If you are trying to find recent news on the Shepherd Center, one would think a simple Google search could find everything you need. And indeed much information can be found rather quickly. But it takes a little wading through other stories. Not because there is some other “Shepherd Center Atlanta” that will give you results, but because most of the “news” related to the center is not about the center itself but story after story of people from cities all over the country who have come to Atlanta for treatment there.
“Melbourne (Florida) girl learning to walk again after broken back,” “Madison (Mississippi) alderman returns following stroke,” “Cole White making his home town (Florida) proud #ColeStrong.” People who have experienced a tragedy, and thanks to the Shepherd Center, have been able to return home, welcomed with love and celebration by their neighbors.
As the Shepherd Center celebrated its 45th anniversary in August, not only is it continuing to make a return to life possible for those with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions. Life may be forever different for some of their patients, but the Shepherd Center offers the best treatment, research and rehabilitation for those that come through its doors.
Started after Alana and James Shepherd’s son James Jr. suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury in 1973. Frustrated with the lack of rehabilitation facilities in the Southeast, the Shepherd’s sought support from the Atlanta community and, in 1975, opened its doors as a six-bed unit in leased space in an Atlanta hospital. They now treat approximately 1,000 inpatient, 500 day program patients, and more than 7,300 outpatients per year.
Alana Shepherd is past the age most would consider retirement but is still involved as the Chair of the Board of Directors and a volunteer. She succeeded her son who passed away in December of 2019.
“Only about 45% of our patients are from Georgia,” said Shepherd. “We are undertaking the most exciting future for the hospital. One for increased housing for patient families and one that will allow us to expand our bed capacity to 200. We will also be expanding the pain center and the MS center.”
“We have three honorary chairs that will be working on this campaign, Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank and David Ratcliffe (of Southern Company fame). We’re excited about that and the future. It’s a huge project but we are very confident.”
Asked about what it has meant to her, Shepherd said “It turned out to be my life. I didn’t realize this was going to be my life instead of going along like most everyone else I know. I’m still a volunteer and Im proud to do that. It has been all-consuming. We don’t sit down to any family meal where we don’t talk about the hospital. It’s a life project and it has been a privilege to be part of it.”
“We have the most incredible staff, about 1,800 staff, several campuses and all kinds of housing for our families, most of whom are from more than an hour away.”
Asked about her favorite moment, just like the Google machine, Shepherd points to the “so many patient stories that are really celebrations, it’s hard to say any one moment.”
