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Understanding
SCI and ABI
SpinalColumn
The Magazine of Shepherd Center: Providing Medical Treatment, Research and Rehabilitation | spinalcolumn.org
Shepherd launches DVDs
for the newly injured.
See Page 3
®
Accelerated
Cure for MS
Shepherd Center is one
of 10 sites nationwide
collecting data and
searching for answers that
might point to a cure.
Coming Back
Football players’ collision
leads to an inspirational
friendship.
REBUILDING LIVES
AFTER STROKE
INJURES THE BRAIN
Shepherd Center’s Young Stroke Program provides
specialized rehabilitation to help rebuild lives.
Life on Wheels
Shepherd helps people
find the right wheelchairs
for their active lives.
Patient Profile
Former spinal cord injury
and MS patient shows a
strong spirit through a
series of difficult times.
Secondary
Complications
Shepherd Center teams
with two other institutions
to shed new light on a
preventable threat.
Spring 2011

Letter from James Shepherd
Dear Friends,
Photo by Evan Hampton
Shepherd Center’s Acquired Brain
Injury and Neurospecialty Units recently
expanded to the newly renovated second
floor of the Shepherd Building – allowing
all brain injury services to be conducted
on one contiguous floor between
the Shepherd and Marcus-Woodruff
buildings. This move improves our staff ’s
efficiency and enhances patient care.
Now, we’ve shifted our attention to a
$3.5 million comprehensive renovation of
the third floor of the Shepherd Building.
We hope to start that project later this
year and finish it by January 2012. Both
of these renovation projects are made
possible by gifts from Shepherd Center’s
generous and faithful donors, and we are
truly grateful for their continued support
that allows us to continue to improve our
facilities and services to patients.
The need for these projects is directly
tied to increased demand for Shepherd
Center’s services from across the nation
and the globe. More than half of our
patient referrals now come from outside
Georgia. They are drawn here by evidence
of our outstanding patient outcomes,
which are attributable in part to the spinal
cord and brain injury research, as well
as multiple sclerosis studies, we conduct
and the technology we offer patients.
For example, last year Shepherd Center
enrolled the first participant in the
world’s first human embryonic stem cell
clinical trial for newly injured spinal cord
injury (SCI) patients. Researchers developing
regenerative therapies, such as stem
cell treatments, face complex challenges,
but the future is bright. While there
probably won’t be a silver bullet because
of the complexity of SCI, scientists say
it’s no longer a question of if, but when a
cure for paralysis will be realized.
Meanwhile, assistive technologies continue
to advance. Later this year, eligible
people with paraplegia at Shepherd can
enroll in a medically supervised gaittraining
program with a new technology
called eLEGS. It is a wearable,
artificially intelligent, bionic device that
assists users with standing and walking.
Also, Shepherd Center is collaborating
with mechanical engineers at Vanderbilt
University to study a new wearable, powered
orthosis that may improve mobility
for some paraplegics.
Not only does research draw patients
to Shepherd Center, people also come
here for our broad continuum of care,
which spans from our ICU to Beyond
Therapy®, our activities-based outpatient
therapy. With this breadth of services and
the expertise of our staff, it’s no surprise
that the hospital’s outcomes far exceed
national averages. More than 96 percent
of our patients discharge to their homes,
rather than an institutional setting. And
45 percent of our SCI patients return to
work compared to 21 percent nationally,
while 33 percent return to school compared
to 17 percent nationally.
We are thankful for the many dedicated
donors and staff members who continue
to make these efforts possible to improve
the lives of Shepherd Center patients.
Warm regards,
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
About the Cover: Football player Jake
Nicolopulos experienced a stroke when
he was 18. With his family by his side,
he underwent rehabilitation at Shepherd
Center and will enroll at Clemson
University this fall.
Photo by Gary Meek
SpinalColumn ®
The Magazine of Shepherd Center
Spring 2011
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
spinalcolumn@shepherd.org
www.spinalcolumn.org
Editor
Jane M. Sanders
Design
Soloflight Design
Contributing Writers
Lauren Angelo, Sara Baxter, John
Christensen, Amanda Crowe, Rachel
Franco, Dean Melcher, Anne Pearce, Bill
Sanders, Scott Sikes, Brittany Wilson
Contributing Photographers
Neil Dent, Steven Dinberg, Louie
Favorite, Jim Fitts, Eric Kayne, Gary
Meek
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., C. Duncan
Beard † , Brock Bowman, M.D. * , Wilma
Bunch * , James M. Caswell, Jr., Sara
S. Chapman, Clark Dean, John S.
Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber * , David H.
Flint, Stephen B. Holleman * , Michael
L. Jones, Ph.D. * , Tammy King * , Donald
Peck Leslie, M.D., Douglas Lindauer,
Bernie Marcus, 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
†
Emeritus
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.
www.spinalcolumn.org

Spring2011Contents
SpinalColumn
The Magazine of Shepherd Center:
Providing Medical Treatment, Research and Rehabilitation
®
Photo by Eric Kayne
10
12
14
Features
Coming Back from a Freak Accident:
Football players’ collision causes a spinal
cord injury, but leads to an inspirational
friendship.
Unraveling Multiple Sclerosis:
Shepherd Center is one of 10 sites
nationwide collecting data and searching
for answers that might point to a cure.
Life on Wheels:
Shepherd Center helps people find the
right wheelchairs for their active lives.
Cover
Story
Photo by Louie Favorite
Rebuilding Lives
After Stroke Injures
the Brain
Shepherd Center’s Young Stroke
Program provides specialized
rehabilitation to help rebuild lives.
10
Departments
2 Short Takes
16 Research: Preventing
Secondary Complications
17 Managed Care Corner
18 Patient Profile:
Connie Kay, Ph.D.
20 Ask the Doc
21 Medical Staff Profile:
J. Tobias Musser, M.D.
22 Shepherd Alums
24 Foundation Features
34 Tributes
If you would like to make a gift to support the work
you have read about, please contact Scott H. Sikes
at the Shepherd Center Foundation at 404-350-7305
or visit shepherd.org.

ShortTakes
Shepherd Snapshots: A Look at News and Other Notes
Wearable Robotic Device for
Gait Assistance Being Studied
at Shepherd
Photo by Gary Meek
Shepherd Center is collaborating with engineers at Vanderbilt
University to study a new wearable, powered orthosis that may
improve mobility for people with paraplegia. Some paraplegics
can walk using crutches and long leg braces, but these aids are
typically cumbersome. Because the user’s knees are locked into
place, the user is left to shuffle forward.
“It’s awkward and takes a lot of energy,” says Michael
Goldfarb, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering at
Vanderbilt University.
The new powered, lower-limb orthosis that he and his team
are developing is fit with electric motors at the hips and knees,
allowing users to swing through their gait rather than feeling
restricted by stiff legs and locked knees.
“It’s more representative of a healthy gait,” Dr. Goldfarb notes.
He also points to the physiological benefits. Weight-bearing and
movement of the lower limbs help improve circulation, bone
density and digestion, and they lower the frequency and severity
of muscle spasticity. By moving the legs more, clinicians can also
guard against mineral loss and skin breakdown.
“There are the psychological benefits (of being more mobile),
and this technology can be used in places that aren’t that suitable
for wheelchairs – when reaching for groceries on the top shelf and
walking down the aisle of a plane,” he adds.
Claire Hartigan, MPT, a Shepherd Center physical therapist,
says: “We see a lot of people with paraplegia who could benefit
A Vanderbilt University researcher tests a new wearable, powered
orthosis with a Shepherd Center patient with paraplegia. The
device, which is being tested, is intended to improve mobility.
from this technology. The ultimate goal is to give these individuals
a way to get up and walk with forearm crutches at a relatively
functional speed in the community instead of being confined by
long leg braces.”
Shepherd plans to expand enrollment in the study once
engineers make preliminary modifications to the design. For more
information, see shepherd.org/research or call 404-350-7581.
– Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH
Adventure Skills Workshop Planned for Spring
A former Shepherd Center patient scales
a climbing wall at Adventure Skills
Workshop 2010.
Plan now to attend the Shepherd Center
Therapeutic Recreation Department’s
annual Adventure Skills Workshop
scheduled for May 20-22 at Lake Martin in
Jackson’s Gap, Ala.
Held for a full weekend every May,
the workshop offers an array of outdoor
activities for people age 15 and up with
spinal cord injury or disease, acquired
brain injury, multiple sclerosis and other
neurological disorders.
Adventure Skills Workshop (ASW)
participants get to choose from a variety
of sports and activities, including tubing,
jet skiing, water skiing, scuba diving,
swimming, fishing, riding all-terrain vehicles,
wall climbing, canoeing/kayaking, riflery/
skeet shooting and water polo.
ASW is an opportunity to explore new
activities, learn new skills, meet new
people and have fun, according to the
staff in Shepherd’s Therapeutic Recreation
Department. They believe participants leave
with a new outlook on life – seeing every
day as an adventure.
The cost to participants is $165 (includes
meals, lodging, activities, instruction and a
T-shirt); family members or caregivers can
attend for $150 (includes lodging, meals
and a T-shirt). The registration deadline is
April 22. Space is limited, and registration
can close before the deadline date.
For more information, call 404-350-7793
or 404-350-7375 or visit
www.shepherd.org/TR.
2 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Shepherd Center’s Partnership
with Non-Profit Brings Medical
Equipment to People in Need
What began as a bit of providence nearly a quarter-century ago
has blossomed into a proud partnership between two non-profits.
Flashback to 1986: A collection of worn-out wheelchairs is
gathering dust in the basement at Shepherd Center. Their fate is
uncertain; they’re no longer usable, but they seem too good to
throw away.
Shepherd learns of a new non-profit that collects and
refurbishes medical equipment, and then donates it to adults and
children with disabilities for little or no cost.
Fast-forward to today. The metro Atlanta-based organization,
Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC), has grown into
a major provider of recycled medical equipment – with as much as
40 percent of its inventory donated by Shepherd.
“We keep a whole fleet of loaner chairs for our patients to use
until their wheelchairs come in,” says James Shepherd, hospital
co-founder and chairman of the Board of Directors. “Once those are
worn out to the point we can’t use them, we donate them to FODAC.
In most cases, they turn them into brand-new wheelchairs.”
Since its founding, FODAC has found users for 20,000
Photo by Dianne Ramsey
Scott Strickland is a
recipient of a wheelchair
donated to FODAC and
refurbished for his use.
wheelchairs and 6,000 hospital
beds, along with home healthcare
equipment ranging from
walkers and canes to shower
chairs and toilet supports. Some
of the recipients are former
Shepherd patients.
Since medical equipment can
cost thousands of dollars, many
people can’t afford new items –
and FODAC fills that need.
“The people we serve fall
through the cracks in many ways,”
says Chris Brand, FODAC’s
president and CEO. “Some are
either uninsured or underinsured.
Or they might have to wait months for Medicare or Medicaid to
step in. They simply can’t afford this equipment.”
“FODAC serves a role no other organization has stepped up
to fill,” James says. “They focus on the disabled community in
a positive way by providing equipment that helps improve their
quality of life.”
Besides helping those in need, FODAC services have another
advantage: Brand estimates his program prevents 100 tons of
equipment from ending up in a landfill each year. – Sara Baxter
Volunteers Needed to Help
with Wheelchair Division of
Peachtree Road Race
Planning is under way for the 30th
annual Wheelchair Division of the
Peachtree Road Race, which will be
held July 4 in Atlanta, and organizers
are looking for volunteers to help make
the event a success.
The race has grown significantly through the years and
continues to require more and more help from volunteers.
Typically, 75 volunteers and 100 racers participate in the event.
“The race would not be possible without the assistance and
hard work of dedicated volunteers,” says organizer and Shepherd
Center wellness program manager Becky Washburn.
Volunteers are used in all aspects of the race, such as athlete
check-in, airport assistance, pre-race social and post-race brunch.
Volunteers also can serve in the pit crew, as nurses and finish-line
timekeepers. Organizers place volunteers in job categories on a
first-come, first-served basis. Requesting a volunteer application
early will help ensure placement in your top preference area.
For more information on volunteering for this year’s race,
contact volunteer coordinator Drew Bogenschutz at 404-350-7685
or Drew_Bogenschutz@shepherd.org.
Shepherd Center Launches New Video Series
A new video series created
by Shepherd Center about
understanding spinal cord and
brain injury is now available
online. Narrated by Judy Fortin,
former CNN anchor and medical
correspondent, the video features
some of the nation’s top neuroscientists, physicians and spinal
cord and brain injury experts to help people understand their
new injury, the path to recovery and functional expectation.
Viewers may search to find sections relevant to their
injury – such as a complete or incomplete injury or a
certain level of injury for spinal cord injuries, or traumatic or
non-traumatic sections for brain injuries, and so on. Basic
concepts are explained by experts from across the nation.
In addition, Lee Woodruff, the wife of ABC News reporter
Bob Woodruff, who was injured reporting on the Iraq war,
also appears in the videos.
The video series was produced in collaboration with the
American Trauma Society, the National Spinal Cord Injury
Association, the Brain Injury Association of America and the
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. To view the series, visit
www.spinalinjury101.org or www.braininjury101.org.
Spring 2011 3

CoverStory
Photo by Gary Meek
Photo by Louie Favorite
Photo by Louie Favorite
4 Spinal Column www.spinalcolumn.org

Rebuilding
Lives
AFTER
STROKE the
Brain
Injures
SHEPHERD
CENTER’S YOUNG
STROKE PROGRAM
PROVIDES
SPECIALIZED
REHABILITATION
TO HELP
REBUILD LIVES.
BY BILL SANDERS
Jake Nicolopulos was eight weeks away from National Signing Day – the biggest
day of his young life. For those who follow college football religiously, the event
is the biggest day of the off-season.
When the day came, Jake sent in his
signed letter of intent to play football for
Clemson University. But a lot happened
in the eight weeks between Dec. 9, 2009
and Feb. 3, 2010 – enough that Clemson
offered Jake a scholarship, not for what he
might mean to the team, but because of
what he already meant to the program.
By Feb. 3, 2010, it was clear that
Jake was never going to play football at
Clemson or anywhere. At just 18 years old,
he had a massive stroke on Dec. 9, 2009.
A couple of weeks later, he was admitted
for brain injury rehabilitation in Shepherd
Center’s Young Stroke Program.
Believing there was a vacuum in the
care for people who experience a stroke
at a relatively young age, Shepherd
Center created a specialty care program.
The hospital takes a multidisciplinary
team approach to rehabilitation. Staff
members understand that after a stroke,
people are going through more than just
recovery; they are learning a new way of
life. Rehabilitation at Shepherd is designed
to meet the physical, cognitive, medical
and emotional needs of each individual,
while working toward independence with
activities such as school, work, driving,
parenting and community involvement. The
program, which treats about 90 patients a
year, also provides education and training
for the patient’s family.
The goal for these patients is the same
as the goal for all Shepherd patients:
Rebuild their lives with hope, dignity and
independence.
Today, it’s happening for Jake, who lives
in Anderson, S.C., not far from Clemson,
where he will enroll later this year. It’s also
happening for Anissa Mayhew, 37, of
Newnan, Ga., who has sustained multiple
Football player Jake Nicolopulos of Anderson, S.C., experienced a stroke at age 18. He
underwent rehabilitation at Shepherd Center and will enroll at Clemson University this fall.
Spring 2011 5

strokes and has returned to her roles as a
nationally known blogger and parent of three
young children. And it’s happening in the life of
Toni Hickman, 36, of Houston, Texas, a mother
and hip-hop music artist who sustained a stroke
and returned to work and has become an
advocate for performing artists with disabilities.
“Shepherd Center specializes in brain and
spinal cord injury rehabilitation care for a
population of patients who are typically younger than patients at
general rehabilitation facilities,” says Darryl Kaelin, M.D., medical
director of Shepherd’s Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program. “And
we develop programs specific to their needs. Most people who
have strokes are 65 and older and have had a loss of oxygen
to the brain. In our population, the strokes are usually bleeding
strokes, which carry a high risk of death, but also a greater
potential for recovery if you survive.
“As these patients go back to being moms and dads and
employees and students, they need to get their quality of life
back,” he adds. “That’s what we focus on.”
The Road to Recovery for Jake Nicolopulos
Jake Nicolopulos, now 19, grew up a few miles from Clemson
University’s Memorial Stadium called “Death Valley.” He knew early
on that his dream was to run onto that field, wearing the orange
and purple, and play football in front of more than 80,000 people.
Turns out, Clemson had the same dream.
In 2009, Jake was ranked as one of the best middle linebackers
in the country. He was bigger and stronger than most high school
linebackers and was as football-smart as anyone Clemson was
recruiting. The two were so fond of each other that Clemson
offered a scholarship and Jake unofficially accepted while he was
still a junior in high school. Other schools wanted Jake to consider
their programs. He had no interest.
“I was surprised
when I was able
to go home six
weeks later and
had gone from
Point A to Point X.”
– Anissa Mayhew
On Dec. 8, 2009, Jake went to bed with a
migraine headache that was a little worse than the
ones he’d had before.
When he woke up on Dec. 9, still feeling a little
funny, he got dressed for school – a little dressier
than normal because a Clemson coach was coming
to see him that day. But before he left, standing just
down the hall from his parents, he had a stroke.
“He came down the hall, turned the corner,
and the look on his face was a look of fear, like a deer in the
headlights,” recalls Jake’s mother, Ann Louise Nicolopulos. “My
husband, Craig, and I jumped up and said, ‘Jake, Jake, what’s
wrong?’ He couldn’t speak. His speech was the first thing that left
him. Craig got him on the floor so he could lift his knees above his
head to get the blood flowing again. His right leg fell right back
down. We called 911, and Jake was fading in and out, and we
were begging him to stay with us. I thought I was losing my kid. I
was begging God, please let him be OK.”
Jake spent a couple of weeks at AnMed Health, an Anderson,
S.C., hospital. At first, doctors didn’t expect him to live. Even
after the swelling in his brain began to subside, his condition was
“touch and go” for a while.
But Ann knew where she wanted Jake to be. And she’s
convinced it was a messenger from God who told her Jake
needed to go to Shepherd Center.
The messenger was Chari Ridgeway, a nurse and the mother
of former Shepherd Center brain injury patient Shannon Ridgeway
of Calhoun Falls, S.C. (Today, Shannon, 25, works in her family’s
business and volunteers in her community.)
“While we were in the hospital waiting room, Chari came in
and introduced herself and said she lived an hour away and had
heard about Jake on the news. She said she came to say one
thing: ‘You need to get him to Shepherd Center. God told us that
we needed to tell you to get to Shepherd.’”
Shepherd Center
Young Stroke
Program Highlights
❚ Shepherd Center’s Young Stroke
Program specializes in caring for
people ages 15 to 65 who have
experienced a stroke. The program
also provides education and training
for their families.
❚ People who have experienced
a stroke may be admitted to
Shepherd Center’s inpatient
rehabilitation program, the
Shepherd Pathways Day Program
or Pathways Outpatient Program,
depending on the severity of
illness and medical needs.
❚ Services may include: medical
management, rehabilitation nursing,
physical therapy, occupational
therapy, speech-language-cognitive
therapy, swallowing therapy, nutritional
counseling, respiratory therapy,
recreational therapy, vision assessment
and treatment, neuropsychological
assessment and counseling, and
vocational counseling.
6 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

The Shepherd Center Young Stroke Program experience, Ann
says, was fantastic – from inpatient care to post-acute care at
Shepherd Pathways.
“I don’t want to single out any one staff member because they
were all so very good and caring,” Ann says. “Jake had one 90-pound
therapist at Pathways who just wore him out. She was like what he
was used to in a football coach, and it was great for him.”
Today, Jake walks with a slight limp and has little use of his right
arm. His speech is still quite limited, but is improving little by little.
He understands everything, is responsive, drives a truck and will
be starting college this fall.
“Jake will be recovering for the rest of his life,” Ann says. “But
the good thing about speech is that it’s one thing that can keep
improving, year after year.”
The Road to Recovery for Anissa Mayhew
Doctors were not sure that Anissa Mayhew, 37, would live, much
less be able to communicate on a high-functioning level.
Now, Anissa puts sentences together for a living in cyberspace.
She is the founder of www.AimingLow.com, and FreeAnissa.com,
a blog Anissa writes about her life, has more than 8,500 followers.
In the “About” section of her blog is a fancy, beautiful photo of
Anissa. The caption reads: “This was me before I got
married, had three kids, had a stroke, had a toddler with cancer,
started a blog, then had more strokes and became inspirational.
You may not be able to tell from there, but I am totally rolling my
eyes. I also used to work at Glamour Shots with WAY too much
time on my hands! I just thought you’d enjoy seeing the photo I
used to bait the hook that got me a husband.”
Below it is, well, a somewhat more real-life picture. Its caption
reads: “This is me every other day of my life. And now I have
a handicapped-parking pass that makes me super popular at
Walmart. Don’t be jealous. If you ask nice, I’ll take you with me.”
Welcome to Anissa’s talented world, where irreverence is a gift
that a series of strokes did not steal.
On Nov. 17, 2009, Anissa was out to lunch when she had a
stroke. She’d have another one at the hospital.
“I was in a coma for 10 days,” she says. “They told my
husband it didn’t look good. They brought my kids in to say
goodbye. But after I saw my kids, my health started to turn
around. I started to come out of the coma.”
After discharging from the hospital, Anissa went to a nursing
home until she was ready to come to Shepherd Center for
rehabilitation in January 2010. She completed Shepherd’s
inpatient Young Stroke Program and the post-acute program at
Shepherd Pathways.
“Going to Shepherd was incredible,” Anissa says. “I’m still in
contact with my therapists in PT, OT and speech. I’ve had
some over for dinner. I’m so close to
them. Going to Shepherd was a big
Photos by Louie Favorite
Continued on Page 9
Anissa Mayhew of Newnan, Ga.,
sustained multiple strokes. After
undergoing rehabiltiation at
Shepherd, she has returned to her
roles as a nationally known blogger
and parent of three young children.
❚ Specialized services include:
assistive technology
(computerized assistive
devices), wheelchair seating
clinic, adaptive driving,
upper-extremity clinic,
pain management, aquatic
therapy, hippotherapy and a
transitional living apartment.
❚ Clients have access to
the newest technology,
including: Vital Stim, sEMG
biofeedback, Bioness,
Lokomat, Saeboflex, Lite
Gait, Balance Master,
and functional electrical
stimulation (FES) bike for
arms and legs.
❚ More than 95 percent of
people who complete
Shepherd Center’s Young
Stroke Program are
discharged to their home,
rather than a long-term care
facility, compared to 58
percent nationally in
2009-2010.
❚ Visit shepherd.org/stroke
for more information about
Shepherd Center’s Young
Stroke Program and clinical
outcomes.
Spring 2011 7

Specialized Stroke Care
Shepherd Center focuses on
both the patient and family.
BY BILL SANDERS
Speech-language pathologist Cindy
DuBose, SLP, who joined the Shepherd
Center Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
Program staff in January 2010, looks
at the rehabilitation hospital’s facilities,
staff, programs and outcomes with a
sense of wonder that usually comes
from newcomers.
But even senior staff members at
Shepherd, from time to time, step back
and say, “Wow!”
DuBose has worked as a speechlanguage
pathologist for more than 12
years at some top-notch facilities. But
the recoveries she’s seen at Shepherd
– particularly with some of the young
stroke patients – have left her amazed.
“I had heard about how great
Shepherd Center is before I joined the
staff,” DuBose says. “But you can’t
really understand how great it is until
you get here. It is not just the advanced
Speech-language pathologist Cindy Dubose, left, works with
patient Sunday Taylor alongside physical therapist Janelle Kenny.
therapy techniques, but the atmosphere
of the entire center. Everyone is so
focused on improving the lives of the
people injured and their families, and
that’s the No. 1 priority.”
At Shepherd, a multidisciplinary team
focuses on rehabilitating the patient in
a comprehensive continuum of care.
Rehabilitation can begin soon after a
stroke has occurred when a patient is
admitted to Shepherd’s intensive care
unit, says Eugenia Herbst, OTR, postacute
occupational therapy manager. The
patient can then progress to inpatient
therapy at Shepherd’s main campus
and post-acute outpatient therapy at
Shepherd Pathways in nearby Decatur,
Ga. (See bulleted list of services.)
The continuum of care – which
consistently draws families to
Shepherd for stroke care for their
loved ones – also includes brain injury
education, training and peer support
for the patient and family, Herbst
notes. In addition, Shepherd provides
complimentary housing for family
members so they can be near their
loved ones during rehabilitation.
“Family members say they are so
moved with how Shepherd staff care
about them so much, not just their loved
one who was
injured,” DuBose
says. “The family
receives a lot
of education
and resources
to learn about
strokes, and then
we all work as a
team. I’m using
interdisciplinary
therapy
approaches in
ways that I had
never done in
Photo by Steven Dinberg
other facilities.
Often, I work
alongside an
occupational
therapist (OT)
or physical therapist (PT), helping
the patient on his or her speech or
swallowing while the PT helps the
patient with walking, or the OT helps with
feeding or grooming.”
Shepherd also offers the latest in
therapeutic and assistive technologies
that help make it a leader in treating
young stroke patients, says Darryl
Kaelin, medical director of Shepherd’s
ABI Program.
“The technology contributes
significantly to the great outcomes we’re
getting,” he says. “The younger stroke
population has more physical endurance
so they can better utilize the technology
that is available. Families often seek out
Shepherd because they learn about the
technologies we have and the promise
they provide for greater hope for their
loved one’s recovery.”
Among the therapeutic technologies
offered are: Bioness’ wireless functional
electrical stimulation (FES) devices for
upper and lower extremities; FES bikes
for use in physical therapy; fiberoptic
endoscopic evaluation of swallowing
(FEES) and VitalStim therapy for
swallowing; and Saebo’s functional
dynamic neurological orthoses to improve
grasp-and-release activities in people with
little residual arm and hand function.
Dalise Robinson, SLP, speech therapy
manager at Shepherd’s post-acute
rehabilitation facility, Shepherd Pathways,
sees patients at various stages of
their recovery. But there are some
commonalities among all young stroke
patients, and those are a large focus of
Pathways’ rehabilitation care.
“Cognitive communication skill deficits
are always present with strokes, and we
address that in an intensive manner,”
Robinson says. Therapists also work to
help patients reacquire the social skills
associated with speech and other forms
of communication.
“We’re addressing not only functional
language but the social, pragmatic
issues that occur with young strokes,”
she explains. “How do you re-engage
with those around you in a social
manner? We offer group treatment
where patients have the opportunity to
develop social-communication skills
in a therapeutic environment with peer
support. This fosters patient confidence
prior to transitioning their newly learned
skills into the community setting.”
8 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Toni Hickman of Houston, Texas, a mother and
hip-hop music artist who sustained a stroke,
returned to work and has become an advocate
for performing artists with disabilities.
Photo by Eric Kayne
part of me being pushed toward recovery. They didn’t put
limitations on how well I could get. As hard as I was willing to
work, they’d push me.”
Anissa didn’t realize just how much progress she was making
until she got home. That made her all the more grateful, she says.
“I was surprised when I was able to go home six weeks later and
had gone from Point A to Point X,” Anissa explains. “Things had
changed so much, and from then to now, the difference is huge.”
Anissa improved during her stay in the inpatient program. But
upon discharge, she still used a wheelchair full time, her right
arm didn’t move, her right leg was weak and she had issues with
balance, stamina and energy. “I was apprehensive about talking
to people because of the cognitive issues,” she recalls. “I’d text or
email, but not talk on the phone.”
Soon, Anissa started outpatient therapy at Shepherd Pathways
and made great improvements. “I’m still in a wheelchair, but have
started to stand up, walk with a walker or a cane,” she notes.
“When I graduated from Pathways, I was apprehensive at first, but
they had given me instructions, exercises and things to work on.
I’m determined and continue to see progress.”
The Road to Recovery for Toni Hickman
Toni Hickman was in New Orleans in 2007, working
to make her dream come true. A hip-hop music artist
from Atlanta, Toni had wanted this career since she
was 10 years old.
She was negotiating a deal in the Big Easy when
she started vomiting. Toni had a bit of a headache, too.
But there was also this factor weighing heavily on her
mind: She’d had a brain aneurysm in 2004, and the
symptoms were similar.
That time, her mother took her to Emory University
Hospital in Atlanta, where she was diagnosed. “They
did surgery to clamp off the bleeding, and after a few
months, I was pretty much back to normal,” Toni says.
But this time, her condition was much more severe.
“My mom came from Atlanta to New Orleans the day
of the surgery. The doctors at Tulane University Hospital
told her they didn’t know if or how I would come out
of recovery, nor could they tell her if I would ever walk
or talk again. She was also told that she might have to consider
putting me in nursing home,” Toni says.
But a therapist at Tulane had another suggestion. She
recommended that Toni go to Shepherd Center, and soon, Toni
was admitted.
She spent six months at Shepherd Pathways, relearning how to
walk and talk, and regaining the self-confidence necessary for a
career in entertainment.
“Coming to Shepherd was one of the best things that could
have happened to me,” Toni says. “They were all so very
encouraging. It wasn’t like a regular rehabilitation center. They
held a couple of dances while I was there and did so many
things that encouraged me.
“After the second brain surgery, I couldn’t talk, and my brain
was very slow,” she explains. “I couldn’t count money or do that
kind of basic math. It gradually came back, but even then, my
whole right side was basically paralyzed. I was
in a wheelchair for months.”
Since
completing
rehabilitation
at Pathways,
Toni has
released
her first CD,
“Crippled
Pretty.” She
is building
a career
as a public
speaker and
has written
a book titled
“Chemical
Suicide.”
Toni had regained some function before she
came to Shepherd Center. “I was walking, but
with a cane when I got there,” she recalls. “They
helped me get rid of the cane and worked on my
gait. And they put me in speech therapy, which
helped with retraining my brain. I was still forgetful
and not organized.”
Today, Toni has not let the aneurysms slow her
down. Since completing rehabilitation at Pathways,
she has released her first CD, “Crippled Pretty,”
is building a career as a public speaker and has
written a book titled “Chemical Suicide,” which
focuses on the harmful ingredients in common
skin and hair products.
“The album did pretty good – really good
considering it was just me, independently
released,” Toni says. “I’m working on my next
project, but this one is with another artist.”
Toni’s doctors don’t know what caused the
aneurysms, and that’s not uncommon as there often is no known
cause. “I think it might have been stress because those were
very stressful times,” she adds. “Things are good now, though,
and I’m pressing forward.”
To read this story and view more photographs
online, visit www.spinalcolumn.org
Spring 2011 9

ComingBackFeature
Coming Back from a
Freak Accident
Football players’ collision causes
a spinal cord injury, but leads to an
inspirational friendship.
BY BILL SANDERS
10 Spinal Column
To read this story and view more photographs
online, visit www.spinalcolumn.org
Photo by Louie Favorite
When football players Tyson Gentry
and Kurt Coleman collided in a scrimmage
game at Ohio State University five
years ago, Tyson crumbled to the field,
knowing right away that something was
seriously wrong. Tyson’s head hit the
ground and snapped his neck at the C-4
level on his spinal cord. While he didn’t
know the specifics of the injury then, he
knew the severity.
Meanwhile, the hit Kurt took was to
his heart, spirit and will.
For months, Tyson couldn’t move
from the neck down. But in November
2010, he began six months of rigorous,
activity-based therapy in Shepherd
Center’s Beyond Therapy® program.
Tyson has made drastic improvements
in his upper-body strength and his
ability to assist his caregivers in their
daily duties.
Ultimately, Kurt made a comeback,
as well, deciding he could go on playing
football. He’s now a Philadelphia Eagle.
But the tackle on that spring day in
2006 changed the teammates’ lives forever.
Kurt knows he’s a better man today
for having walked this journey with
Tyson. And Tyson, too, appreciates life
in a way he couldn’t before it was almost
taken from him.
“I’m thankful for the recovery I’ve
made and the sensations and arm and
leg movement that I have gotten back,”
says Tyson, who uses a power wheelchair.
“I can’t complain. I stay upbeat
because I know that I really have a
lot to be thankful for.”
www.spinalcolumn.org

When Tyson says he
wouldn’t wish it on anyone,
he isn’t talking about his
condition. He’s talking
about the grief that he
knows Kurt felt for years.
“He was very torn up
about it,” Tyson says. “It
was a freak accident, and
I kept telling him that it
wasn’t his fault in any way,
but it’s got to be tough to
injure your teammate that
way. I’d never wish that
on anyone.”
Tyson and Kurt were
sophomores and barely
knew each other when
Tyson was injured. That
changed over the months
and years that followed. The two are now
close friends, they say.
To this day, Kurt looks to Tyson for
inspiration.
“For me, it’s been both a hardship and
a blessing,” Kurt says. “I experienced real
depression, and he’s gone through his
with a smile on his face, not complaining.
I was eventually able to move on, as far as
playing football. But in terms of putting
it behind me, as a person, no I haven’t
and won’t. I’ve grown from it, and it has
made me who I am today.”
The teammates’ families have even
become close friends, which is one of the
things that means the most to Kurt.
“I was more afraid than Tyson was at
the hospital,” Kurt says. “I saw his parents,
and they hugged me and told me it
was not my fault. I don’t know if I could
have done it without that.”
Tyson is enrolled in graduate school at
Ohio State, working on a master’s degree
in speech and language pathology. He
Photo by Louie Favorite
Former Ohio State University
football player Tyson Gentry is
undergoing rigorous, activity-based
therapy in Shepherd Center’s
Beyond Therapy ® program.
believes one day he’ll
walk again, but that’s
not an immediate goal.
Instead, he focuses on
getting stronger and
more independent
week by week.
“He’s motivated and
really happy with the
progress he’s made,”
says his Beyond
Therapy® physical
therapist, Melissa
Pullia. “He had realistic
goals and knew
what he might be able
to accomplish. He
wants to help his caregivers
more so he’s not
so dependant. And he
needed to start with basic strengthening
tasks. He has a C-4 to -5 level of injury,
but his motor strength is at a C-5 level.
Still, he needed to get stronger before we
could really challenge his balance. Before
we started, he couldn’t sit on a therapy
mat and stay balanced. Now, he can.”
The biggest quality-of-life improvement
has been the significant
decrease in pain in his shoulders,
Pullia notes. “Now, he’s using muscles he
hasn’t been able to use since his injury,”
she explains. “And we’ve gotten to where
his shoulders barely hurt him at all.”
Tyson is grateful for the Beyond
Therapy® staff members who have
worked with him.
“At Shepherd, it’s been really great,”
Tyson says. “Everyone is really nice, and it’s
been great getting here and getting right to
my workouts. They’re hard, but I can see
a difference. And the more, the better.”
MORE ABOUT
SHEPHERD CENTER’S
BEYOND THERAPY ®
Beyond Therapy ® is a rigorous, activitybased
therapy program designed by
Shepherd Center to help people with
a variety of neurological disorders,
including spinal cord injury and brain
injury, improve their lifelong health,
minimize secondary complications and
get the most out of any new neural links
to their muscles.
Beyond Therapy ® is available at
Shepherd Center in Atlanta and at its
satellite location in Franklin, Tenn.
True to its name, Beyond Therapy ®
goes beyond the borders of traditional
therapy programs, where the focus is
on adapting to a new set of capabilities.
Traditional therapy programs are
designed to help patients become
as independent as possible using
compensatory strategies and training
on how to care for themselves after
discharge from the hospital.
In contrast, Beyond Therapy ®
focuses on promoting lifelong wellness
and maximizing muscle and neural
return through a program of intensive
strengthening and motor-patterned
activity concentrating on weaker
muscles and nerve connections that
may have been ignored in the initial
phases of recovery. Optimizing recovery,
toning seldom-used muscles and
decreasing secondary complications
that typically occur among people
with neurological disorders are central
objectives of the program.
Visit www.beyond-therapy.org. Or,
for the Atlanta program, contact Becky
Washburn at 404-352-2020 or
rebecca_washburn@shepherd.org. For
the Tennessee program, contact Scott
Hawes at 615-656-4656 or
scott_hawes@shepherd.org.
Spring 2011 11

AcceleratedCureFeature
Unraveling Multiple Sclerosis
Photos by Louie Favorite
A Family Determined to Do its Part
Shepherd Center is one of 10 sites nationwide collecting data
and searching for answers that might point to a cure.
BY AMANDA CROWE, MA, MPH
It started with numbness in his hands,
feet, face and abdomen. At the time,
Louis Llop ignored the loss of sensation
as it washed over parts of his body –
chalking it up to having a cold or sleeping
the wrong way. He even ventured
outside to chop wood that day, hoping
the physical exertion would set his body
right again.
But these episodes only became more
frequent, and at times, Louis felt as
though he was losing control of his body.
He would soon learn that he had the
beginning stages of multiple sclerosis
(MS) – a disease that damages the myelin
sheath (the protective covering that
surrounds nerve cells), ultimately leading
to impaired neurological and physical function.
“It’s a devastating disease, and it seems to come back when
you least expect it – many times worse than before,” explains
According to the
National MS Society,
about 400,000
Americans have
MS, and every week
about 200 people
are diagnosed.
Worldwide, MS
affects about 2.5
million people.
Louis, 50, whose younger sister also
has MS.
After nearly 20 years of living with
the remitting and relapsing form of this
progressive disease, Louis is determined
to help find a cure. In fact, it’s become
something of a family affair.
Louis, his mother, and six of his
11 siblings are all part of the national
Accelerated Cure Project’s efforts to
create a “Cure Map,” an organized, systematic
way of exposing all the different
factors that could trigger MS.
“We have to find answers,” says
Elizabeth Gonzales, a coordinator
of the study at Shepherd Center.
“Understanding what causes MS is
critical to finding more effective ways to
treat it and ultimately, to cure it.”
By collecting blood samples and
medical histories from people with MS
and their relatives, researchers at nearly
a dozen medical centers, including
Shepherd Center, are beginning to chart
the biological and environmental triggers contributing to MS.
“We’re not only interested in epidemiological data that will
help show patterns of disease in the population, we are also
12 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Left: Family
members Olivia
Evans, Adele Llop,
William Llop, Rita
Llop, Louis Llop,
Coco DiCristina
and Georgia
Tate are helping
Louis and Coco,
who have MS, by
participating in the
Accelerated Cure
Project aimed at
finding a cure. The
project is gathering
blood samples and
medical histories
from family
members to build
a “Cure Map,”
an organized,
systematic way of
exposing all the
different factors that
could trigger MS.
collecting blood samples to try to uncover genetic information
and possible biomarkers for the disease,” explains Ben Thrower,
M.D., medical director of Shepherd’s Andrew C. Carlos
Multiple Sclerosis Institute.
“Finding biomarkers – simple blood tests – might let us
predict earlier who is going to get MS and guide therapies,” he
adds. “Right now, there is a fair amount of guesswork in choosing
an initial therapy. Research may allow us to tailor treatment
to each patient based on these markers.”
Exposing Possible Causes of MS
The Accelerated Cure Project repository is the largest openly
accessible collection of samples and data from people with MS
and their families, and researchers and scientists around the
world are tapping into and sharing this information.
A number of theories exist about the factors that might lead
to MS. Researchers are examining the possible role of:
Genetic factors;
Vitamin D deficiency, which researchers say might help
explain why MS is more common away from the equator
and sunlight;
Certain bacteria and viruses;
Exposure to environmental or industrial toxins;
Nutrition;
Stress/injuries
A person would likely need to have a genetic predisposition
to MS for these to cause it, Dr. Thrower says. For example,
although 90 percent of us have been exposed to Epstein-Barr,
it appears that at the right time with the right genetics, this
may trigger MS. Still, it is unlikely that MS will be pinned on a
single gene.
“What we call MS isn’t one thing, so we will probably find
several genes that contribute to it, and that’s our challenge. It’s
a complex disease,” Dr. Thrower adds.
Symptoms of MS are also highly unpredictable. They vary
from person to person – and even within the same person.
“For me, the plan is to get up and walk every day, but some
attacks can be so severe that I start slurring my words and end
up being bedridden for a time,” Louis says.
Advancing Science and Giving Back
Since 2006, Shepherd alone has enrolled more than 500 people
in the Accelerated Cure Project. The goal is to register 10,000
people across the country, and 2,500 are already participating.
By taking part in this study, Louis and his family believe they
are part of the solution, helping to unlock answers.
“If they are able to find something that will benefit someone
with MS in the future, I am blessed to be part of these efforts,”
says Louis, adding that he has already seen progress in the treatment
of the disease. “When I was diagnosed, there was no medicine
– just steroids. Today, there are numerous drugs to help.”
Gonzales has also found that people with MS want to do
their part to help others. Family members are also committed
to making a difference and helping to move medicine toward a
cure and reach many milestones in between.
“I think this study provides hope for some people,” she says.
“It’s empowering. Even though they have the disease, they can
help to conquer it.”
Those interested in participating in the study at Shepherd
Center should contact Elizabeth Gonzales at
elizabeth_gonzales@shepherd.org or 404-350-3116 or Erica
Sutton at Erica_Sutton@shepherd.org or 404 -350-1305. For
more information on the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple
Sclerosis, including how to participate if you are not located
near Shepherd Center, visit www.acceleratedcure.org or contact
Accelerated Cure Project’s repository director, Sara Loud,
at 781-487-0032.
Other participating sites include Barrow Neurological
Institute (Phoenix), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
(Boston), Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore), MS Research
Center of New York (New York City), Ohio State University
Medical Center (Columbus), Stanford University (Palo Alto),
University of Colorado Denver, University of Massachusetts
MS Center (Worcester), and the MS Clinical Center at the
University of Texas Southwestern (Dallas).
To read this story and view more photographs
online, visit www.spinalcolumn.org
Winter 2011 13

WheelchairFeature
LIFE ON WHEELS
Shepherd Center helps people find the right wheelchairs for their active lives.
BY JOHN CHRISTENSEN
The photos on Duane Morrow’s
office desk show off his treasures –
his wife Kim, their five children and
two of his wheelchairs.
The rugged silver chair with large
silver disks covering the spokes and son
Flynt reclining on the red upholstery is
Duane’s rugby chair. The sleek threewheeler
with the red and black University
of Georgia motif and daughter Rhys
aboard is his racing chair.
Duane also has a chair for hunting,
a hand cycle and two everyday chairs.
He plays golf, competes in wheelchair
races, and is the fastest quadriplegic
wheelchair marathoner in the United
States and second fastest in the world.
“I’ve found a new normal,” Duane
says, “and the wheelchair facilitates it.”
Once a device for transporting
people with disabilities from one
place to another, the wheelchair
has evolved into a workhorse with
seemingly inexhaustible uses. Besides
transport and standard chairs, there
are lightweight chairs, ultra-lightweight
chairs, sports chairs and pediatric
chairs. There are chairs for pool and
beach use, chairs for the shower, chairs
that tilt, recline and lift, chairs with six
wheels and chairs with four-wheel drive.
And where the wheelchair was
once dark, heavy and cumbersome,
many are now colorful, flexible and
maneuverable. In fact, at the heart
of Duane’s “new normal” is that the
wheelchair is not only the gateway to
life-restoring activity, but also a source
of pride and self-expression.
“We’re not victims,” Duane says.
“People in wheelchairs want you to see
them, not some big bulky chair. That’s
14 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

why chairs are getting smaller. People in wheelchairs check out
other people’s wheelchairs.”
When Shepherd Center’s Seating Clinic opened 25 years ago,
clinic manager David Kreutz says, “We had a steel cage to store
some cushions and seating components and held clinic in one of
the conference rooms four hours a week.”
Today, the clinic has five employees, a full schedule that
accommodates 100 patients a week, and a wide selection of
wheelchairs and accessories. Shepherd also has a fleet of several
hundred wheelchairs for inpatient use.
Shepherd has one of the largest
groups of wheelchair athletes in the
“People in
wheelchairs
want you to
see them,
not some
big bulky
chair. That’s
why chairs
are getting
smaller.”
– Duane
Morrow
country, which underscores the hospital’s
commitment to returning people with
disabilities to active, productive lives. But
not everyone chooses to play a sport.
“The Seating Clinic addresses a
person’s mobility needs for activities of
daily living (grocery shopping, getting
to the bathroom),” Kreutz explains. “The
clinic therapist evaluates a person’s
physical and functional abilities, as well
as their needs and lifestyle.
“We also assess their ability to push
a manual wheelchair or drive a power
wheelchair,” he adds. “Factors that
influence one’s decision include intended
use, weight capacity, cost and durability. Where the person lives,
the environment and transportation all factor into the selection of a
particular manual or power wheelchair. Postural supports and seat
cushion selection affect the person’s balance, skin protection and
ability to perform activities throughout the day.”
One of the most dramatic changes in wheelchairs has been
the shift from heavy steel frames with brackets for mounting
wheels to welded tubular frames made from titanium and aircraft
aluminum. The result is a lightweight chair that disassembles
easily for transportation. Accessories range from colorful
upholstery, pouches, lap trays, mirrors, lights and caddies to
carry larger items.
Performance options include suspension forks high-pressure
tires and ultra-light wheels. Front wheels (casters) may be small
and hard, or soft and wide. Rear tires come in lots of different
profiles including knobby, high pressure and solid foam with a
variety of tread patterns.
“In some ways it is like buying a car,” Kreutz says. “Some
people with experience in using a wheelchair know exactly
what they want. Others come in with no knowledge and want to
understand all the options, features, adjustments and colors.”
Matt Edens, sports teams coordinator at Shepherd, describes
the first time a patient tries a sports chair: “It’s so different from
their everyday chair – the turning radius, light weight, and speed –
and they go ‘Wow!’ Their eyes open wide, and they get that there
is life after their injury.”
Photos by Gary Meek
Shepherd Center Seating Clinic manager David Kreutz,
left, discusses wheelchair and cushion options with spinal
cord injury patient Susan Bowman of Cordova, Tenn.
One of the most popular options for sports chairs is the Click
Strap that athletes wear across their waists and knees. “When
you’ve got those on,” Edens says, “the chair just turns with you.
You’re one with the chair.”
Cost is an issue, of course. Chairs can range from as little
as a few hundred dollars to $40,000 and more, and insurance
doesn’t always cover the costs. But grants are available from
foundations and charitable organizations, and many people raise
funds through special events like BBQs, golf tournaments and
car washes.
“With all the innovations and the evolution of wheelchair
capabilities, there’s really nothing you can’t do,” Duane says. “If
you put your mind to it, you can figure out an adaptive way to do
it. And it’s fun to be cool in a wheelchair.”
Spring 2011 15

Research
Secondary Complications:
A Primary
Target
Photo by Gary Meek
Shepherd Center teams with two
other institutions to shed new light
on a preventable threat.
BY SARA BAXTER
Shepherd Center ICU charge nurse Anneka Hitch checks on a spinal cord
patient to monitor any signs of medical complications.
On a Saturday afternoon last fall, about 30 healthcare workers
from throughout South Carolina gathered in a meeting room in
Charleston to hear presentations on a topic they probably didn’t
learn about in their formal medical training – how to prevent
secondary complications from developing in people who sustain
spinal cord injuries (SCI).
Secondary complications are a scourge in medical care, but
people with SCI are particularly vulnerable. For example, if a
patient’s body position isn’t changed regularly, he or she could
develop pressure sores that may later become infected, or
even develop into life-threatening blood clots. Other secondary
complications range from urinary tract infections to bowel and
bladder problems to pneumonia.
“Many people think complications happen down the road – after a
patient has been paralyzed for a long period of time,” says Deborah
Backus, PT, Ph.D., associate director of SCI research at Shepherd
Center. She helped conduct the training. “While that can and does
happen, many complications occur early – even as early as when
the patient is on a backboard waiting to get initial treatment.”
The complications often bring much more than discomfort:
They prolong rehabilitation, pose setbacks to progress or
put the patient’s life in danger.
“Clinicians at trauma centers are trained to save your life,” says
Joycelyn Craig, BSN, RN, CRRN, Shepherd’s nurse education
manager and also one of the leaders of the training session. “But
in the case of people with SCI, clinicians may not be trained in
prevention of secondary complications.”
A new research and training project in South Carolina, and
involving Shepherd Center, seeks to change that.
Headed by former Shepherd researcher James Krause, Ph.D. –
who has quadriplegia and who, with Shepherd’s help, managed to
avoid secondary complications after recently breaking his leg – the
project is designed to predict and prevent the factors that cause
complications in people with SCI. It is funded with a $3.9 million
grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC),
where Dr. Krause serves as associate dean of research. Partnering
with MUSC on the project are Shepherd and the Los Amigos
National Rehabilitation Center. Dr. Backus is leading the training
and is the site lead and coordinator.
“The research will identify the factors that lead to
secondary complications, and that information will be
passed on in the form of training to clinicians and physicians
to help prevent these conditions,” Dr. Krause explains.
The daylong training sessions like the one held last fall in
Charleston are a key component of the project. Two more are
scheduled in the coming months in Spartanburg and Columbia.
Conducted by Craig, Dr. Backus and Shepherd Medical Director
Emeritus David Apple, M.D., the sessions provide an overview of
secondary complications and strategies to prevent and reduce
them. During the next three years, as the research progresses, new
knowledge will be incorporated into curricula to ensure healthcare
workers are fully trained.
“These healthcare professionals know secondary complications
can happen,” Craig says, “but they don’t always fully understand
their role as clinicians in preventing them.” To help medical staff
translate their knowledge into practice, Craig is developing a
downloadable template that hospitals can use to document
processes like turning a patient. “Right now nothing like that
exists,” she notes.
The larger research project is actually a follow-up to a study
done by Dr. Krause when he worked at Shepherd. From 1989 to
2002, Shepherd’s SCI Model System program surveyed 1,400
people with SCI about their injury, personality, support system,
behaviors and health. The current study is similar, but will include
people who have never received rehabilitation services.
“In this new project, we’re examining how lack of access to care
relates to developing secondary conditions,” Dr. Krause says. “Some
people receive no rehabilitation after injury, or they don’t have access
to attendant care, or they’re discharged with no follow-up. We’ll look
at how these circumstances can lead to secondary complications,
and then use what we learn to educate clinicians and patients.”
16 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

ManagedCareCorner
Lesson Learned:
THE IMPORTANCE
OF PLANNING AHEAD
TWO FORMER PATIENTS SHARE THEIR INSIGHT
ON INSURANCE COVERAGE.
BY AMANDA CROWE, MA, MPH
For Billy Hulse and Matthew Davies, it started as an
ordinary day.
Matthew Davies, 49, former CEO of United Healthcare of
Central Florida, was traveling to a meeting in Jacksonville in
2005 when he was involved in a car accident that resulted in a
C-7 spinal cord injury (SCI) and moderate brain injury.
For businessman Billy Hulse, 63, a history of night terrors – a
medical condition caused by an over-arousal of the central nervous
system during sleep – led him to slam his head into a shelf
above his bed, injuring his spinal cord at the C-2 level in 2009.
Most of us don’t think that we, or a loved one, will sustain
these types of injuries. But accidents happen. Each year, nearly
11,000 Americans sustain SCIs, according to the American
Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. So, you
have to plan for the worst-case scenario.
Perhaps the best advice and lesson learned come from people
recovering from SCI.
Be prepared.
“We were totally unprepared,” Billy says. “You find yourself in
a position where you are less able to earn an income, and your
expenses go through the roof.”
Understand the limits of your
health plan.
Having health insurance is one thing:
Nearly 60 million Americans don’t have
any coverage. But even if you have a
health plan, it may not provide adequate
coverage.
Many plans – Medicare, Medicaid
and commercial plans alike – have limited
coverage for catastrophic injuries.
Yet, patients with these types of injuries
require early, intensive, coordinated
and ongoing specialty care to maximize
their functional abilities.
“I don’t think there is broad understanding
of the limits that are imposed
when you have a catastrophic event,”
Matthew Davies says. “You have to take the time to learn what
is covered under your insurance before you need it.”
Billy, for example, is only allowed $3,000 toward durable
medical equipment. When you factor in his wheelchair,
hospital bed and other medical supplies – which total more
than $50,000 a year and are essential to his daily living and
recovery – that money doesn’t go far. That’s apart from his
round-the-clock medical care.
Insist on catastrophic coverage.
If you work for a company, insist that your employer select an
insurance carrier that provides adequate catastrophic care and
rehabilitation coverage.
“Our error was not having better insurance coverage.
Insurance isn’t user-friendly or admirably designed,” says Betty,
Billy’s wife, who has a staff of six healthcare professionals to
help care for Billy. “You can’t imagine the magnitude of this
kind of injury until you are dealing with it. There is no way I
could take care of him by myself, or even with two people.”
If you can afford extra coverage, buy it.
Since their ordeal, many of the Hulse’s friends have bought
supplemental insurance to cover catastrophic injuries.
“If you can afford it, buy it,” says Billy, who has been able to
continue his work as a private investor in small software and
aviation companies. “Without a strong medical policy to cover
these types of injuries, you can quickly become overwhelmed by
the expenses. It should be mandatory.”
Matthew is grateful that he bought a long-term disability
plan in 1988. Although he paid out-of-pocket from 1998 to
2005, he says it has more than paid for itself because of the covered
benefits – including income replacement after the accident.
“It’s another monthly payment, but it gives you peace of
mind and greater flexibility if and when you ever have to use it,”
he says. “Your financial resources run out pretty quickly. Longterm
disability coverage is critical to catastrophic injury.”
Photo by Gary Meek
Billy Hulse, who sustained a C-2 spinal
cord injury in 2009, offers advice on
having adequate insurance coverage
for catastrophic injuries.
Cherish your support network.
As Billy and Matthew share, the tireless
support of friends and family – who
shoulder a tremendous burden, too –
is priceless.
“You can’t put a price tag on a support
network to sustain and keep you motivated,”
says Matthew, now a healthcare
advocate focusing on the challenges and
barriers faced by older adults and people
with disabilities. “It makes a huge difference
to your quality of life.”
Billy and Betty say while they face
constant unknowns, they have one
another to lean on. She is constantly
inspired by Billy’s positive spirit.
“He’s so busy living despite the challenges.
He lifts us up,” she adds.
Spring 2011 17

PatientProfile
Photos by Gary Meek
SETBACKS
Former spinal cord injury and MS
patient shows a strong spirit through
a series of difficult times.
BY BILL SANDERS
DETERMINED TO
KEEP GOING
DESPITE
The life-restoring, soul-strengthening therapy
that Shepherd Center provides compelled former
spinal cord injury patient Connie Kay, Ph.D., of
The Villages, Fla., to return to the hospital’s day
program for a third time last fall – two years after
she completed inpatient therapy at Shepherd.
“I got more hugs in two days at Shepherd than in
the 10 months since I completed the day program
the first time,” says Connie, 64. “What Shepherd is,
is so rare in this world. It kept me going at a bleak
time. They say once a part of the Shepherd family,
always a part, and that’s how I feel.”
During her most recent stay at Shepherd,
Connie heard some tough-to-deal-with news:
Because of her declining bone density, she could
not continue efforts to stand and walk again. But
What she found
at Shepherd is
exactly what
she had come
to expect
– family to
cry with, be
loved by and
eventually to
help her cope
and recover.
true to Connie’s strong spirit, this setback – another in a series
of difficult circumstances over the past few years – didn’t keep
her down for long. She credits her Shepherd “family” with
providing the encouragement and care she needed to address
this latest hurdle.
Connie first became part of the Shepherd family in 2008
– 13 years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but immediately
on the heels of a cervical epidural hematoma that left
her paralyzed.
“I am a psychologist, had my own practice in Florida and
kept it active for a couple of years after the MS diagnosis, but
it began to take a toll on me, mostly with fatigue,”
Connie explains. “Then in 2008, I’m still mobile,
walking and functioning well, and I wake up one
morning with a sore neck. That lasted a week and
was slowly getting worse.
“I went to an ER, they put me on a gurney and
the last thing I remember saying is that I was going
down. I woke up in a different hospital, paralyzed
from the neck down,” she recalls.
When Connie transferred to Shepherd Center,
doctors could not predict what her future might
hold. She could only move a finger. The Florida
surgeon, who Connie credits for helping save her
life, didn’t expect Connie to regain much function,
she says.
Amidst this life-altering trauma, Connie was
still reeling from the recent news that her life
18 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

partner, Beverly, had been diagnosed
with brain cancer.
“I knew from being a psychologist
that multiple traumas at once
are difficult,” Connie says. “Now I
was living it.”
But Connie soon learned that her
spinal cord injury (SCI) was incomplete,
and she began to regain some movement.
She completed three months
of inpatient therapy at Shepherd and
returned home with some strength in
her upper body.
Connie and Beverly began planning
the rest of their lives – whatever that
would look like.
“With my MS, we’d always assumed
I’d die first,” Connie says. “Beverly was a
tennis pro in great health, and then there
I was in a power chair taking care of her
as she underwent radiation treatment.”
Connie stayed with Beverly as long as
she could, but eventually had to return to
Shepherd in spring 2009 for a month of
intense therapy in the spinal cord injury
day program.
Then she returned home, and unable
to care for Beverly, Connie made the
heart-wrenching decision to put her in
hospice care. She visited Beverly daily
until she died in her arms about two
months later. In time, Connie decided
to return to Shepherd in fall 2009 for a
six-week day program.
What she found at Shepherd is exactly
what she had come to expect – family
to cry with, be loved by and eventually to
help her cope and recover.
“The people at Shepherd were like
family to Beverly,” Connie says. “They
had done everything in their power
to make sure she had everything she
needed while she was taking care of me.
The love and concern, as well as excellent
therapy, saved my life, much more
than the surgeon did. When I came
back after Beverly died, the outpouring
of love was incredible.”
Jill Koval, Ph.D., director of psychological
services in Shepherd’s inpatient SCI
program, says the love goes both ways.
“I met Connie the first time she came
in and have followed her through ever
since,” Dr. Koval says. “Connie is like a
Connie Kay, Ph.D., of The Villages,
Fla., has completed three rounds of
therapy in Shepherd Center’s SCI Day
Program. Connie says her life was
saved by the excellent therapy she
received at Shepherd Center, as well
as the love and concern shown toward
her and her family by the staff.
sponge in how she soaks it all in. She is
very open to anything that is offered, and
there’s always been a level of trust that
what we were offering would help her.
“And I never saw any quit in her. Even
the hardest things that came her way,
with Beverly dying, her grandchildren
getting sick (she has two with cancer),
she always has had a good balance
between appropriate feelings
and an attitude to keep going and
be independent and be there for her
family. She is very special to us,” Dr.
Koval adds.
After her second stay in Shepherd’s
day program, Connie returned home
knowing that nothing would be the
same again. Dealing with both a spinal
cord injury and MS would mean
good days and difficult ones. So she
went about finding a caregiver, and
her Shepherd friends kept in touch
throughout the process.
In 2010, Connie lost some of what
she’d gained in strength and mobility, and
she’s had some other setbacks, as well.
“I had been hospitalized for a nonrelated
injury for four weeks and then
spent six weeks in a rehab center,”
Connie explains. “It became clear that
I’d lost some of the ground I’d made in
my leg strength. I was having problems
standing again.”
So back she came to Shepherd in
fall 2010.
“I returned to work with the same
treatment team that knows and loves
me,” she says. “My goal was to at least be
where I was, probably further along, by
the time I left.”
Instead, Connie learned the news
about that her declining bone density.
Attempting to stand, let alone walk again,
could have caused her legs to break.
“My nurse, Velma, and my case
manager, Marilyn, were given the task
of telling me the news,” Connie says.
“I guarantee there was not a dry eye in
the room.”
But, in time, Connie began to develop
new goals and plans.
“The staff assisted me throughout my
entire stay with new directions for me,”
she explains. “First of all, we established
a wellness plan in order to maintain
and prevent further deterioration. This
includes swimming three times a week.
Once in the pool, with the assistance
of a neck flotation device, I am able to
do something close to the elementary
backstroke and propel myself the full
length of the pool and back. If I am in
at least three feet of water, I can attempt
walking with assistance due to lowered
gravity in the pool. So, I will be vertical
after all!”
No one who knows Connie would
expect anything less.
To read this story and view
more photographs online,
visit www.spinalcolumn.org
Spring 2011 19

Q+A
ask the DOC
Shepherd Center physicians answer medical questions from patients and family members.
Q: After my spinal cord injury, others tell me I need
antibiotics if I suspect a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Is this true?
A: Spinal cord injuries may lead to impairments in multiple areas
of the body. One major area is the urinary system. But bladder
function can be affected in various ways, and each person
may experience different sets of issues. When the bladder
system is altered, the risk of infections increases. Some
patients may need to use an indwelling catheter or perform
intermittent catheterizations (ICs) to drain urine. This may
further increase the risk of developing a UTI.
However, just having bacteria in the urine does not constitute
an infection that requires antibiotics. Many patients will have
low levels of bacteria, yet not have any clinical problems. In
fact, frequently, the person may clear up over time with no
interventions. In other cases, increasing fluids may prove
helpful. Adding urine acidifiers such as vitamin C or cranberry
pills, though not scientifically proven, also has been tried.
The mere presence of a change in odor may not have any
clinical significance. This can come from several factors – not
necessarily a significant infection. Good hydration, proper
catheter care and improved catheterization technique may
alleviate this symptom.
Predominantly, when treating urinary system problems, we
consider the following: Are there new symptoms or has a
significant change in the bladder status occurred? Has this
change been going on for a while, or did it just start? Are there
any other associated findings?
Some blood in the urine, or some spontaneous production
of urine, may be a sign of a possible infection. Nonetheless,
because many patients see resolution of their symptoms
spontaneously, persistence of symptoms is more important. A
fever of greater than 101.5 is a more likely indicator of infection,
especially if associated with shaking chills. Under these
circumstances, the physician may send a specimen to the lab
for evaluation. Only with that information can the appropriate
antibiotic be prescribed, if needed.
Antibiotics are not without risks. Allergic reactions can occur.
These can be of minor consequence with a brief rash, or they
can be severe enough to cause respiratory failure or worse.
Also, with repeated antibiotic usage, resistance to antibiotics
may occur, and some bacteria may become difficult to treat at
all, even with IV antibiotics. Furthermore, antibiotics may cause
stomach upset and/or diarrhea, which can greatly impact a
person with a spinal cord injury.
So yes, some urinary tract infections need to be treated. But not all
symptoms imply a significant infection. Good clinical judgment is
important because antibiotics can have negative consequences.
Most patients do extremely well with their bladder programs and may
go years without infections. Further research in this area continues.
— Gerald Bilsky, M.D., Medical Director, Outpatient Services
Q: After I am done with my inpatient rehabilitation and discharge
from Shepherd Center, with whom do I need to follow up?
A: Upon completing your inpatient rehabilitation course, you will need
to follow up with your primary care physician, as well as a physiatrist
(a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician). The majority of the
attending physicians at Shepherd are physiatrists.
Just as a cardiologist cares for issues relating to the heart, and an
internist addresses issues such as hypertension and diabetes, a
physiatrist (no, not psychiatrist and no, not podiatrist), would follow
issues relating to your spinal cord or brain injury. A physiatrist is
a physician who has completed medical school, followed by a
four-year residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and
perhaps even further specialized training (fellowship training) in
spinal cord injury. Physiatrists treat a wide range of problems from
musculoskeletal issues, including sore shoulders and low back
pain, to catastrophic events such as spinal cord and brain injury,
and stroke.
People with spinal cord injury are at higher risk for certain medical
conditions that physiatrists are trained to diagnose and treat.
Physiatrists also monitor routine maintenance items based upon
the medications the patient is taking. Physiatrists, because of their
special training, are more attuned to these issues. Thus, follow-up
with a physiatrist is recommended.
— Anna Choo Elmers, M.D., Physiatrist
Gerald Bilsky, M.D.,
Medical Director,
Outpatient Services
Submit your questions for “Ask the Doc”
to jane_sanders@shepherd.org.
Anna Choo Elmers,
M.D., Physiatrist
20 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Q&A
Q+A
with J. Tobias Musser, M.D.,
Physiatrist, Shepherd Pain Institute
INTERVIEWED BY JANE M. SANDERS
Q: What drew you to the specialty of physical medicine
and rehabilitation (physiatry)?
A: Its breadth. It is a field that encompasses many other areas
of medicine, including neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics
and rheumatology. The field also involves nutrition, wellness,
physical fitness, kinesiology and mental health. With my
interest in holistic, mind-body medicine, I chose physiatry
because it interlaces all of these specialties into one. As it is
an ever-evolving field, my “job description” evolves in parallel,
allowing for progressive exploration.
Q: What are some of the most promising new treatments
in interventional spine and pain medicine?
A: PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy offers a promising
solution to accelerate healing of tendon injuries,
osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, and even nerve
injuries, naturally without subjecting the patient to significant
risk. PRP is an emerging treatment in a new realm of
medicine called “regenerative medicine.” We’re starting
to see some very good evidence that shows its positive
effects, which involves using one’s own platelets that have
been separated from the blood, concentrated and then
injected into damaged tissue under ultrasound guidance.
Platelets contain a powerful cocktail of growth factors and
attract one’s own stem cells to help dramatically accelerate
healing and enhance tissue recovery. This therapy is being
performed around the country, especially for elite athletes,
and we hope to offer it at Shepherd Center soon once more
solid evidence is published.
The most exciting treatment in pain management is spinal
cord stimulation, which is a type of neuromodulation used
to treat chronic pain syndromes. This therapy involves
implanting electrodes in the spinal canal in a minimally
invasive surgical procedure. The electrodes interrupt pain
impulses before they reach the brain and replace those
impulses with a comfortable sensation. This therapy
is effective for severe chronic arm, leg, low back and
abdominal pain. It is especially effective for most pain
complaints after spinal cord injury. We’ve been doing it
at Shepherd Center for more than five years now, and
I continue to be amazed at how effective it is for most
neurologic-based pain. It has truly revolutionized the field of
pain medicine.
To read more of this interview and
view more photographs online,
visit www.spinalcolumn.org
Photo by Leita Cowart
Q: What is distinctive about the Shepherd Pain Institute’s
approach to treating chronic pain?
A: Our team.There are very few pain clinics in Georgia that
offer a truly comprehensive and multidisciplinary program
that provides advanced comprehensive interventional pain
medicine, manual rehabilitation therapists and doctorate-level
pain psychological services.
As physiatrists and rehabilitation providers, our approach to
patient care is always focused on establishing positive doctorpatient
relationships that lead to enhanced function and quality of
life. Getting people back to a healthy lifestyle that includes work
and play is important to us. Our treatment team is committed to
providing the highest level of care and service to our patients.
The ultimate goal of treatment is to reduce or alleviate pain through
education, hands-on therapies, appropriate injection therapies
using cutting-edge technologies, and coordinated rehabilitation
and exercise therapies. We do this while avoiding the use of
potentially addictive and dangerous medications. We do so by
combining the most up-to-date traditional and alternative therapies
to achieve maximal outcomes. You can’t just fix someone’s
problem with a pain pill. You have to have a comprehensive
approach, and that’s what Shepherd Pain Institute is all about.
Our physicians offer cutting-edge, innovative treatments. We are
never afraid to think outside of the box, especially for patients in
whom other pain interventions have failed. We’re always looking for
a solution for our patients’ pain
INTERESTING FACTS: J. TOBIAS MUSSER, M.D.
Fellowship: Shepherd Center
Residency: Emory University
Internship: Hershey Medical
Center, Pennsylvania State
University College of Medicine
Medical School: Temple
University School of Medicine
Random Facts:
• Dr. Musser and his fiancée
are raising three Weimaraner
puppies.
• He enjoys carpentry and
photography.
• Dr. Musser enjoys traveling; he’s
visited every state except for
Alaska. He’s also visited every
state park and vineyard/winery in
Georgia and is gradually making
his way to parks in surrounding
states.
Spring 2011 21

ShepherdAlums
BY BILL SANDERS
Monica Quimby,
of Scarborough, Maine
Brittany Riffe,
of Goose Creek, S.C.
Kurt Blankenship,
of Little Rock, Ark.
Ryan Bloyd,
of Jasper, Ga.
FROM NEAR
AND FAR
Former Shepherd Center patients
from across the nation report on their
productive lives post-injury.
It’s been more than 11 years since Kurt
Blankenship, 29, of Little Rock, Ark.,
was in an automobile accident that left
him with paraplegia. But almost since
Day One, Kurt has been committed
to moving on with his life. Since then,
he’s earned a college degree, married
and is now a management support
specialist with the Social Security
Administration.
“It’s really been a great process,”
Kurt says. “I got out of the hospital and
didn’t really know what I was going to
do, but I jumped right back into life
and haven’t stopped.
“My life is completely different
than what it would have been like if I
hadn’t been at Shepherd Center,” he adds.
“Physically and emotionally, you have to
adjust, but with the support of family and
friends, I have had no problem with the
adjustments.”
Kurt plays wheelchair basketball for
the Arkansas Rollin’ Razorbacks in
Little Rock, where he moved with his
wife, Carrie. She is a physical therapist
who works in pediatrics with Arkansas
Easter Seals.
Kurt and Carrie are finalizing their
adoption of 4-month-old twin girls; they
spend every free moment loving on them.
“You know, kind of like being able to
walk one day and waking up the next not
being able to, we went from no babies to
two babies overnight,” Kurt says. “There
are lots of adjustments required to handle
both situations, and I know that I was being
prepared for this 11 years ago.
“Plus, now I have an amazing wife along
with the same family and friends that
helped to support me back then,” he adds.
“All I can say is that when God is leading
you, He will prepare you, and if you are
willing to walk through His doors, the ride
is a ride full of amazement and joy.”
Ryan Bloyd, 34, of Jasper, Ga., is a former
Shepherd Center brain injury patient who
knows he is blessed to have the unusually
strong support system he’s had during his
recovery.
22 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Not only have friends and family
been there for Ryan, but his employer
– Northwest Exterminating – has
gone above and beyond what most
employers would do.
“They’ve done so much for me, I
cannot even say enough about it,” Ryan
says. “They’ve made me so happy.”
Ryan was one of Northwest
Exterminating’s top salesmen before
a blood infection led to a brain aneurysm
in fall 2008. What followed
was seven months of treatment and
rehabilitation at Shepherd Center
and Shepherd Pathways. Most
of Ryan’s hard work has involved
relearning how to talk and communicate.
He is far ahead of where
he was and expects to see continued
improvement.
“Ryan’s doing great,” says his
mother, Sandy Bloyd. “What’s really
helped him was the full support of his
employer. Two years ago, in the summer
of 2009, they had a golf tournament
fundraiser to raise $25,000 to
cover additional, specialized speech
therapy. Last June, they created a job
for him back in the office.
“He was a top salesman, but can’t
do that yet with his speech still
coming back,” she adds. “So he’s in
billing now, working three days a
week and going to speech therapy
twice a week.”
Northwest Exterminating has
raised another $25,000 for Ryan’s
continued therapy.
Sandy credits Shepherd Center and
Pathways for giving Ryan his life back.
“I didn’t know it at the time, just
how critical they were,” she says.
“We were fortunate that he went to
Shepherd, and then Pathways was
phenomenal. We’re just so blessed.”
Monica Quimby, 24, of
Scarborough, Maine, is a self-admitted
extreme person. She sustained an
L-1 spinal cord injury in 2006 while
doing a double back flip on a ski
slope at Sunday River in Maine.
For the fifth anniversary of the accident,
Monica, who uses a wheelchair
on a daily basis, held a party.
“Celebrate life,” she says. “This was
a life party.”
Monica is thankful for life and
knows her injuries could have been
fatal. So celebrating life seems like the
natural thing to do, she says.
She’s also in a celebratory mood
because she recently earned a master’s
degree in higher education. She
plans to continue her studies, setting
her sights on a doctorate in neuroscience,
with hopes of a career in
stem cell research.
Monica was on the skiing team at
the University of New Hampshire
(where she earned an undergraduate
degree in molecular, cellular and developmental
biology) and was practicing
her jumps when she was injured.
“I missed the landing by 20 feet,” she
says. “I never lost consciousness, but it
was very painful to say the least.”
After 10 days in the ICU at Maine
Medical Center in Portland, Monica
was transferred to Shepherd Center
for rehabilitation.
“It was the best experience of my
life,” she says. “When I got there, I
couldn’t move or feel from my ribcage
down. I set a goal to walk with long
leg braces by the time I left, and I did
that. During therapy, we realized I
had muscle function in my thighs and
glutes. So I could walk some with the
braces, drive and transfer.”
Monica is now a biology professor
at Southern Maine Community
College and loves it. She uses a wheelchair
because the long leg braces aren’t
that practical for her. But she hopes
one day to be walking again.
“I keep working hard and staying
positive,” she says. “But life is good
as is.”
Brittany Riffe, 21, of Goose Creek,
S.C., sustained a T-8 spinal cord
injury in an automobile accident in
2007. Since then, she has experienced
pain and complications, but a positive
attitude and the things she learned
at Shepherd Center have pulled her
through it, she says.
“Shepherd Center taught me things,”
Brittany says. “I hated the fact that I
couldn’t walk. But then I met all these
people at Shepherd who had worse
injuries than I did, and they were all
more positive than I was. It changed my
whole view of things. Now, no matter
how sick I get, I still think about how
lucky I am.”
Since being discharged from
Shepherd Center, Brittany has graduated
from high school and enrolled in
online college classes. But bone infections,
urinary tract infections and gall
bladder problems have kept Brittany
in and out of hospitals for the past
three years. She’s now in a back brace
until summer.
“I’ve had nine procedures, counting
the first surgery after my accident,”
Brittany says. “But my new neurologist
is an amazing doctor, and he thinks if I
can push through and follow everything
they ask me to do, that I shouldn’t have
to have surgery again and can get rid of
infections forever.”
Brittany has stayed active with her
friends, and getting out of the house on
a regular basis helps her keep her mind
off of her problems, she explains.
“That helps,” Brittany adds. “But
what I learned at Shepherd helps a lot,
too. It gave me determination, but also
perspective.”
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.
Spring 2011 23

Volunteer Profile
Mark Sunderland
Popular Atlanta interior designer creates unique
ways to give back to Shepherd Center.
BY RACHEL FRANCO
Sometimes an assistant changes your business. Sometimes an
assistant does even more by changing your life. Such is the
case with Mark Sunderland, a Shepherd Center volunteer and
fundraiser, and his former design assistant.
Mark and his former assistant became acquainted when they
both worked at the design firm, Beverly Hall, in the mid-1990s.
As business associates, they collaborated often. But it was a
rainy, summer day about a decade ago that transformed Mark
and his former assistant from a creative design team to lifelong
friends and introduced them to Shepherd Center.
Mark’s former assistant was in a terrible car accident.
Eventually, Mark’s former assistant entered Shepherd Center’s
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program, which provides comprehensive
rehabilitation care for people who have sustained
traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries.
After visiting his friend regularly and witnessing
firsthand Shepherd Center’s extraordinary care,
Mark felt compelled to volunteer. And volunteer with
FoundationFeatures
Spring 2011
passion and commitment he does every
Thursday for the ABI Unit that contributed to
his friend’s recovery.
“Mark is passionate about everything he
does,” says Dean Melcher, director of annual
giving at the Shepherd Center Foundation. “If it
wasn’t Shepherd Center, I’m sure he’d be deeply
involved in another organization. So, we’re very
happy that he has this strong commitment to us.”
As a volunteer for the ABI Unit, Mark assists
with filing and other administrative tasks,
but his favorite activity is setting up the unit’s
master calendar, a large, wall-mounted magnetic
chart that displays each patient’s daily
schedule. Mark also develops a deep connection
with patients and their families by sharing
his own personal experiences at Shepherd.
Volunteering at Shepherd is “pure happiness”
for Mark, he says. “I could be exhausted after
working all day and then volunteering,” Mark
explains. “But when I leave Shepherd, I
feel totally energized. It’s an incredibly
rewarding experience because it’s giving
back.”
Mark feels equally as fulfilled when he applies his innate
creativity to developing unique ways to raise money for
Shepherd Center. For example, his company, Mark Sunderland
Interiors, exhibited at a film industry trade show called “The
Next Cool Thing” in January 2011. He donated a portion of
his ticket sales to Shepherd and also created the “Shepherd
Lounge” as part of his 10,000-square-foot exhibition. The
lounge was a Hollywood, art deco-themed space that included
Shepherd signage and that allowed Shepherd Center representatives
to network and share the hospital’s mission with others.
Additionally, Mark donates to Shepherd 100 percent of his
proceeds from sales of the book, Spectacular Homes of Georgia, in
which he and 41 other designers are featured. Funds from these
and other fundraising efforts by Mark go to the ABI Unit and
to Shepherd’s Annual Fund.
While tragic circumstances introduced Mark to Shepherd,
inspirational people like Mark’s friend, Shepherd co-founder
Alana Shepherd, fellow volunteer Steve Lore keep him there.
“I promised to always be a friend to my former design assistant
and still am today,” Mark says.
Photo by Jim Fitts
Atlanta interior designer Mark Sunderland is a Shepherd Center
volunteer who recently donated to the hospital a portion of the
proceeds from ticket sales to “The Next Cool Thing” design event.
Attending the event was Mark’s friend and Shepherd Center MS
patient, Kathy Russell.
24 Spinal Column www.spinalcolumn.org

Shepherd Center File Photo
Photo by Jim Fitts
Donor Profile
Valery, Bill and Cindy Voyles
Voyles family continues a long tradition of giving to Shepherd Center.
BY SARA BAXTER
The Voyles family, including
Valery, left, and her brother
Bill, above, and his wife Cindy
are longtime supporters of
Shepherd Center.
Valery Voyles remembers the time she and a group of volunteers
were tying ribbons on invitations for Shepherd Center’s major
fundraiser, The Legendary Party. A woman approached her and
asked if they needed help. The group welcomed her, and through
conversation, they learned that the woman’s son had just come to
Shepherd after sustaining a spinal cord injury.
“She was so happy to be there, knowing that her son was getting
good care,” Valery recalls. “She’d just been given a positive outlook
by Shepherd, and she had the peace of mind to turn her attention
to other things, like helping us. To me, that just demonstrates the
happy and hopeful spirit of Shepherd.”
That positive spirit led Valery Voyles and her family – including
parents Ed and Dora, both now deceased, and twin brothers
Ben and Bill – to become longtime supporters of
the Center. The family owns and operates the Ed
Voyles Automotive Group, a venerable network
of car dealerships throughout metro Atlanta, for
which Valery serves as chairman and CEO.
“We have such admiration for the Shepherd
family and all they have contributed,” Bill says.
“Shepherd Center is a world-class operation right
here in our city. And it’s one of the places we have
supported for a long time because we believe in
the cause.”
An important aspect of that support has been
providing technology to help Shepherd patients
adapt to everyday living. In 2007, Shepherd opened
“Shepherd Center
is a world-class
operation right here
in our city. And it’s
one of the places
we have supported
for a long time
because we believe
in the cause.”
—
Bill Voyles
the Dora and Ed Voyles Assistive Technology Center, thanks to
a generous gift from Ed Voyles’ estate. The Center helps patients
adjust to wheelchairs, learn how to drive an adapted vehicle, and
access computers and other equipment using adaptive technology.
Valery Voyles first volunteered at Shepherd during what she
calls a “low point” in her life. “I needed something else to focus on,
and it was very comforting to spend time down there,” she recalls.
“It’s not a tragic or depressing environment at all.”
Shortly after Valery raised her hand to volunteer, her friend and
fellow Shepherd supporter Ruth Anthony (who happens to be this
year’s Legendary Party honoree) persuaded her to serve as chair
of The Legendary Party 2001. Valery chose for proceeds from the
party to go to assistive technology.
Now, 10 years after Valery chaired The Legendary
Party, her brother Bill and his wife Cindy are at the
helm of the big event, serving as the first husbandand-wife
team to co-chair the party.
“We thought we’d be a good team,” Cindy says,
“and though it’s a big job, it feels good to be helping
to raise awareness and attract new supporters to this
wonderful place.”
Like Valery, Bill and Cindy are impressed with
the positive energy that comes from Shepherd
Center and all the hospital does for its patients.
“When you visit the Center, it really gets into
your heart,” Cindy says. “We are happy to support
that kind of hope.”
Spring 2011 25

FoundationFeatures
MAKING THE
MOVE
Additional private
rooms are the
highlight of Shepherd
Center’s latest
renovation project.
BY SARA BAXTER
January 17, 2011 was moving day for patients
in Shepherd Center’s Neurospecialty
unit as they relocated to the newly renovated
second floor of the Shepherd Building.
The 22,500-square-foot renovation,
funded by generous donors, provides more
privacy to patients and their families and
allows staff to better manage infection
control. It also puts the Neurospecialty Unit
in closer proximity with the Acquired Brain
Injury (ABI) Unit, which now extends from
the second floor of the adjacent Marcus-
Woodruff Building to the Shepherd Building.
The renovation began in July 2010 and
was completed in late December. Aside
from knocking down walls to reconfigure the
space, the renovation also involved adding
a generator and updating the ventilation
system, as well as the nurse call system and
the ventilator alarm system. Televisions were
converted from analog to digital, and the
therapy gym on the floor also got a makeover
to make it lighter and brighter.
“This new space is a better environment
for both the patients and Shepherd staff,”
says Wilma Bunch, Shepherd’s vice
president of facilities, who oversaw the
project. “With more private rooms, we won’t
have to transfer patients as frequently,
and we now have the ability to place new
patients more easily. Also, since the
ABI Unit is all on one floor now, this
increases the efficiency of the staff as
they no longer have to travel between
floors to care for patients.”
The second floor of the Shepherd Building
had previously housed the Spinal Cord
Injury Unit, which moved to the fifth floor of
the Marcus-Woodruff Building in 2009 in a
separate renovation project. With the addition
of 20 private rooms and four semi-private
rooms through the renovation, Shepherd
Center now has a bed capacity of 132,
including 107 private rooms.
The cost of the renovation was
approximately $5 million, which was part of
a larger $9.8 million project that including
completion of the fifth floor of the Marcus-
Woodruff Building in 2009. These renovations
were funded completely by individuals and
organizations in the community who believe
in the Center’s mission.
“We depend upon donors to help
provide our broad continuum of care, as
well as special capital projects,” says Scott
H. Sikes, executive director of the Shepherd
Center Foundation. “We are so grateful for
their support.”
Plans are now under way for a complete
renovation of the third floor of the Shepherd
Building. Scheduled for completion in
January 2012, it will be similar in layout to
the new second floor. As of January 2011,
the Foundation has raised $1.1 million of the
estimated $3.5 million needed to complete
the renovation.
Photos by Steven Dinberg
Staff members
and patients have
moved into the
newly renovated
second floor of the
Shepherd Building.
The floor houses the
Neurospecialty Unit.
26 Spinal Column www.spinalcolumn.org

SUMMER
IN THECITY
“SUMMER IN THE CITY” GETS A MAKEOVER FOR
2011 THAT’S SURE TO WOW PARTYGOERS.
BY RACHEL FRANCO
When you combine celebrity chefs, finely aged wines, dynamic
people and a great cause, you experience an evening you’ll
never forget.
These are the plans of Shepherd Center Society (SCS),
Shepherd Center’s social/fundraising group, which plans to unveil
the completely transformed version of its “Summer in the City”
event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2011.
The original Summer in the City built SCS membership
and provided a casual wine and cheese party for SCS members
and non-members. While the event was a success, SCS, with
help from National Distributing Company, decided to explore
ways to enhance the experience for both attendees and
Shepherd Center.
Co-chaired by SCS members Alden Potts and
Gena Bryant, the made-over Summer in the
City is sure to impress. Held at Piedmont Park
Conservancy, this year’s affair features live music
and pairs a sophisticated selection of single-taste
entrees – prepared by some of Atlanta’s most
prestigious chefs – with signature wines from
event sponsor National Distributing Company.
A special bar featuring popular martinis and other
beverages will also be available. A “Chinese” auction will
give the evening an added twist. Auction items will relate to the
event’s fine food and wine theme.
The enhanced Summer in the City is a win-win for everyone,
organizers say. Not only do attendees enjoy a wonderful evening
filled with delicious food and wine, memorable auction items and
new friends, but Shepherd Center increases its awareness among
THE
ENHANCED
SUMMER IN
THE CITY
IS A WIN-
WIN FOR
EVERYONE.
a wider audience and raises funds for its life-changing work.
Shepherd Center Foundation’s goal is to raise more than $100,000
from this event, says Dean Melcher, director of annual giving.
Funds raised will go to the hospital’s Annual Fund, which supports
programs such as Shepherd’s Andrew C. Carlos Multiple
Sclerosis Institute (named after the former executive vice president,
treasurer and director of National Distributing Company).
Specifically, funds will go to the institute’s MS General Support
Fund, Shepherd’s MS Research Fund and other related programs
that subsidize medication, treatment, special equipment and items
that may not be covered by insurance, but are critically important
in the treatment of people with MS.
Companies and individuals can sponsor the event
at levels ranging from $500 to $25,000, which also
includes exclusive access to a special, pre-event
VIP reception.
With the delectable food and wine pairings,
the combined auction/drawing and the meaningful
cause, this year’s Summer in the City event is
on its way to becoming a popular annual event. “I
think people will miss out on an extraordinary event
if they don’t come, especially since we’ve partnered
with such an exciting business like National Distributing
Company, which can do so much to make the event successful,”
says event co-chairman Alden Potts.
For more information about sponsorships or tickets ($80 each),
visit www.shepherdcentersociety.com or contact Anne Pearce at
404-350-7302 or at anne_pearce@shepherd.org.
The event co-chairs for the Shepherd Center Society’s “Summer in the City 2011” are Alden Potts, left, and Gena Bryant.
Spring 2011 27

FoundationFeatures
HELPING TEENS WITH
BRAIN AND SPINAL
CORD INJURIES
Shepherd Center’s Adolescent Program
provides specialized services supported
by generous donors.
Photo by Billy Howard
BY LAUREN ANGELO
Many teenagers face challenges associated with adolescence as
they transition from childhood to adulthood. Adolescents who
sustain a brain or spinal cord injury face these challenges in addition
to the rigors of rehabilitation and learning to live with their
new injuries.
Shepherd Center’s Adolescent Program recognizes the demands
adolescent patients face and works to ensure that they
continue to lead healthy lifestyles with the highest level of independence
possible.
The Adolescent Program is designed to
support teens by addressing their unique
concerns and providing education in
areas such as self-advocacy, self-esteem
and problem-solving. Cathi Dugger, a physical
therapist who has been working with the
Adolescent Program for spinal cord injury for
12 years, says teens’ biggest worries are overcoming
the stigma associated with being in a wheelchair
and being accepted by their peers. To help
teens overcome these fears, the program focuses
on group activities and outings, allowing teens
to support each other during their first few trips
outside the hospital.
Dugger and her colleagues also incorporate
teen-specific rehabilitation activities, such as Wii
gaming. The Wii is fun for teens, but also has
hidden therapeutic benefits, helping with handeye
coordination, strength building and cognitive
decision-making. Some patients initially can’t
lift their arms high enough to play, but seeing a
target on the screen gives them a tangible goal.
Teens’ decision-making skills improve as they work to improve
their avatar’s performance and advance to higher levels. When
their avatar loses or gets hit, a therapist helps them determine
what mistake they made and how they can make a better decision
next time.
In addition to working with teens during their stay at
Shepherd, the Adolescent Program also works to make sure their
transition back to school is successful through the No Obstacles
Top: Herndon Murray,
M.D., medical director of
Shepherd’s Spinal Cord
Injury Program, treats
many adolescent patients.
Above: Physical therapist
Cathi Dugger leads patient
Ed Leatherman and others
on an ice cream outing.
Program. Upon request from the teen, a representative from
Shepherd gives a presentation at the student’s school about spinal
cord or brain injury, the student’s level of injury and the type of
help the student will need. Depending on the student’s wishes,
sometimes these presentations are given to a small group of
teachers, while in other cases, the entire school is present.
Teen patients and Shepherd staff members also work together
on an injury prevention effort called YiPES! (Youth and Injury
Prevention Education at Shepherd). YiPES! has a Facebook page
(link to it from www.facebook.com/shepherd)
that includes videos featuring adolescent patients
describing how their accident happened and
warning other teens to be more careful than they
were. By allowing patients to share their
stories, Shepherd hopes they will inspire
teens to avoid engaging in risky behaviors
like texting while driving or diving into
Photo by Gary Meek
shallow water.
“Shepherd Center has a terrific team that’s
dedicated to the unique needs of our teenage
patients,” says Dean Melcher, director of annual
giving in the Shepherd Center Foundation.
Through the efforts of the Foundation’s
Board of Trustees and hospital leadership, the
Adolescent Patient Program Fund, which is
supported by generous donors, provides money
for the Adolescent Program and YiPES! so
they can continue to provide adolescent patient
activities and teen-oriented prevention messages
to the public.
Dugger, who knows firsthand how important these programs
are to Shepherd’s adolescent patients, is assisting with fundraising
efforts.
“Our program is so special because we’re one of the
few spinal cord injury rehabilitation facilities that offers
an adolescent program,” she explains. “Teens are stuck in the
middle – they’re not small children, but they’re not yet adults, and
it takes a special group to help them be the best they can be and
grow with their injury.”
28 Spinal Column www.spinalcolumn.org

Derby Day 2011
IT’S TIME FOR SUNDRESSES,
SEERSUCKER AND MINT JULEPS AGAIN.
BY ANNE PEARCE
Why drive 400 miles to celebrate the
Kentucky Derby when Shepherd Center
hosts the best Kentucky Derby party right
here in Atlanta?
Join us for Shepherd Center’s 29th
Annual Derby Day, which has become
Atlanta’s largest Kentucky Derby-themed
fundraising event. The Shepherd Center
Junior Committee is excited to be returning
to the Georgia International Horse Park for
the second year. More than 1,000 guests are
expected to attend this year. The committee
has been working since August 2010 to
garner sponsorships and make preparations
for this annual fundraiser.
Last year’s event raised $130,000 in
net proceeds for Shepherd Center’s
Therapeutic Recreation Program, a vital part
of rehabilitation and therapy for patients.
Therapeutic recreation helps improve
physical, cognitive and social functioning
so participants can return to a lifestyle that
is as independent, active and healthy as
possible. The program gives patients the
opportunity to get involved with hobbies and
activities they enjoyed before their injury or
illness, as well as the opportunity to learn
new skills, often with the help of adaptive
equipment. Therapeutic recreation, however,
is not covered by insurance companies,
therefore making it imperative that the Junior
Committee raise as much money as possible
for this crucial program.
Derby Day 2011 Co-chair Stuart
Griswold says: “I hope we can raise
enough money at Derby Day that a
future therapeutic recreation trip or
activity becomes the turning point of
someone’s recovery and that they
forever associate that with the day
that they conquered their injury.”
Derby Day will be held on May 7 at the
Georgia International Horse Park’s sprawling
1,400 acres of picturesque meadows in
Conyers, Ga., only 28 miles from downtown
Atlanta. Guests will enjoy an afternoon of
big hats and seersucker while bidding in the
live and silent auctions, sampling southern
food staples, sipping on spring’s favorite
beverages, and dancing to the music of
Sweetwater Junction and watching the
Kentucky Derby on the big screens.
The live and silent auctions will
feature such wonderful items as a Sea
Island getaway, tickets to the 2011 PGA
Championship, a stay at The Ritz-Carlton
at Amelia Island, spa services, fitness
packages, electronics, home furnishings
and more.
Want to have seats in Shepherd’s
Millionaire’s Row? Derby Day sponsors
enjoy special
treatment
with
upgraded
amenities
such as
their own
televisions
for viewing
the Derby,
luxury restrooms, drinks delivered
to them and a few food items not available in
the patron tent.
Griswold’s co-chair, Reagan Michaelis,
says: “I am really looking forward to being a
part of every single aspect of Derby Day and
getting to work closely with all the wonderful
volunteers, executive committee members
and committee co-chairs. Seeing all the
behind-the-scenes pieces and helping with
those decisions this year is exciting, and I
can’t wait for it to all come together. Derby
Day is my favorite day of the year, and this
year is surely no exception!”
For information on how to become a
sponsor for Derby Day 2011, or for ticket
information, contact Anne Pearce at 404-350-
7302 or anne_pearce@shepherd.org. Or,
visit us at www.derbyday.com.
Photo by Neil Dent
Derby Day attracts guests from throughout
metro Atlanta for a day of fun, games and
eye-catching hats.
Pecans on Peachtree Fundraiser Experiences Continued Success
It was another successful year for the Shepherd Center Auxiliary’s
annual holiday fundraiser, Pecans on Peachtree. Volunteers helped
raise more than $82,000 for patient-related programs and Auxiliary
operations at the hospital.
Auxiliary members volunteered nearly 1,100 hours selling pecans
from two locations inside the hospital, shipping pecans to hundreds
of customers all over the United States and Canada, and hosting
pecan parties in their homes or businesses. It was truly a group effort
and much appreciated by everyone in the hospital.
“This was the 27th year for Pecans on Peachtree and the Auxiliary
continues to put an amazing amount of time and energy in to make this
project successful,” says Midge Tracy, director of Volunteer Services.
“Chairpersons Marla Bennett and Maureen Escott did an outstanding
job of coordinating all the volunteers and making sure everything
ran smoothly. We are grateful for their leadership and the Auxiliary’s
willingness to do whatever it takes to raise funds for our patients.”
VOLUNTEERS HELPED
RAISE MORE THAN
$82,000
Visit pecansonpeachtree.org beginning in October to view the
2011 Pecans on Peachtree catalog, or call Volunteer Services at
404-350-7315 for information.
Spring 2011 29

FoundationFeatures
Water Excursions
Offer Adventure
The Shepherd Center Therapeutic
Recreation Department is organizing
several upcoming trips that will allow
former patients opportunities to enjoy
challenging water activities as the
weather warms up this summer.
For people with disabilities who
want to put their paddling skills
to the test, two fully guided river rafting
excursions are planned on the exciting
Class II and III rapids of the Nantahala
River in western North Carolina. The
trips, planned for June 18 and Aug. 20, are
open to people of all skill levels and abilities,
and friends and family members are welcome
to come along. The cost is $40 per person.
Register by contacting Chris Ravotti at
chris_ravotti@shepherd.org or (404) 350-7790.
For people who want to experience
an underwater adventure, an adaptive
SCUBA diving trip is planned to
Bonaire in the Caribbean. Recognized
as one of the world’s top SCUBA diving
destinations, Bonaire offers warm, tranquil
waters that are home to the highest diversity
of fish in the entire Caribbean.
On this weeklong adventure from Aug.
27 to Sept. 4, participants will stay at the
Divi Flamingo Beach Resort, one of the
Caribbean’s first handicapped-accessible
diving resorts. In addition to seven nights at
the resort, the trip includes round-trip airfare
on a direct flight from Atlanta to Bonaire on
Delta Air Lines, round-trip airport transfers, two
boat dives per day, unlimited shore diving and
full American breakfast daily. A $500 deposit is
required upon registration.
For more information and reservations, contact
DIVERS@SEA at 404-350-8510 or Shepherd
Center aquatic specialist Angela Pihera 404-350-
7786 or angela_pihera@shepherd.org.
Also, former patients, along with
their families and friends, may want to
make plans to snow ski with Shepherd
Center’s Therapeutic Recreation
Department and SkiMore Tours. A trip
planned for early 2012 will feature private
adaptive ski instruction, equipment, lift tickets,
accommodations and airport transfers. The trip
is open to all skill levels and abilities. The date
and location will be announced soon. For more
information, contact Katie Murphy at
404-350-7465 or katie_murphy@shepherd.org.
New Foundation Board
Leadership
ERNIE PICKETT BEGINS HIS TERM AS CHAIR OF THE
SHEPHERD CENTER FOUNDATION BOARD.
After a successful term as chairman of the Shepherd
Center Foundation Board of Trustees, Cynthia McCague
turned over the gavel to Ernie Prickett on April 1.
Cynthia, who is retired as senior vice president and global head
of human resources for The Coca-Cola Company, was essential in
helping to launch a strategic and more holistic approach to corporate
partnerships for the Foundation. With her expertise in the
corporate world, Cynthia was able to steer the Foundation into a
better understanding of the opportunities for Shepherd to expand
into more meaningful corporate relationships that benefit both the
company’s interests and the needs of Shepherd Center patients.
Cynthia’s passion for the hospital and her eagerness to promote
its mission in the community is unequaled, and she leaves quite a
legacy on the Foundation Board.
Ernie Prickett, who has served on the Foundation Board since
its founding in 2005, will carry on with the success that Cynthia
and previous chairs have had in leading the board responsible for
establishing development policy and generating the funding necessary
for the hospital’s unfunded or underfunded programs and
services. Ernie will serve a two-year term of leadership.
Ernie Prickett, left, has begun a two-year term as chairman
of the Shepherd Center Foundation Board of Trustees. He
follows in the successful footsteps of previous chair, Cynthia
McCague.
Ernie is a principal with Pinnacle Planning, LLC and serves
in various roles in the community for the Atlanta Kiwanis Club,
BBC Foundation, Capital City Club, Society of International
Business Fellows, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Trust for Public
Land, Westminster Schools and the Weswood Foundation. His
professional memberships include the Atlanta Life Underwriters
Association, Atlanta Estate Planning Council, The Million Dollar
Roundtable and the Georgia Planned Giving Council.
Ernie is a native of Toccoa, Ga., and a graduate of the
University of Georgia, where he earned a degree in economics
before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his service to
the country, Ernie earned a CLU designation from The American
College. Ernie and his wife, Libby, spend their leisure time keeping
up with their four children and traveling the world.
— Brittany Wilson
30 Spinal Column www.spinalcolumn.org

Legendary Party Kicks
Off its 23rd Year!
The Legendary Party Kickoff Luncheon is
the venue ball chairmen use to announce
their theme and introduce their vision of
the event to the committee. A Legendary
Event’s Tony Conway gave committee
members and guests living proof as two
uniformed Palace Guards greeted guests at
the luncheon on Feb. 15 at The Ritz-Carlton,
Buckhead. A perfect example of what’s in
store for this year’s themed fundraising gala,
“Legendary Treasures of London.”
Legendary Party Chairmen Cindy and
Bill Voyles welcomed guests and thanked
committee members for volunteering for this
important fundraiser and highlighted their
ideas for what will be a very elegant and
beautiful ball. Cindy and Bill promised
a fun-filled evening on Saturday, Nov.
5, featuring beautiful décor, fabulous
food, and great dancing to Big Swing
and the Ballroom Blasters.
Cindy and Bill announced that Ruth
Anthony will serve as Honorary Chairman
of this year’s gala. Ruth has also graciously
offered to host this year’s Patron Party in
her home in September. Ruth is a Shepherd
Center Foundation Advisory
Board member and chaired
The Legendary Party in
2000. Ruth has been a great
friend of Shepherd Center.
She has involved many of her
friends and associates in The
Legendary Party Committee and
as Patrons of the event, so it’s
a great privilege to recognize her
generous support.
The Voyles introduced Kay Quigley,
who is chairman-elect and will be helping
Cindy and Bill plan and organize this year’s
gala. Proceeds from the event will support
the Center’s patient care, particularly the
SHARE Initiative, which provides specialized
care and therapy for injured soldiers, and the
Center’s Adolescent Program (see story on
page 28).
The Ritz-Carlton provided an exquisite
lunch that showed off the talents of their
internationally acclaimed chefs. Diners
enjoyed braised short rib, confit pumpkin,
foie gras cannelloni and black winter truffle.
Of course,
this is meant to
foreshadow what will be a truly remarkable
meal at The Legendary Party in November.
For information about The Legendary
Party, please contact Cara Puckett at (404)
350-7778 or cara_puckett@shepherd.org, or
visit www.TheLegendaryParty.com.
— Dean Melcher
Photo by Louie Favorite
Photo by Louie Favorite
Left: A guard greets Bill and Cindy Voyles and Ruth and Tom Anthony as they enter the Gallery for lunch. Right: Legendary Party
Committee members Angie Garde, Pam Smart, Lisa Fuller and Barbara Joiner are excited about this year’s theme – Legendary
Treasures of London.
Spring 2011 31

FoundationFeatures
Third Annual “Big Game” Bash Scores Big for Shepherd Center
This year marked the 45th Super Bowl
matchup, which brought the Pittsburgh
Steelers and the Green Bay Packers head
to head. More than 150 football fans gathered
at the Bobby Jones Golf Clubhouse in
Atlanta on Sunday, Feb. 6, to watch
the Packers win the trophy, but
also to support Shepherd
Center and the great
things it does.
The “Big Game” Bash
kicked off the 2011 fundraising
season for the
Shepherd Center Society
(SCS), a volunteer group in
its third year.
Kimbrough Murray, Big
Game Bash co-chair and first-year volunteer,
describes the rewarding experience
she had in planning the event. “Having just
moved to Atlanta, I was new to the whole
Shepherd Center Society experience,” she
says. “I have known about Shepherd for
a long time, and I am so impressed with
what an amazing facility it has become.
It was so rewarding to work with other
Shepherd Center Society members on
planning the Big Game Bash. The enthusiasm
and generosity of the community
when they were solicited was overwhelming.
Everyone was so eager to help
Shepherd, and I now have a huge
understanding of why.”
Kimbrough’s co-chair,
Thomas Cyphers, adds,
“Events such as the Super
Bowl party are valuable to
Shepherd Center because
of the people they attract
and the attention they bring
to the various ways of getting
involved with the Center.”
For the third year in a row, Sunbelt
Technology graciously donated flat-screen
televisions, a large projection screen and
their time to set up and take down the
equipment so SCS partygoers would
have an outstanding football experience.
In addition to viewing the game, guests
enjoyed cold beverages and an assortment
of tailgating foods. Food sponsors were
Zoe’s Kitchen, Ted’s Montana Grill, Jim
‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Chick-fil-A, Domino’s
Pizza and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Beverage
sponsors were Holiday Fine Wine &
Spirits, Peachtree Road Liquor Store and
Brown-Forman Corporation.
And what’s a football game without a
little friendly competition? For a small
donation, guests could participate in a
few different contests based on the game.
The winner received various gift cards as
a prize, and Shepherd Center garnered a
nice-sized donation.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, Feb. 5,
2012. The next “Big Game” and the SCS
bash will be here before you know it!
For information about becoming a
member of SCS or sponsoring one of the
group’s events, contact Anne Pearce at 404-
350-7302 or anne_pearce@shepherd.org.
Or, visit www.shepherdcentersociety.com.
— Anne Pearce
Shepherd Center Society member Katie Mingo
enjoys the Big Game Bash.
Photo by Anne Pearce
Grant from The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to Shepherd Center’s
Bridge Program Provides Therapeutic Recreation Equipment
Joshua Branch, left,
practices with Shepherd’s
wheelchair rugby team.
He received a new chair
thanks to grant funds.
Photo by Gary Meek
Shepherd Center is distinguished not
only by the excellent care it provides
to inpatients, but also by the care it
continues to provide after discharge.
The hospital’s Marcus Community
Bridge Program, which provides
assistance with community
reintegration after discharge, helps
patients continue to thrive after
leaving Shepherd.
In 2010, the program received
a generous $71,250 grant from
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
The grant has provided Bridge
Program clients with therapeutic
recreation equipment that enhances their quality of life and keeps
them engaged in sports and recreational activities.
Joshua Branch of Fayetteville, Ga., is a former spinal cord injury
patient at Shepherd and a member of Shepherd’s wheelchair rugby
team. He received a new rugby chair through the Neilsen grant.
Joshua says the chair has given him tremendous opportunities to
participate in rugby when he otherwise would not be able to play.
“I have been able to participate in a number of tournaments,”
Joshua says. “This gives me the chance to meet new people and
learn from them.”
Joshua is not alone in his desire to remain active after sustaining
an injury. One of the biggest obstacles Bridge clients face in
remaining engaged in sports and recreational activities is financial
resources, says Brittany Wilson, a major gifts officer for the Shepherd
Center Foundation. They often cannot afford the necessary
equipment or membership fees.
“Even though multiple studies have shown the importance of
leisure activities in terms of overall well-being and continued physical
progress after injury, therapeutic recreation is not considered a
medical necessity and is often overlooked,” Wilson says.
Fortunately, the funds from the Neilsen Foundation have enabled
Shepherd to address this issue with 17 deserving Bridge clients.
– Lauren Angelo
32 Spinal Column www.spinalcolumn.org

Notes from Scott H.Sikes
Shepherd Center Foundation Executive Director
Circles of Giving Recognize Special Donors
who Make Annual, Unrestricted Gifts to
Shepherd Center
Every year, Shepherd Center treats more than 900 inpatients
and their families from across the country. In addition to these
inpatients – who may stay with us for 45 days to three months –
more than 6,000 outpatients visit Shepherd Center each year for
one hour, one day or a few days. Each of these patients and their
families and other loved ones are a special and unique story. They
have so many needs, and we rely on you, the readers of Spinal
Column magazine to help us care for them.
Shepherd Center’s donors provide funding for vital patient
care and services that typically are not paid for by insurance or
government programs. Programs such as therapeutic recreation,
temporary housing (family apartments) for out-of-town patients’
family members, chaplaincy and assistive technology have proven
crucial to our patients’ positive outcomes. Our patient outcomes
far exceed national averages.
Two years ago, we began our “Circles of Giving” as a way to
recognize our special donors who make an annual investment in
our work, and they make these annual gifts totally unrestricted so
our Board of Directors may apply the funds to the most pressing
needs that year. Without these investors/donors, we simply
couldn’t do what we do. Our Circles of Giving are shown below.
We are grateful for the contributions of the many people who
give unrestricted gifts. Many of these “Circle” donors also sponsor
and/or pay to attend our fundraising special events like the Junior
Committee’s “Derby Day,” Shepherd Center Society’s “Summer
in the City,” the “Shepherd Center Cup Golf Tournament” and
Photo by Gary Meek
Gifts to the Shepherd Center Foundation help fund assistive
technology for Shepherd Center patients. Examples include this sipand-puff
game to help patients learn to navigate wheelchairs.
the Auxiliary’s “Legendary Party”; and therefore, they give at an
even higher level each year.
We are thankful for each gift and hope you will give thought
soon to your total charitable gifts for the year. We are happy
to meet with you and your advisors today to see how a gift to
Shepherd Center Foundation may fit with the financial and/
or estate plans you complete later in the year. Please call me at
404.350.7305 or email me at scott_sikes@shepherd.org.
CIRCLE OF HEALING
recognizes unrestricted gifts
of $2,500+ annually
CIRCLE OF HOPE
recognizes unrestricted gifts
of $1,000+ annually
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
recognizes unrestricted gifts
of $500+ annually
Spring 2011 33

James Acas
Ms. Christine Acas
Patricia Ahlers wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Linda Alexander
Linda W. Alexander wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Patricia Ahlers
All of our Veterans
Mr. Hayden Hendricks
Pete Anziano
Mr. Scott J. Keithley
Jane and David Apple
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Dr. David Apple
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pope
Linda and Jim Balkcom
Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Maier
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Barrow
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Brookner
Paul B. Battenfeld’s Return Home
Mrs. Barbara Battenfeld
Mr. and Mrs. David C. Beauchamp
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mrs. Lois Beauchamp
Kathryn Bedel
Ms. Nancy Barnes
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 Oct. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010.
Bonnie Blackwell
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Blackwell
Joseph Boyle
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Margharetta Brake
Ms. Caprice Devereux
Jenny Brickman’s
21st Birthday
Mrs. Virginia Brickman
Lee Bryan
Mr. Mark Dukes
Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Buce wish
Happy Holidays to:
Amy and Tricia Buce
Joy and Bert Burns’ Friendship
Ms. Ann R. Howell
Courtney Carr and Brock David
Carr wish Happy Holidays to:
Dr. Brock Bowman
Melissa M. Carroll
Ms. D.T. Matthews
Chris Castleman
Mrs. Erin Castleman
Beth Cesare’s Retirement from
CLS at Bristol Hospital in CT
Bristol Pathology Consultants, PC
Friends of Beth Cesare at Bristol
Hospital
Steven C. Cooper
Kelsey Pyle
John Price Corr III
Mr. Cliff Corr
Evelyn G. Crosby wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Caroline G. Hazel
John Cunning
The Clothes Less Traveled Thrift
Shop, Inc.
Matt J. Curran
Mr. Mitchell Greenblatt
Carol Curtis wishes the
Blessing of the Season to:
Mr. and Mrs. Mel Adler
Mr. and Mrs. John Alston
Mr. and Mrs. Wiliam Astrop
Mr. and Mrs. Pat Corrales
Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Freeauf
Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Harrell
Mr. and Mrs. James Kennedy
Mr. and Mrs. W. Donald Knight
Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Lynn
Mrs. Susan Meyers
Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Nalley
Mr. and Mrs. McKee Nunnally
Mrs. Peaches Page
Mrs. Lula Post
Mr. and Mrs. Martyn Richardson
Ms. Laura Spearman
Ms. Susan Tucker
Mr. and Mrs. Edus Warren
Mr. and Mrs. James Wells
Mrs. Jane Wheeler
Mr. and Mrs. Blaise Davi’s
Marriage
Ms. Debra Jennings
Rosalind Davidson wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Myron Golub
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett L. Davis III
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Stockton Broome
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Builder
Mr. and Mrs. Merrell Calhoun
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Cook
Dr. and Mrs. Dave Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fry
Mr. and Mrs. William Gow
Mr. and Mrs. Hix Green
Mr. and Mrs. Allen S. Hardin
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Herndon
Mr. and Mrs. Lawton Nease
Mr. and Mrs. Rowland Radford
Mr. Charles Schoen
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Turner
Dr. and Mrs. William Waters
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Taratus
Dr. Alberto and Valerie H. de la Torre
wish Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Jo Ann Chiarelli
Mr. and Mrs. Jim D’Andrea
and Family
Mr. Adam de la Torre
Ms. Jessica de la Torre
Marita de la Torre and
Evelio Garcia-Serra
The Gelpi Family
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Hardin
and Family
Mrs. Carol Harrison
Mrs. Debbie Higgins
The Robinson Family
Mrs. Kim Skinner
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Family
The Wallace Family
David M. DeBauche’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. David M. DeBauche
Mary Dent’s Birthday
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Dews wish
Happy Holidays to:
Pam and Steve Wakefield
Anne J. Bennett wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Patricia Ahlers
Marla J. Bennett
Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Stephens
Patricia and Thomas Bennett
wish Merry Christmas to:
Mrs. Marla Bennett
Sue Ellen Bennett
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Allred
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Delaney
Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Girtman
Mr. and Mrs. Don D. Grant, Jr.
Ms. Hollie S. Henderson
Deborah Bergmanis
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Farst
Carol Bernstein’s Recovery
Dr. and Mrs. H. Herndon Murray
Karen L. Bibb’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Bibb, Jr.
Sara W. Billingsley wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hoyt, Jr.
William Wesley Chapman, Jr.
Mr. William Chapman
Ann W. Clarke wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mrs. Jeanette M. Clarke
Col. (R) USAF and Mrs. Daniel
Clark wish Happy Holidays to:
Col. (R) USAF and Mrs. Harry Kingsbery
Col. (R) USAF and Mrs. John Paul
Michael R. Clarkin’s Recovery
Mr. Patrick Ryan
Shane P. Coco
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis A. Coco
Tillie and Victor Cohen’s
60th Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamond
Victor Cohen’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamond
Ms. Lenore S. Maslia
Ken, Susan, Keely and
Kendra Cooper
Mrs. Carrie Mitchell
Photo by Caroline Hemingway
The Iris Garden Club made Christmas wreaths for Shepherd Center
in December 2010. Club member and Shepherd Center co-founder
Alana Shepherd helped make the wreaths, along with Wendy Clift,
mother of SCI patient Josh Clift of Australia.
34 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Michelle A. Deyton
Mr. Marty Pollock
Sgt Maj Julius C. Dominey
Mr. Julius Dominey
Donnelly Family
Mrs. Heather Nunnally
Dovetail Insurance Corp.
Douglas Simpson LLC
Katie and Steven Dowlen
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Whatley
Linda Doyal and Family
Ms. Pamela D. Bruce
Diana B. Duemig
Mr. Marty Pollock
Jody Dyer
Mr. Phillip H. Fauver
Lisa Eagen
Mr. Marty Pollock
Karen Etling
Ms. Megan Etling
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Fehrs
wish Happy Holidays to:
Dr. and Mrs. Dave Davis
Dr. and Mrs. John Faust
Dawn Filbert and Family
Mr. David Rossetti
Mr. and Mrs. Frank K. Flautt
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Fred Alias
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Gay
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Vance
Mr. and Mrs. Juan Geracaris
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Ralph Rossi
Paul Giugliano’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Robert U. Goodman
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. William Pritchard
Dr. Bruce G. Green
Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Mescon
Elizabeth “Libby” Gregory
Mrs. Kathryn Ross
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Griffin
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mrs. Anne Hux
Dr. Kenneth Grubbs
Mr. Edward Johnson
John C. Hamilton wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Ben Bunyard
Mr. Millard Choate
Mr. Bryant Coats
Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Coats, Jr.
Mr. Robin Loudermilk
Jami Hanzman
Schneider National Foundation
Max Hardy wishes Happy
Holidays to his clients.
Photo Courtesy of Ann Boriskie
Brain Injury Peer Visitors Association founder and former Shepherd
Center brain injury patient Ann Boriskie (back row, left) of Alpharetta,
Ga., and former brain injury patient Hadley Korn of Atlanta (back row,
center) visit with and provide information to caregivers of Shepherd
Center brain injury patients. Caregivers pictured are Amelia Conrad
(back row, right) of Northboro, Mass., Sidney and Diane Minton of
Bartlett, Tenn. (front row, left), and Karen Lowe of Millington, Tenn.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis
Holland’s Marriage
Mr. and Ms. Alan M. Smith
Barry L. Hollopeter
Ms. Robin Berger
Mr. and Mrs. David G. Hunter II
wish Happy Holidays to:
Ms. Elizabeth R. Holt
Porter Hutto
Ms. Kidder C. Williams
Al Fleming
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Darden
Caroline Fowler wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Margaret Fox wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Ted Harrison and Family
Helene and Michael Freidman
Ms. JoAnn Hess
J. William and Jayne
Freudenberger
Mrs. Ann Gardner
Courtney Gale’s Recovery
Ms. Lisa D. Davol
Nancy Gallant – “Thinking of you”
Mrs. Barbara H. Smith
Catherine F. Gammon
Mrs. Dottie Dye
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Gandy
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Cuppia
Mr. James C. Cupppia and
Miss Marcia Day
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome C. Cuppia III
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin D. Cuppia
Mrs. Margaret Naugle
Lillian and Peter Gantsoudes
Mr. and Mrs. S. Zachry Young
Cheryl and Gene Harper
Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey M. Purcell
Carole and John Harrison
Ms. Kathryn Brown
Ted Harrison and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Harrison
Amy Hawkins
Mrs. Katie Groharing
Debbie Haynes
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Haynes
Anne and Til Hazel’s Birthdays
Mr. and Mrs. John Boatwright
Ms. Evelyn G. Crosby
William R. Heiar, USAF (Ret.)
Mr. Brian Heiar
Lila and Doug Hertz’s Special
Assistance
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Fishman
Bryan Hewins
LTC (R) and Mrs. Floyd K. Maertens
The Heroes in Iraq
Ms. Julie Almand
Verona Hildebrant
Mr. and Mrs. Loren Hildebrant
Eugene Hirschfeld
Mr. John Siddall
Eliazbeth Holt wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Benedict
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Carithers
Mr. and Mrs. John Coppedge III
Mr. and Mrs. Ross B. George
Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Gutt
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hoyt, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. David G. Hunter
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Jones
Mrs. John McCann
Mr. and Mrs. William A. McClain III
Mrs. Harriett Northcutt and
Mr. John C.Seiler
Ms. Hamilton Northcutt
Mr. William T. Smith
Dr. and Mrs. George S. Voltz, Jr.
Elizabeth R. Holt’s Birthday
Mrs. Harriett Northcutt
Minna Hong
Mr. Scott J. Keithley
Lauren M. Howard
Dr. and Mrs. Michael McDevitt
Craig F. Huber
Ms. Hannah Huber
Bill Hughes
Mr. Maria Purwin
Frank W. “Billy” Hulse’s Recovery
William Howard Flowers, Jr.
Foundation, Inc.
Mattias Ingersoll wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Adrian Bannister
Debora and Colin Ingersoll
Dianne and Ian Ingersoll
Ralph Ingersoll
Tiffany Ingersoll
Ursula Ingersoll
Larlene and Jeremy Wieland
Mr. and Mrs. Terry Jackson
wish Happy Holidays to:
Sarah and Joel Jackson
Rachel and Tom Van Betten
Mark James
COLDEN Consulting, LLC
Joe Johns
Peachtree Polymers, Inc.
Brian Johnson
Bartlett Actuarial Group, Ltd.
Jack Jones
Mr. Adam Jones
Darryl L. Kaelin, M.D.
Mrs. Deborah Bergmanis and
Mr. Armin Krupp
Leah Kearns
Mr. Marty Pollock
Edward C. “Rusty” Kidd’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Mozingo
Mr. and Mrs. Robert King and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Felker
Spring 2011 35

Tributes
In January, Atlanta Braves players, coaches and the team mascot,
Homer, visited Shepherd Center patients, including spinal cord
injury patient Brian Shaffer of Summertown, Tenn.
Alfred W. Klein’s 90th Birthday
Dr. Michael Klein and
Dr. Mary L. Barnhart
Nathan B. Klein
Ms. Judith Klein and
Mr. Malcolm Dalglish
Sasha Klupchak’s Recovery
Mr. Richard Klupchak
Philippa and Hilton Kort and Family
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Antebi
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Assaf
Dr. John Porter and Dr. Lucy Axtel
Mr. Mitchell Barnes, Mr. Craig Weaver,
Rachel, Chad, Ann and Ray
Mr. and Mrs. Jorge Bergallo
Drs. Pavna and Barun Brahma
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Blank and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Brill
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Bruckman
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. John Burke
Ms. Heather Burke
Ms. Suzy Burke
Dr. and Mrs. Clyde Calhoun
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carlin and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Sandy Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Christopher
Mr. and Mrs. David Clarke
Mr. and Mrs. George Cleveland
Mr. and Mrs. John Cleveland
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Cohen
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Corr
Dr. and Mrs. Andy Currie
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Davidson
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Dawkins and Family
Mr. and Mrs. David Deignan
Mr. and Mrs. Blake Dexter
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Dexter
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Dezelic
Dr. Daniel Dubovsky and Staff
Ms. Kazuko Dunwoody
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ellinger
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Elser
Drs. Bill and Carlene Elsner
and Family
Photo by Teri Grimes
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Fasse
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Firsowicz
Mr. Charles Foell, Michael and Megan
Mr. and Mrs. William Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Fricker
Dr. David Garber and Staff
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Garmany
Graydon and Pam Garner
Mr. and Mrs. Chip Gerry
Mrs. Peggy Davis Gold and
Ms. Sally Gold
Dr. and Mrs. Basil Griffin
Mrs. Katherine Hanson and Family
Mr. and Mrs. William Hartman
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hawkins and Family
Mr. and Mrs. George Hodges
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. John Hodges
Ms. Liz Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Hoffman
and Family
Ms. Anne Holdegrafer
Mr. and Mrs. William Holley
Mr. Cary Ichter
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Joelson and Family
Mr. and Mrs. James Kennedy
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Jim King and Family
Mrs. Mandy Kjellstrom
Dr. Alan Kozarsky
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kruger
Dr. and Mrs. Willis Lanier
Mr. Paul Largay
Dr. Adam Leaderman
Dr. Dorothy E. Mitchell-Leef and
Mr. Forrest I. Leef
Ms. Sandy Legath
Mr. and Mrs. George Levert and Family
Mr. Peter Lloyd and Mr. Gene Lashley
Dr. and Mrs. Julian Lokey and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Lyon
Mr. and Mrs. Barclay Macon
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Maddern
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Manidis
Mrs. Martha Heath Mason
Dr. Joe Massey
Mr. and Mrs. David Massey
Mrs. Susan Mathis and Allene
Mr. and Mrs. Lovemore Mbigi
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Robberts
Mr. and Mrs. William Meaney
Mr. and Mrs. William Merritt
and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Shapour Mobasser
and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Tom Modi
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Moon
Dr. Christine Murphy and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murphy
Dr. and Mrs. Peter Nagy
Dr. and Mrs. Mundy Papadopoulos
Shane Paquette
Mr. and Mrs. Stacy Patton
Mrs. Judy Peil
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Pigg and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Pirrung
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Plaut
Dr. and Mrs. Zane Pollard
Dr. Nicholas Ranno
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Robberts
Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Rosenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ruane and Anna
Dr. Daniel Shapiro and
Dr. Nadine Becker
Dr. and Mrs. Don Sharp
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber
and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Scott Slayden
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Smith
Dr. Winifred Soufi
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Straub
Mr. and Mrs. John Sullivan
Mr. and Mrs. Don Sutton and Jackie
Mr. and Mrs. David Thompson
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Toledo
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Van Matre
Mr. and Mrs. James Warren
Mr. Dick and Mrs. Phoebe Weinberg
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Dick White
Dr. Stewart Wiegand
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Witt
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Wright
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wright
Mary Kyle
Mrs. Elliott Kyle
Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Larsen
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Nils Liebendorfer
Joan Hope Latiolais
William Howard Flowers, Jr.
Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Warner Ray
Mrs. David Lee
Mrs. Elizabeth McNulty
Dr. Dorothy E. Mitchell-Leef –
Happy Holidays
Stephanie, Mary, Nancy and Rossi
Dr. Dorothy E. Mitchell-Leef and
Forrest I. Leef wish Happy
Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Davidson
Ms. Jane Bedford and
Mr. Foy Devine
Drs. William and Carlene Elsner
Dr. and Mrs. Hilton Kort
Dr. and Mrs. Z. Peter Nagy
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Patrick
Mr. Christopher Rex and
Dr. Martha Wilkins
Dr. Daniel Shapiro and
Dr. Nadine Becker
Mr. and Mrs. Josh Shubin
Drs. Scott and Elizabeth Slayden
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Straub
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Toledo
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Witt
Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Philip S. Beeson, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. McCallum
Mr. and Mrs. J. Hays Mershon
Anita Levy’s Recovery
Ms. Betty Schaffer
Mr. and Mrs. Roland L’Heureux’s
Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Kim G. Girard
Adele Lindsey wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Liz Willis
Tiffany Lipscomb
Dee Lipscomb
Wilbur Little
Mr. Marty Pollock
Dale Lomas
Mr. and Mrs. Neil Christman
Stephen M. Lore
Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Davis
Brian Lucas’ Recovery
Ms. Sandra J. Unruh
Michele Luther-Krug –
OT of the Year
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Marcos Madrid’s Recovery
Ms. Priscilla Pena
The Important Work of Billi and
Bernie Marcus
The Family of Bernard W. Abrams
Anita Marino’s Recovery
Ms. Nancy Baily
Ms. Nancy Davis
Mr. and Mrs. John Edge
Mr. Neal Faerber
Mr. and Mrs. David Ferrentino
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Fishman
Ms. Janice Gee
Mrs. Barbara Gieske
Mr. Stephen Harris
Abbe Hollo
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kooden
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lichtman
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Marino
Mrs. Keri McGraw
Dr. Paul Oberman
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Pellegrini
Ms. Marci Poliakoff
Ms. Karen Pucci
Mr. Leonard Samuels
Ms. Carmen Sardelli
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shulkin
Mr. Ed Skoller
Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Skoller
The George Stern & Sara Stern
Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Ross Weisberg
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Wendrow
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Markley
wish Happy Holidays to:
Peg and Kenneth Hoogs
Brooks Martin
Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Faucette
36 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

Jeanne and A. B. Martin wish
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Chase
Mr. Robert P. Crawford
Dr. Daniel D. Hankey
Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher
Dr. and Mrs. David C. Lowance
Mr. and Mrs. George A. Montgomery
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Morris
Dr. and Mrs. Mark P. Pentecost
Mr. and Mrs. Crawford M. Sites
Olivia Martin
Your Grandchildren, Elisa, William
and Matthew
Mr. and Mrs. Willard B. McBurney
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tackett
Chad McConnell
Master Chase Tetrick
Kenneth McGaha’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Richard V. Ettenger
Jean McGarrity
Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Gilham, Jr.
Captain Sean Patrick McGee,
U.S.M.C.
Ms. Maureen McGee
Julie McLean
Ms. Rachael McLoud
Henry Meininger
Ms. Nancy Cain
Mickey and Joseph Meszaros
Mrs. Linda Davis
Military Personnel – Our brave
servicemen and women
protecting our freedom
Mr. and Mrs. Dion Antonio
Wanda and Wayne Miller
Captain Daniel Miller
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Mobley
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Bryan
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Candler
Mr. and Mrs. James Christians
Mr. and Mrs. Clisby Clarke
Ms. Carol Dean Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Willis Dobbs
Mrs. Curtis Illges
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Illges
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Jones
Mr. and Mrs. William Maner
Mr. and Mrs. English Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sams
Mr. and Mrs. William Tanner
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Taratus
Mr. Wilbur Warner
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Wood
Brian Mock’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Mock
Meghan Mohler and Scott
Castellini
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Mohler
William Montgomery
Ms. Susan Montgomery
Michael Moore
Ms. Virginia S. Freeman
Tom, Katie and Sarah Morgan
wish Happy Holidays to:
The Curry Family
The Friedlander Family
The Holder Family
The Middleton Family
The Money Family
The Morgan Family
The Sites Family
The Webb Family
Catherine L. Morris’ Bat Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin C. Shrager
Sarah A. Morrison
Mr. Jeffrey E. Morrison
Duane M. Morrow
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Paonessa
Doyle K. Mote
Mr. Marty Pollock
Gary Motz wishes Happy
Holidays to:
Mr. William Mayville
Dr. and Mrs. H. Herndon Murray
wish Happy Holidays to:
Dr. and Mrs. Meade Christian
Dr. and Mrs. William B. Dasher
Dr. and Mrs. James Frank
Dr. and Mrs. Emory Johnson
Dr. and Mrs. David Kafer
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas McCraney
Hudson Myers’ Recovery
Ms. Molli Harris
Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy C. Nash wish
much love and a very Merry
Christmas to:
Mr. Robert H. Hogg
Merry Nethery wishes Happy
Holidays to:
Mrs. Frank Carney in honor of
Frank Carney
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Durr
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Edzards
Big John Filer
Mr. Charles G. Johnson and Family
in honor of Brigadier General
Walter Giles Johnson
Ms. B. Ruth Johnson and Bettie
Johnson in honor of Brigadier
Genreral Walter Giles Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Kearns, Anna
and Max
Ms. Heather Mahoney
Mr. and Mrs. Clift McCall and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Mac McCleery
Ms. Suzanne Muntzing
Ms. Rose Lynn Pearson in honor of
your beloved Heider and Sigfried
Ms. Christy Johnson Schmitz
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Swerdlow
and Nick
Mr. and Mrs. James Travers
The Veterans at On-Site Fuel
Service, Inc.
Sally Nunnally
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pope
Christian F. Olson
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Olson
Kristyn Osterhaus
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Neefe
Mrs. Jacqueline Osterhaus
Mrs. Melinda Simon and
Mr. Christopher Schwab
Robin Owen
Monroney, Owen and Klein Families
Mike Owens
Mr. and Mrs. David Owens
Angela Pihera
Mr. Marty Pollock
Ernie Prickett
Mr. and Mrs. Paul H. Anderson, Jr.
Cara D. Puckett – “Great golf
tournament”
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Lois W. Puckett
Mrs. Lucy T. Inman
Emily Purcell
Mr. and Mrs. V. Thomas Purcell
Tish and Warner Ray wish Happy
Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Hal Barry
Dr. and Mrs. Phil Beegle
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Coleman
Mr. and Mrs. Rene Latiolais
Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Purvis
The Manske/Redmon Family
Ms. Katherine Redmon
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Reeve
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Tommy Vance
Barry F. “Toby” Regal’s Recovery
Mrs. Sharon Lutiazi
John Regan
Ms. Christine Regan-Davi
Jamie Reynolds
Mr. and Mrs. Gentry Strickland
Tara A. Robertson
Ms. Mary Diana Robertson
William E. Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Reichenbach
Ronnie Rudd and Susan Blackburn
Mr. and Mrs. Jack D. Williams, Jr.
Bradley A. Ruger
Mr. Marty Pollock
Lisa A. Ruger
Mr. Marty Pollock
Matthew Sanchez
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Knaeble
Elaine Scholes’ Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Bass
Emory A. Schwall
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Long
Mrs. Pamela E. Midura
Emory A. Schwall’s Birthday
Ms. Anna M. Pincumbe
Thomas Russ Sessions
Mr. Tommy Sessions
Lynn Anderson Caldwell and
William B. Shearer’s Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Shapiro Capital Management wishes
Happy Holidays to their clients.
Shepherd Center Staff
Mrs. Courtney Carr and
Brock David Carr
Photo by Brittany Wilson
Shepherd Center Foundation Staff
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Shepherd Center Fourth Floor
Spinal Cord Injury Staff
Dr. and Mrs. H. Herndon Murray
Shepherd Center Volunteer
Services
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Interns at the accounting firm Grant Thornton, LLP hosted an ice cream social for patients and their
families at Shepherd Center in 2010.
Alana and Harold Shepherd
Ms. Barbara Linden
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Spring 2011 37

Tributes
Photo by Teri Grimes
James H. Shepherd
Ms. Barbara Linden
Julie Shepherd’s Engagement
Dr. Rhonda Taubin
Stephen B. Shepherd’s Friendship
Mr. John T. Bohlayer
Mark Shuler
Mr. and Mrs. James S. Long
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Shuler
Dell B. Sikes
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Kelley B. Simoneaux
Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Simoneaux
Selma Singer –
“My special mother”
Mrs. Steven Gershberg
Brian Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Schroeder, Jr.
Elizabeth H. Smith wishes Happy
Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Lovic Brooks
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Billy Gow
Mr. and Mrs. Julian LeCraw
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Pendergrast
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sorenson
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Towles
Harold R. Smith wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Smith Wallace
Marlon Smith
Mrs. Mallory Myers Smith
Philip E. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Smith
Frieda Socol’s Recovery – “Wishing
you continued good health”
Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamond
Brendan Staley
Ms. Teresa Doherty
Cherie Stannard’s Recovery
Ms. Deborah L. Balai
Gary W. Starnes
Mrs. Karan Waid
State Bank and Trust –
Hunter Amos and Chris Mattie
Mr. K. Courtland Thomas
Anne and William Stembler, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Mrs. Wynne P. Stevenson wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Dr. and Mrs. Champ Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carroll
Mr. and Mrs. Robert David
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Flournoy
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Foley
Mrs. Sally Foley
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner Garrard
Ms. Ruthie Hubbard
Mrs. Betsy Leebern
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Link
Ms. Joan Redmond
Mr. and Mrs. Matt Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Waddell
Dr. and Mrs. John Waldrop
Dr. Michael Stout
COLDEN Consulting, LLC
Heidi Stuart
Ms. Erika Thomas
Tim Sumner
Ms. Julia Sumner
Hazel Taylor
Mr. Alan P. Armstrong
Candy Tefertiller – “Thanks for all
you did.”
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Pat and Randell Thomas
Libby and Ernie Prickett
Matthew Thornburg
Mr. Bruce Stuart
Ty Tippett – “Congratulations,
Mr. President!”
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Stan Topol
Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Faucette
Michael Turner
Mr. Marty Pollock
U.S. Soldiers
Mr. and Mrs. Alvin O. Benton
Tommy T. Vance
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Darden
Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Nix
Ms. Lucy White
Leslie VanHiel
Mr. Thomas Kraft
Wesley Varda
Mr. Stanley W. Adams
Mrs. Sally C. Atwell
Mr. Dennis W. Brittingham
Ms. Bernadette Carter-Jones
Equipment Management Group
Mr. and Mrs. Richard V. Ettenger
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Evans
Ms. Cathy Foster
Ms. Catherine F. Gammon
Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Gammon
Mr. Keith Gammon/and
Mr. George Gammon
Mrs. Elizabeth Harrell
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Hittle
Integrated Care Management
Mr. and Mrs. Donald A. Johnston
Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Kimbell
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Koehn
Mr. Jamey Linard
Ms. Ellwyn K. Markov
Ms. Judy McMillan
Ms. Patricia McTeague
Mr. Joseph Miranda
Mr. William C. Montgomery
Ms. Kelli Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Piorek
Dr. Michael Pont
Ms. Susanna Rains
Mr. and Mrs. Gary F. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Trocke
Ms. Johanna Ugo-Conlon
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Varda
Mr. and Mrs. James D. Wall
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Wise
Stephen A. Wakefield, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Dews
Katherine Walker wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. Edward C. “Rusty” Kidd
Rebecca Washburn
Mr. Marty Pollock
Jennings E. Watkins’ Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Gullett
The Weinberg Family
Mr. Christopher Weinberg
Anne and George Wellington
Ms. Beth Wellington
Mr. and Mrs. William B. Wellons, Jr.,
wish Happy Holidays to:
Mrs. Gregory Anderson
Joseph G. Welsh
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Covington
Peter Wenzell’s Recovery
Dr. Evis Babo and
Mr. Steve Weizenecker
Patricia C. Williams wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mrs. Betty Ann Bearden
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Bracken
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Bryant
Ms. Laney Cahillane
Mrs. F. C. Chandler
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cunningham
Mrs. Dottie Douglas
Mrs. Jane Glass
Mrs. J. R. Goldthwaite
Mrs. Don Harkins
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ilgenfritz
Mrs. Sam Inman
Mr. and Mrs. Kim Justice
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Kenney
Mrs. Winnie Klein
Mr. and Mrs. Don Krebs
Dr. and Mrs. Hugh McLeod
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Morrison
Mr. Stephen Ott
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Ott
Mrs. Jean S. Parker
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Poteat, Ellie
and Joseph
Mr. and Mrs. David Potts
Mrs. Stephanie Pryon
Mrs. Langdon Quin
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ross and Emma
Mr. and Mrs. Lee J. Ross
Mr. and Mrs. Berwster Sheats
Mrs. Robert Stockhausen
Mrs. Whit Sweetin
Mrs. Sarah Tharpe
Mr. and Mrs. George D. Williams
Mrs. Charles Wills
Mrs. Jean Withorn
Mrs. Mary Frances Woodside
Mr. and Mrs. David Zacks
Bruce Wilson
Ms. Kristin Barragan
Captain Nathan A. Wilson
Mrs. Kathryn Ross
Mrs. Joan Woodall wishes
Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Ansley
Mrs. McCary Ballard
Mrs. James Black
Mrs. Douglas Bowring
Mr. and Mrs. George Chase
Mr. and Mrs. Don Dennard
Mrs. Hayes Dever
Mrs. C. W. Dukehart
Mrs. Julian Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Julian Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Howard
Mr. and Mrs. Barrett Howell
Mrs. Robert Ingram
Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Martin
Mrs. Thomas Martin
Ms. Lee Moran
Mrs. Edward McDuffie
Mrs. Rhodes Perdue
Mrs. Charles Peterson
Mrs. Sam Smith
Mrs. Morris Shadburn
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Stockton
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sterling
Mrs. William Warren
Richard Wilinski
Ms. Teresa Kruzan
Judy Zaban
Mr. and Mrs. A. Frank Murphy
Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez visits with Shepherd
Center SCI patient Mary Miller of Marietta, Ga., and her physical
therapist, Kristen Casperson.
Kathryn Williams’ Recovery
Cunningham Lindsey
Mr. and Mrs. John Fleming
38 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

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 Oct. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010.
Forrest L. Adair II
Mr. Robert H. Hogg III
Nicholas Agati
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Isaac Means Aiken, Jr.
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chapman, Jr.
Mrs. Miriam W. Smith
Jack Albright
Ms. Peggy Mandle
Bill Allinger
Mr. Max Hardy
Ruth Allen Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Moser
Laura and Karl Anschutz
Ms. Esther L. Abisamra
Ms. Hope Abisamra
Mr. and Mrs. Werner Anschutz
Dr. Deborah S. Lee and
Mr. John W. Peifer
Indra M. Arora
Ms. Palak Patel
Ronnie Bailey
Mr. Glenn D. Bailey
McCary Ballard
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick T. Hickey
Ms. Marian W. Hughes
Mr. and Mrs. Brent J. Kaplan
Mr. and Mrs. James Lebow
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas MacArthur
Mr. and Mrs. Lee E. Ramby
Mr. Kurt Schlenz
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Stephens
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy
Mary Taylor Brazzel
Mr. Jason Hanna
Ms. Leanne Roque
Claude S. Bridges
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Dorothy Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
Gordon C. Bynum, Jr.
Ms. Catherine Fike
Dana Carr’s First Anniversary
in Heaven
Courtney Wolanin Carr
Baby Brock David Carr
David and Susan Wolanin
Brittany J. Wolanin
Dana Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Rick Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Schumacher
Mr. Daniel Vaughn
George Cartwright
Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Kropp
Jerome K. Chase
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Felma Chitwood, Jr.
Ms. Myrtice Hunter
Elmira Coffield
Mr. and Mrs. William Laverty
Albert S. Cohen
Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamond
Alton Reppard Colcord, Jr.
Dr. Bettye W. Hurt
Mr. and Mrs. Dalton B. Richardson
Neville B. Coltman
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm S. Harris
Dennis Coole, Sr.
H & H Insurance Services
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Naylor
Pittman Construction Company
Marlow Corbitt
Ms. Lynn Davis
Joan Cowles
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Warner S. Currie
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Mrs. Janice H. Kane
Betty Crane Davis
Mrs. W. S. Smith
Myrtle A. Davis
Mr. Marion T. Davis, Sr.
Robert Carr Denny
Mr. and Mrs. George Baxter
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Bender
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Bocchetti
Cape Volunteers In Medicine, Inc.
Mr. Robert L. Carr
Cassaday Family – Bill, Sue, Karen
and Scott
Mr. and Mrs. Jules J. Chatot
Mr. and Mrs. David DiMarzio
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Homan
Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Hughes
Mr. and Mrs. George K. Kline
Dr. and Mrs. Charles Liebeknecht
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Probasco
Mr. and Mrs. James D. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. James B. Stewart
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Tragle
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Yucis
Kathryn Dodd
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Marcia H. Duggan
Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Corrigan, Jr.
The Scott Hudgens Family
Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Van Houten
Kenneth J. Dukes
Ms. Vicki Dukes
De Ann Durant
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Moser
Wilfried F. Eicken
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Richard C. “Dick” Eriksson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Burcham
Mr. Bruce D. Burton
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Deming
Ms. Harlene J. Henson
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Little
Mr. and Mrs. Lynford Mortland
Mr. Stewart J. Shirey
Jack Felts
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence E. Smith
Perry Ballard
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Frances Barnes
Mr. Gary P. Alexander
Isabel Leggatt Barnes
Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chapman, Jr.
Charles C. Barton
Mrs. Miriam W. Smith
Photo by Alex Seblatnigg
Tom Bennett
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Kassel
Gerald E. Bernal
Mr. Richard F. Bernal
Margaret M. Bernal
Mr. Richard F. Bernal
Rochelle Bertolini
Ms. Jody L. Skipworth
Margaret Ann Bratton
Mr. and Mrs. David Wilder
Richard R. Brazones
Atlantic Capital Bank
Mrs. Marie J. Benner
Dr. Margaret Brazones
Mrs. Melinda Doolittle
Ms. Thelma G. Gersch
Volunteers from the Peachtree Garden Club decorated Shepherd Center for the holidays in
November 2010.
Spring 2011 39

Tributes
SCI patient Andrew Durrence of Dallas, Ga., practices walking
over ground with his therapists as Atlanta Braves mascot,
Homer, cheers him on.
Photo by Teri Grimes Photo
Photo by Caroline Hemingway
Joel Goldberg
Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Betty Gould
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Bryan Griffin
Mrs. Sally C. Atwell
James C. Gunn
Mr. Michael Gunn
William Chenault Hailey
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett L. Davis III
Jerry Richard Hamilton
Mrs. Jo Ann H. Ivey
Marie M. Hamilton
Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hurd, Jr.
Jeanne Harley
Mrs. Charles H. Peterson
Captain Jay Harting
Mr. Alexander Hou
Dr. Duane Hartley
Mr. and Mrs. George M. Gazda
The McNeely Foundation
John Hayes
Ms. Teresa Jackson
Peggy D. Hayes
Ms. Joanne Hayes
Nancy W. Hennessy
Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chapman, Jr.
Morton S. Hodgson, Jr.
The Hodgson Charitable Trust
Don Horwitz
Hilton and Philippa Kort and Family
Frederick Augusts Hoyt III
Elizabeth Reid Holt
Julie Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Davis
Mr. Donald Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Griffin
Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Hailey
Hancock & Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Reid Hartsfield
Mr. and Mrs. Brent Heffron
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hollberg III
Mr. and Mrs. Franz F. Holscher, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. John W. Hurst
Ms. Teresa Jackson
Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Phil V. Keb
Mr. and Mrs. G. William Knight
Dr. and Mrs. Pano A. Lamis
Ms. Susan Lieske
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey W. Maclary
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Martin
Mr. and Mrs. Bob R. Mathews
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce McQuaid
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Miller, Jr.
Ms. Valerie Monroe
Mr. David R. Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Necessary
Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus B. Orthwein, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Phillips
Colonel and Mrs. Wayne Phillips
Mr. and Mrs. Jud Preuss
Ms. Frances R. Sarakby
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Schronce
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Stubbs & Associates
Dr. and Mrs. Leslie Sweeney
Theodore Alexander
Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Watts III
Mr. and Mrs. A. Stanley Wheeling
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Worrell
Sam C. Inman
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Londa Ivey
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Bobby Jackson
Dr. Alberto and Valerie H. de la Torre
Tina M. Johnson
Ms. Cathy A. Bird
Doris Katz
Hilton and Philippa Kort and Family
Carol Kurz
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Atlanta Falcons players, left to right, Michael Turner, John Parker
Wilson and Ovie Mughelli visit with patient Cooper Doucette, 16,
of Nashua, N.H., during the Falcons’ Hometown Huddle visit in
fall 2010.
Sara Ann Flohr
Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr.
Elizabeth Cargill France
Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr.
Paul Fraser
Mr. John D. Saunders
Otto Fricker
Hilton and Philippa Kort and Family
David Funk
Ms. Donna S. Aranson
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Funk
Ursula Garner
Hilton and Philippa Kort and Family
Irene Gasparelli
Hilton and Philippa Kort and Family
Tommy Gibson
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Gibson
John C. Hunsinger
Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Mr. John D. Goodloe, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
Mrs. Miriam W. Smith
Olive M. Toy
Rogers B. Toy III
Elizabeth Toy Chadwick
Jerry M. Hux
Mr. and Mrs. Aadu J. Allpere
Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. James N. Ashby
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Baker
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Barnes
Mr. and Mrs. David Blair
Mr. Edward E. Blazer, CPA
Channelbend Homeowner’s
Association
Ms. Gail M. Chickersky
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Christenson
Councill
Ms. Linda H. Dawbarn
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Denton
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Glasheen
Dr. and Mrs. W. J. Gower III
George Lang
Mr. Gary P. Alexander
Frances Holt Lanier
Elizabeth Reid Holt
Robert Edward Lanier III
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Dorothy Larkin
Mr. Mark Fincher
Earl and Mae Laverty
Mr. and Mrs. William Laverty
F. Michael Lavin
Mrs. Bette Lavin
Keith LeClaire
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Dew III
Mr. and Mrs. William E. LeClaire
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Lundmark
Robert Lipshutz
Mr. Eugene S. Asher
40 Spinal Column
www.spinalcolumn.org

John W. Lundeen
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Pen Lybrook
Ms. Phyllis Brooks
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas P. Lybrook
John A. Martin
Mrs. Jaquelin P. Adams
Mrs. William E. Grabbe
St. David’s HealthCare
Mr. Louie B. Wood
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Lynn D. Martin
Mrs. W. S. Smith
Betty Joe Beard Mays
aspenhome
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis D. Ballou
Mrs. Rose M. Brantley
Evelyn Duke and Family
Ms. Diane Meagh
Ms. Kathy Opitz
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Rissmiller
Angie and Jeff Thompson
Donald G. McMannis
Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr.
Dawn McNally
Mr. and Mrs. Randall W. Norris
Anne Brook Milner
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Dr. James H. Milsap, Jr.
Dr. Richard S. Colvin
Morris Mink
Mrs. Beatrice E. Mink
John H. Mobley II
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Mrs. R. B. Lippincott, Jr.
Lola H. Park
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Laird
Ryan K. Parker
Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Echols
Ms. Tonya Faith
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Kennedy
Mr. and Mrs. Norman N. Loper
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Plunket, Jr.
Ms. Jane Plunket
Michael L. “Mikie” Rae, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rae
Pauline Reese
Ms. Karen Johnston and Mr. Robert
A. Lieberman
Edward Reisinger
Mr. Michael Reisinger
Ruth Rosenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Don Engleberg
Nan Ross
Ms. Anne W. Pearce and
Mr. Andrew P. Worrell
Sherri Rudd
Dr. and Mrs. Mark Lobstein
Mary Elizabeth Schroder
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Peggy Schwall
Mrs. Pamela E. Midura
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Rawls, Jr.
Ms. Nancy Welfer
Gertrude Schwarz
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Kassel
C. Richard Shepherd
Mrs. Mary K. Shepherd
Mr. Eric Gregory
Thomas R. and Loraine P. Williams
Foundation
Lois S. Smith
Mrs. William B. Stilwell, Jr.
Gayle J. Stocker
Dr. and Mrs. George Rives Cary, Jr.
Clifford Court Stockton
Ms. Barbara H. Gunn
Mr. Billy L. Ivey
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Sorenson
Mrs. Joan Woodall
Doris Rose Thomas
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Black
Glenn M. Thompson
Mrs. Lola Thompson
Marcy B. Turk
Mrs. Frank C. Bowen, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Robert J. Tymoff
Mrs. Sarah B. Schloss
Doris Ufford
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Casey
Elizabeth A. Walz
Mr. Jack V. Walz
Dorothy Watkins
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Watkins
Patsy Weinman
Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamond
Donald Wender
Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamond
Lanette W. White
Mrs. Sheila Andrews
Dr. William F. Wieland
Mr. and Mrs. Harold T. Barrett, Jr.
John Wilcox’s Father
A WWI Veteran
John B. “Jay” Woodruff
Mr. and Mrs. Andy Farmer
Ms. Elizabeth W. Willis
Mr. J. Barnett Woodruff
Milton H. “Jay” Woodside
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. DuBose
Mr. and Mrs. James Moorhead
Nell M. Wooten
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Moser
Jack “John” Wyant
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar J. Forio, Jr.
Mrs. W. Sam Smith
Ida and Don Yancey
Mr. John A. Taylor
Margaret Shepherd Yates
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis C. Coole, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Albert A. Rayle, Jr.
Sandy Yurek
Ms. Jody L. Skipworth
Margaret Ann Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. William Lippincott
William Clyde Shepherd, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. MacKay Drake
Marie Wettensten
Mr. and Mrs. George S. Williams
Mark Nemeroff
Mrs. Nancy Isenberg
Mark J. Nichelson
Mrs. Robert C. Beauchamp
Robert W. Northrop
Mr. and Mrs. Palmer T. Northrop
Wiley S. Obenshain
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Alston, Sr.
Photo by Gary Meek
Kevin Patrick O’Brien
Mrs. Elois Hudson
Todd Old
Teresa and Cleo Brackett
Mrs. Irene M. Cohen
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Magnuson
Ms. Evelyn Quinn
Ms. Sheila Q. Shepard
Sherman A. Olsen
Mrs. Patricia C. Williams
Robert Osterhaus
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Neefe
Dottie Palmer
Mrs. Marilyn S. Evans
Patients Sharon Eckert, right, of Nashville, Tenn., and Daniel Smith, center, of Hampton, Tenn.,
chat with Sharon’s husband on the seventh floor terrace at Shepherd Center.
Spring 2011 41

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Atlanta, GA
Permit No. 1703
Address Service Requested
Read the magazine
online at:
spinalcolumn.org
Atlanta Braves Drop By Shepherd Center
Photo by Teri Grimes
Members of the Atlanta Braves visited
Shepherd Center patients on Jan. 27.
New Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and
bullpen coach Eddie Perez, along with
catchers Brian McCann and David Ross,
center fielder Nate McLouth and pitcher
Jonny Venters, signed autographs and
spent time chatting with Shepherd patients,
their family members and staff members.
They stirred a lot of excitement and
enthusiasm among patients. Many people
chatted with them about their expectations
for the Braves’ 2011 season, which
opened on March 31 with Gonzalez at the
helm for the first time.
Gonzalez is a strong supporter of the
Dreams of Recovery Foundation, which
was established by former Shepherd
Center spinal cord injury (SCI) patient
Cindy Donald of Atlanta. The foundation
raises funds for therapy, equipment and
research for people with SCI.
After visiting with patients, McLouth
said: “There’s a lot of excitement getting
going with baseball now, and we’re glad
to parlay that into brightening some
people’s days. We’ve gotten to see some
people who’ve had a rough time lately.
But this is a great place, and people are
getting better here.”
McCann added, “Being able to put a
smile on people’s faces is a gift.”
McCann definitely brightened the day
for SCI Day Program patient Terry Pittman
(pictured at left), 14, of Rocky Mount,
N.C. Terry sustained a C-4 to -5 spinal
cord injury during football practice in
September 2010. He can now walk with
the assistance of a walker.
See more photos from the Braves’ visit
in the Honorariums and Memorials section
beginning on page 34.