients, the program proved to be very popular 

and highly rewarding. Many staff, family members, patients and 

outside sources were contacted regarding suggestions for tools 

needed to jump-start this program. Their “wish list” includes: 

Photo by Joyce Bryant-Williams 

Accessible workbench (2) 

Bench vice (2) 

Metal tape measure and mounted tape measure 

Assorted clamps 

Level 

Assorted hammers – mallet, lightweight 

Screw driver and pliers sets 

Lightweight electric drill, hand drill 

Mouse sander 

Wood glue, stains, sandpaper, nails, screws 

Dremel setup, stand and bits 

Wood burning set (2) 

Handsaws (multiple sizes) 

Chop saw 

Wood patterns and/or books for ideas 

Miter box 

Pry bar 

Shop vacuum (5-10 gal) 

Jigsaw 

Hand planer 

Sliding compound miter saw mounted to bench 

Safety goggles and masks 

Aprons and gloves 

Assorted wood for projects 

If you would like to donate any of these items, or provide for 

their purchase, please contact Dean Melcher at 404-350-7306 

or email dean_melcher@shepherd.org 

Above: Spinal cord injury patient John Hebert built a bluebird house in 

the Shepherd Center Therapeutic Recreation Department’s pilot program 

in woodworking. 

Mountain Bike Handcycle Needed for 

Therapeutic Recreation Program 

Shepherd Center’s Therapeutic Recreation Program wants to 

purchase a mountain bike handcycle for patient use on outings and 

camping trips. This unique mountain bike allows riders to tackle 

rough, off-road terrain. 

Made by a company called Titanium Arts , the One-Off is the 

only mountain bike handcycle made in the United States and one 

of two in the world. It is a great bike that many patients have asked 

to see, and we could use it on camping trips, hunting trips and 

handcycle outings. You can see it in action at the company’s Web 

site at: www.titaniumarts.com. 

“We do handcycle outings once a month during the nice months 

with inpatients and day program patients,” says Kelly Edens, clinical 

supervisor of the Therapeutic Recreation Program. “We would 

also take this bike on camping trips due to the rough terrain, etc. I 

think it would be a great addition for us.” 

The price of the One-Off is $5,600. If you can make a donation 

to help the Foundation purchase this bike, please contact Dean 

Melcher at dean_melcher@shepherd.org or call 404-350-7306. 

Used Sedan and SUV Needed for SCI Program 

Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Program needs a used sedan 

and an SUV for our patients’ use in practicing transfers. Most of our 

patients will be using a wheelchair when they return home. As part of 

their occupational therapy, they use a donated sedan to practice transfers 

between their wheelchair and a car, as well as practicing how to 

load their chair in the car with them. Practicing at Shepherd Center 

before discharge gives patients time to learn proper techniques and 

become comfortable with the process. 

Our current practice car is more than a decade old, and time and 

wear are beginning to make the car less than appealing for use by patients 

and staff. Also, many patients own SUVs or light trucks, which 

are higher off the ground and make transferring more difficult. The 

used sedan and SUV that Shepherd needs won’t be driven, so high 

mileage vehicles with clean interiors and workable doors are ideal. 

If you can help with one of these vehicles, please email Dean 

Melcher at dean_melcher@shepherd.org or call 404-350-7306. 

File Photo 

Above: Dan Miears transfers from his wheelchair into his sedan. 

32 Spinal column

FOUNDATION 

One 

Rider’s 

Cycle of 

Life 

Photo Courtesy of Lauren Nicole Studios, 

www.laurennicolestudios.com 

Carol Drummond first decided to ride in the MS Bike Tour in 2004. Her 

son, Kevin, had been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and Carol 

wanted to do something positive to support him. 

She and her sister formed a two-person team, wearing T-shirts with 

“Team Drummond” emblazoned across the front in fabric paint. They 

raised more than $6,000. Four years later, the team has grown to 45 riders, 

and in last fall’s 150-mile MS Bike Tour, they raised nearly $30,000. 

At the centerpiece of the team is 27-year-old Kevin Drummond, an 

engineer who seems to be able to do anything he puts his mind to. 

Kevin sustained a brain injury after being thrown from the seating area 

of a hunting truck six years ago. He underwent therapy in Shepherd’s 

Acquired Brain Injury Program and eventually was able to return to the 

University of Texas at Austin to finish his engineering degree. 

In 2003, life threw Kevin another curve when he was diagnosed with multiple 

sclerosis. Inspired by his mother’s inaugural ride in 2004, Kevin and his 

sister Carly joined the team, and it has been growing ever since. 

“The support from all of my friends has been incredible,” Kevin says. 

“They all get involved in this long bike ride to support my illness.” His father 

and stepmother participate, too, staffing the first aid tent. 

Kevin’s mission now is to put a face to MS and raise public awareness 

for the disease. By growing the team, he hopes to raise more money to 

improve research for better treatments. And in the process, he’s keeping in 

good shape, a critical component in fighting MS. 

After the team came off their best year ever, Kevin is not ready to sit 

back and bask in the glory of his accomplishments. Team Drummond will 

have a presence in the Savannah MS ride this spring. Kevin also plans to 

recruit more riders and sponsors for the Atlanta ride. — Sara Baxter 

Photo Courtesy of Lauren Nicole Studios, 

www.laurennicolestudios.com Photo Courtesy of Colleen McCrory 

Top of page: Carol Drummond and her son Kevin led the 45-member 

Team Drummond in the MS 150 Bike Tour in fall 2008. Above, top: The 

sponsors of the Shepherd Center MS 150 team were, left to right, Elexa 

and Mike Wagaman, owners of Peachtree Bikes, and Michael and Andrea 

Dresdner, owners of HDS Vans. Colleen McCrory, center, served as team 

captain. (See the related story on the back cover of this issue of Spinal 

Column.) Above, bottom: Team Shepherd leaves the starting line at the 

MS 150 Bike Tour. 

winter 2009 33

{ 

{ 

LOVING TRIBUTES 

Honorariums 

Honorees are listed first 

in bold print followed 

by the names of those 

making gifts in their 

honor. This list reflects 

gifts made to Shepherd 

Center between Aug. 1, 

2008 and Oct. 31, 2008. 

Yvonne Akins – “Thanks for 

making the trip.” 


Elizabeth M. Allen 

Dr. Sandy Fryhofer and Mr. George 

W. Fryhofer 

Mr. and Mrs. C. Patrick Nicholas 

Ed Andrews 

Mrs. Daisy A. Smith 

John Anschutz – “Thanks for great 

publications from Shepherd.” 


Cyndae Arrendale’s Birthday 

Mr. and Mrs. Steve A. Williams 

Milton Bach’s Recovery 

Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Fishman 

David Baker – “Thinking of You” 

Mr. and Mrs. Alan M. Smith 

Marla Jones Bennett’s Birthday 

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bennett 

Debbie Bernes’ Recovery 

Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Weber 

Karen Bibb’s Birthday 

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Bibb, Jr. 

Joseph Brickman 

Mr. Jeffrey Brickman 

Beth Bristow 

Parent Support Group, Class of 2010 

Emily Cade – MS Volunteer 

of the Year 


Jean Campbell 

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey S. Fishman 

Herman Canter’s Recovery 

Dr. and Mrs. Abner Ragins 

Lora Coleman’s Recovery 

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dreyfuss 

Mr. and Mrs. Jay E. Rubel 

Lauren and Macon Core on the 

Birth of Garrett Anniston Core 

Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shepherd III 

Patricia Daviou – “Thanks for great 



Patty Duncan 


Photo Courtesy of Georgia Aquarium 

BG Harold A. Dye – Honoree of the 

Executive Leadership Foundation 

Mr. and Mrs. Joel Isenberg 

Matt Edens – “Thanks for great 



Freda Ford 

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Harmon 

Betsy Fox – Excellent Benefits 

Brochure 


Tillie Helms’ and Jack Freeman’s 

Wedding 

Ms. Mary K. DeSeyn 

Joan and David Funk’s Anniversary 

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Rosen 

Jessica Gordon’s Wedding 

Mr. and Mrs. George C. Bland, Jr. 

Ms. Megan Condon 

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lindsey 

Ms. Jeanmarie Reed 

Mr. Michael L. Russell 

Cathy Gragg – “Great Job on Let’s 

Make a Deal and Shepherd Cares” 


Mary V. Grigsby’s Recovery 

Mr. and Mrs. William Tidmore 

Clare Hartigan – “A Great Sport” 


Matt Harvie and Family 

Ms. Christine Peters 

Sydnei Glass’ and Quill Healey’s 

Marriage 

Dr. and Mrs. David DuBose 

Elizabeth Holt’s Birthday 

Harriett Northcutt 

Gregory Horneber – “Thanks for 

great publications from Shepherd.” 


Joshua Howard’s Recovery 

Emory Independent Methodist 

Church 

Lesley Hudson – Happy “Zero” 

Birthday 


Dr. Aimee Jackson – “Thanks for 

making the trip.” 


Mr. and Mrs. Marcus L. Jones III 

Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Jones 

Darryl Kaelin – “Great Job on Let’s 

Make a Deal and Shepherd Cares” 


James L. Kennedy – “Thanks for 



David Kreutz – Educating Shepherd 

Center Therapists Regarding 

Seating 


Paul Kruger’s Recovery 

Mr. and Mrs. Jerome M. Mendel 

Mary Kyle 

Mrs. Elliott Kyle 

Vernon Lemmon’s Birthday 


Donald Peck Leslie, M.D. 

Mr. Milan Sekulic 

Cheryl Linden 


Mattie Lisenby’s 90th Birthday 

Mr. and Mrs. J. Tyler Tippett 

Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy 

Michele Luther-Krug – “Thanks for 



Chris Maurer – Educating 

Shepherd Center Therapists 

Regarding Seating 


Joe Metzger – “Thanks for great 



Mark Miller’s Birthday 

Christine Schneider 

Kelly Mixon – “Thanks for great 



Julian B. Mohr 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert I. Triff 

Laurence Moore – Wonderful 

First Year 


James W. Morgan 

Mrs. Shannon Sullivan 

Above: Several military veterans undergoing rehabilitation at Shepherd 

Center took a break from therapy to swim with thousands of fish, 

including whale sharks, at the Georgia Aquarium in September 2008. 

The vets were joined during the swim by Shepherd Chairman of the 

Board James Shepherd, front row at left, and Bernie Marcus, back row 

at right, the benefactor of the Georgia Aquarium and the lead donor of a 

Shepherd program to provide additional care for U.S. soldiers injured in 

Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Cynthia Johnson – “Thanks for 

always being helpful.” 


Diane Johnston – Educating 

Shepherd Center Therapists 

Regarding Seating 


Craig Morris – “Great Job with 

New Security” 


Duane M. Morrow 

Mrs. Mary P. Hancock 

34 Spinal column

{ 

{ 


Julie and David Mucher’s 

Anniversary 

Mr. and Mrs. Gil C. Mucher 

Anne Woolsey Pearce’s 30th 

Birthday 

Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr. 

Mrs. Patricia P. Golub 

Mr. and Mrs. Hudson Hooks 

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas P. Humphries 

Mr. and Mrs. Drew Johnson 

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Martin 

Mr. and Mrs. McKee Nunnally 



Mr. and Mrs. Scott H. Sikes 

Mrs. Eadie Tant 

Mr. Andrew Tritt 

Eddy Pound’s Birthday 

Danforth Bearse 

Gloria and Edwin Cowart 

Craig Powell’s Birthday 

Mr. and Mrs. George Powell 

Cara D. Puckett – “Thanks for 

planning of Patron Party.” 


Saul Raisin 

Ms. Louise Spector 

Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Reames 

Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr. 

Dr. and Mrs. Brown W. Dennis 

Bruce Roberts’ Recovery 

Mr. and Mrs. Allen R. Stein 

Nita Robinson’s Birthday 

Dr. Henry F. Huss 

Roque Rockmore’s Birthday 

Ms. Mary Ben Christiansen 

William Ruben’s Recovery 

Ms. Betty Schaffer 

Jim Schloss’ Retirement 

Smithfield Foods, Inc. 

Alana Shepherd 

Ms. Louisa Bassarate 

Ms. Louise Plonowski 

James Shepherd 

Ms. Louisa Bassarate 

Shepherd Pathways Team for 

Tom Faber’s Treatment 

Mr. Milan Sekulic 

Stephen B. Shepherd’s Friendship 

Mr. John T. Bohlayer 

Susan Skolnick – “Thanks for great 



Courtney E. Smith – “Job Well Done” 


Christopher L. Snell 

Ms. Gloria Johnson 

Robert Svoboda’s Recovery 

Mr. Patrick Abernathy 

Mr. Kirk Adams 

Mr. Shaler Alias 

Ms. Pamela Amerman 

Ms. Sarah Baker 

Ms. Linda Berggren 

Ms. Kathleen Bloom 

Ms. Elizabeth Bosshardt 

Mr. David Bowlin 

Mr. William R. Brakebill 

Mr. Frank Brawley 

Brent Family Foundation 

Mr. Spencer M. Brent III 

Mr. John Browne 

Ms. Dianne Butler 

Mrs. Marti Casper 

Mr. Matthew Casper 

Ms. Allison Chambers 

Mr. Blake Cohen 

Mr. Nate Collier 

Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Davenport 

Mr. Shep Dinos 

Mrs. Catherine Driscoll 

Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Eitel 

Ms. Dorothy Eubanks 

Mr. and Mrs. John Fairey 

Mr. Robert Farinholt 

Ms. Katharine Field 

Mrs. Emily Fishburne 

Mr. George Fontaine 

Mr. Glenn Fulwiler 

Miss Meg Gammage 

Mr. Muscoe Garnett 

Lt. Colonel Jim Gillis IV 

Mr. James Glasser 

Mr. Huston Green 

Ms. Patty Gregory 

Mr. Kendrck V. Grimes 

Mr. Trevor Hackney 

Miss Lauren Head 

Mr. Richard Henry 

Mr. Paul Hogg 

Photo by Jackie Gehner 

Above: Shepherd Center 

volunteer James Curtis helped out 

with an organic produce farmer’s 

market held at Shepherd Center 

in October 2008. Most of the 

produce was grown by former 

Shepherd Center spinal cord 

injury patient Andy Byrd and his 

wife Hilda, who own Whippoorwill 

Farms in Walnut Grove, Ga. 

Ms. Katie Holloway 

Mr. Stuart Jackson 

Mr. Blake Jones 

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Jones 

Mrs. and Mr. Susan B. Kendall 

Mr. and Mrs. Krunch Kloberdanz 

Mrs. Andrew Kromis 

Ms. Erin Kromis 

Mr. David Mills 

Ms. Taylor Moore 

Mr. John Morris 

Mr. Joseph Morris 

Mr. Michael Morris 

Mr. Tyson Morris 

Miss Helen Mundin 

Mr. Gregory Natvig 

Miss Natasha Nichols 

Ms. Ashley Oswalt 

Mrs. Wendy Pagan 

Ms. Barbara H. Parker 

Mr. James Parker 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Patterson 

Ms. Ashley Peters 

Ms. Hadley Puntereri 

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Rooker 

Mrs. Elizabeth Rueedi-Murchison 

Mrs. Tricia Sauer 

Mr. Randolph Shackelford 

Mr. John Sherman, Jr. 

Vanguard Charitable Endowment 

Program 

Mr. Kent Walker 

Ms. Meredith Whitaker 

Ms. Hobby Williams 

Ms. Bradley Wilson 

Mr. and Mrs. Ham Wilson, Jr. 

Mr. Matt Wilson 

Mrs. Rachael L. Zichella 

Ms. Jessica Ziegler 

Midge Tracy – Customer 

Service Star 


Dr. Newton Turk’s 80th Birthday 

Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd 

Zelma Turner 

Mr. Eugene S. Asher 

Barry Walker’s Recovery 

Ms. Bentley Marane 

Blake Wallace in Memory of 

Charlotte Wallace 

Mr. and Mrs. Kerry O’Connor 

Tracy Walling – Excellent Benefits 

Brochure 


Molly Welch and Family – Recovery 

Gerald Welch 

Rev. Allison Williams’ Recovery 


Brenda Williams – “Thanks for 

always being helpful.” 


Brittany G. Wilson – “Great Job 

on Woodruff Opening” 


Jane Woodruff – “Thank you for 

the prom dinner.” 

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Lore 

Carolyn Wright – “Great Detective 

Work on Insurance” 


Martha Blankenship Wright’s and 

Raymond Eugene Crouser’s 

Wedding 

Ms. Frances Chambers 

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Christopher 

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Diffley 

Mr. Richard Escoffery 

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Glover 

Mr. and Mrs. Abe Goldfarb 

Ms. Devorah Gordon 

Mr. Steven Hamlin 

Mrs. Elaine Jacks 

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Mahan 

Ms. Susan Miles 

Mr. and Mrs. Terry Moran 

Mr. and Mrs. Andy Nash 

Dan Yates' 90th Birthday 

Employees of the Yates Insurance 

Agency 

Above: Former Shepherd patient Sommer Trunzler, right, of 

Jonesville, La., gets instruction from former Paralympic athlete and 

Shepherd Center cycling team member Rafael Ibarra at Shepherd 

Center’s All Sports Camp in October 2008 in Warm Springs, Ga. 

Photo by Carmen Hughey 

winter 2009 35

{ 

{ 


Memorials 

Deceased friends of 

Shepherd Center are 

listed first in bold print 

followed by the names of 

those making gifts in their 

memory. This list reflects 

gifts made to Shepherd 

Center between Aug. 1, 

2008 and Oct. 31, 2008. 

Bruce Cohen 

Mr. and Mrs. Scott M. Dayan 

J. Walker Coleman III 

Mr. Edward J. Strougal, Jr. 

Verna Desko 


Curt Dotson 

Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg 

Wayne Duncan 

Mr. and Mrs. James D. Schloss 

Douglas B. Elam 

Mrs. Patricia C. Williams 


Ernest Henry “Hank” Abernethy, Jr. 

Ms. Charlene Gober 

Loretta Rodgers Allgood 

Mrs. Sara C. Atwell 

Pierce Allgood 

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr. 

Mr. and Mrs. John E. Duggan 


Indra Mohan Arora 

Mr. and Mrs. Arvinpal Singh 

Caroline P. Bagwell 

Habersham County Special 

Education Department 

Reverend and Mrs. Marcus R. Martin 

Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Mulkey 

The Torch Church of God 

Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Verdery 

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wooten 

Clareece Bailey 

Mrs. Marcia Lindstrom 

Emmett Barnes 

Mr. and Mrs. Lamar H. Ellis, Jr. 

The Mark C. Pope III Foundation 

Anna Blackwell 

Mrs. Charles H. Peterson 

Mrs. Golos Blount 

Ms. Betsy B. Cozine 

“Granny” Helen Brown 

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Escott 

Diedrich O. Busse 

Mr. David Penn 

Beth Hines Cade 

Ms. Julie Shepherd 

Mrs. Perry Ann Williams 

Lewis Clark 

Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson 

James Justus Cobb 


Elizabeth English 

Mr. and Mrs. Nils Liebendorfer 

Dorothy Belle Eros 

Mrs. Marilyn S. Evans 

Blanche Slate Fluker 

Mr. and Mrs. William R. Newton 

Mary Gallagher 



Neil H. Gill 

Mr. Joe Webb 

Martha Gunn 

Mrs. Thornton Kennedy 

William Lee Hale, Sr. 


John Albert Ham III 

Clinical Associates of Tidewater 

Dr. Carolyn H. Johnson 

LTC (R) and Mrs. Floyd K. Maertens 

Psychiatric Services, P.C. 

Ms. Doilie Rice 

Mrs. Gail H. Sharp 

S.C. Department of Health and 

Environmental Control 

Jerry Richard Hamilton 

Ms. JoAnn Ivey 

Cannon Harmon, Jr. 

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Toms 

Dr. and Mrs. Harrold 

Ms. Dorothy J. Tracy 

Paul M. Hawkins 


Peggy David Hayes 

Ms. Joanne Hayes 

John F. Head 


Bunky Helfrich 

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Dryman 

Above: Carol Pochmara, left, 

and her family continued their 

tradition of making holiday 

goody bags for Shepherd 

brain injury patients. Carol's 

daughter, Kerry Pochmara 

Partin, made a successful 

recovery from an ABI with the 

help of Shepherd Center staff, 

including Dr. Gerald Bilsky. 

Tommy Hite 

Ashworth & Associates, P.C. 

Ms. Beauty Baldwin 

Mr. Albert T. Baugh, Jr. 

Ms. Brenda R. Branch 

Joyce K. Britt 

Ms. Carol L. Burdges 

Mrs. Dorothy M. Bush 

Mr. and Mrs. Louis T. Camerio, Jr. 

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Cox 

Mr. T. F. Hall 

Mr. and Mrs. Freddie L. Henderson 

Ms. Paula C. Hill 

Ms. Montez Howard 

Ms. Mary Kay Jordan 


Street Smarts, Inc. 

Mr. and Mrs. Herb Strickland 

Mr. Glenn S. White 

William H. Horr 

Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr. 

Martha Hughes 


Hugh M. Inman 

The Mark C. Pope III Foundation 

Cecelia Morgan Jordan 

Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bloebaum 

Richard C. Keeler 

Mr. Robert E. Lischer 

Henry M. Kellum 

Mrs. Eileen M. Corrigan 

Terry D. Kerr 

Ms. Sandra A. Gipson 

Cyrus M. Kitchens 

Ms. Anne Slaughter 

Robert Kleinman 


Amanda Krasner 


Mavis Pruett Leslie 

Dr. Deborah Backus 

Best Doctors 

Dr. Gerald S. Bilsky and 

Dr. Judith Tolkan 

Dr. and Mrs. Brock Bowman 

Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Brown 

Ms. Wilma Bunch 

Ms. Marnite B. Calder 

Mr. Rocco J. Cannistraro 


Ms. Sally Dorsey and Mr. Herb Miller 

First Communities 

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Goot 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Griffin III 

Mr. and Mrs. Mark P. Hartigan 

Ms. Pauline Hogue 

Mrs. Robert J. Howard 

Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Howard 

Ms. Brenda Jones 

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Jones 

Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Jones 

Mrs. Opal S. Kiker 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. King 

Malone Law Offices, P.C. 

Mr. Dean Melcher 

Ms. Sarah A. Morrison 

Ms. Anne W. Pearce 

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Pearce III 

Mr. and Mrs. William M. Puckett 

Ms. Joan Reed 

Mr. Emory A. Schwall 

Ms. Daryn Schwartz 

Dr. and Mrs. Ron Seel 




Your Friends at The Tour 

Championship 

Mr. and Mrs. J. Tyler Tippett 

Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy 

Mrs. Perry Ann Williams 

Margaret Limberatos 


Lady Lombardo 


36 Spinal column

{ 

{ 


Joan Versailles Mack 

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Miller 

Louis Maziar 

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Stribling IV 

F. J. McMaster 


Gwyn Moran 

The Moran Family Foundation 

Samy Nadler 

Mr. and Mrs. Roger L. Schlaifer 

Beth Panos 

Mr. G. Alexander Panos 

Eleanor Wise Parks 

Mr. and Ms. Julian B. Mohr 

Kyle Paulsen 

Ms. Christine L. Wieckhorst 

Glenn Peterson and U.S.S. 

Indianapolis 

Mr. Travis Magnuson 

Patricia Pickett 

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Stribling IV 

William M. “Bill” Potts 

Mrs. Eva H. Friedlander 



Dorothy Rosenbloom 

Ms. Betty Schaffer 

Loring Rue 

Mr. and Mrs. James D. Schloss 

Dr. Samuel Schatten 

Mr. and Mrs. Milton Kassel 


Victor Schroeder 


Marcy Shenk 

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Draluck 

Sister of Dedi Mohr 


Mrs. Wyman P. Sloan, Jr. 

Mrs. Cathy M. Block 



Juanita Stauffer 

Ms. Carol J. Olsen 

George A. Steiner 

Mr. and Mrs. Russ Adamson 

Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson 

Dr. James Sullivan 

Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bloebaum 

Nolan Wallace 

James and Patricia Buice 

Sarah Brosnan Thorpe 

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Weitnauer, Jr. 

Mildred Thran 


James Thrash 


Paul H. “Tim” Timmers 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. 

Beauchamp 

Chapman Coyle Chapman & 

Associates 

Day’s Chevrolet 

Mr. John D. Goodloe, Jr. 

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hart, Jr. 

Ms. Mildred T. King 


Felton S. Walker 


Charlotte Wallace 

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ingram 

James Nolan Wallace 

Ms. Mildred Smith 

Peggy Walsh 

Mrs. Robyn P. Walsh 

Henderson Ward 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Gibson 

Richard Wasser 


Mr. and Mrs. Milton Kassel 

Mr. and Ms. Julian B. Mohr 


William Gordon Welch 

Mrs. Robert C. Beauchamp 

Dr. William G. Whitaker, Jr. 

Dr. and Mrs. David DuBose 

Roy Wiggins, Jr. 

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Carnes 

Volunteers and 

Sponsors of Marcus 

Community Bridge 

Program Therapeutic 

Recreation Event at 

St. Simons Island 

Financial Support: 

Bart Altman, Attorney at Law 

Real Tex Construction 

Mike Smith, Affordable 

Plumbing 

Mike Thomas, Brutal 

Fight Gear 

Jack Dominey, 

Dominey Machine 

Bill Duckworth Tire 

Financial Support and 

Volunteers: 

Barnes HealthCare 

Coastal Kitchen (provided 

free lunches) 

Equipment, Services and 

Volunteers: 

Glen Coffield 

Southeast Adventure 

Outfitters 

Dependable Bait and Tackle 

S&S Wholesale Tackle 

Marsha Troupe Photography 

Gary Altman Fishing 

Photo by Kathy Slonaker 

General Support: 

Woody Woodside, Brunswick 

Chamber of Commerce 

Mullet Bay 

No-charge Facility Use: 

Judy Wright, Coastal 

Water Sports 

Morningstar Marina 

Left: Former Shepherd 

Center spinal cord injury 

patient Chris Coates kayaks 

with a staff member from 

Southeast Adventure 

Outfitters during the 

Marcus Community Bridge 

Program’s therapeutic 

recreation event at St. 

Simons Island, Ga., in 

September 2008. 

winter 2009 37

Shepherd Employees and 

Supporters Ride for MS 

As cyclists pedaled the course of the MS 150 Bike Tour in 

September, it was hard to miss the 67-member Team Shepherd 

whizzing by in a blaze of black, orange and yellow fire-like jerseys. 

They were the fourth largest team in the tour, a fundraiser for the 

National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 

While Shepherd employees had participated before, the 2008 

cyclists marked the first organized team and raised more than 

$24,000. Sponsors were Handicapped Driver Services (HDS Vans) 

and Peachtree Bikes. 

Leading the team was Colleen McCrory, Shepherd's manager of 

marketing and managed care. She had participated in the tour for 

four years, but wanted Shepherd to have a greater presence because of 

its Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute, which has helped 

many people with MS. So she recruited Shepherd employees and 

supporters. 

“We’re not only supporting our own MS patient population, we’re 

also creating greater awareness in the MS community,” McCrory 

says. She hopes money raised through the National MS Society will 

further promote research and treatment for people with the disease. 

At left is Team Shepherd handcyclist Mike Postell of Atlanta. He 

was joined before the event by his children, Benjamin and Samantha, 

who are four years old. (See more photos on page 33.) 


2020 Peachtree Road, NW 

Atlanta, Georgia 30309 

404-352-2020 

Address Service Requested

INJURED - Shepherd Center

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