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A MESSAGE FROM ALANA SHEPHERD
You've probably arrived at this page because someone you love is in trouble - a family member, friend, an important person in your life. An unexpected accident or illness has resulted in a spinal cord injury, a brain injury, or a neurological condition that may change that person's life forever. The questions and concerns facing you seem overwhelming. What do you do? Where do you go for help? What does the future hold for your loved one? In this time of crisis, it may be reassuring to know that we've been in your shoes. In 1973, our son James suffered a spinal cord injury while surfing in Brazil, part of a trip to celebrate his college graduation. His incomplete quadriplegia required immediate medical attention and months of rehabilitation therapy. James recovered at a hospital in the Midwest, and today walks with the help of leg braces and a cane. But the fact that James had to leave the Southeast for high-quality specialty care left us frustrated – frustrated enough to galvanize our family and the Atlanta medical community into starting a specialty hospital here in Georgia. We were committed to bringing high-quality spinal cord injury care close to home, and soon we opened Shepherd Center in a wing of an Atlanta hospital in 1975. We moved into our own facility in 1982, and expanded our space a decade later to 32,000 square feet. Today, Shepherd Center is a 408,000 square-foot, not-for-profit hospital with 120 beds, including a 10-bed intensive care unit. The center treats more spinal cord injuries than any other rehabilitation hospital in the nation. Our catastrophic care expertise extends to brain injury (which often times coincides with spinal cord injury) and other neurological illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, transverse myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. In that time, we have become a leading advocate for all people with disabilities, a dedication exemplified by our role as the founding sponsor of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Throughout this growth, our mission has remained the same: to return catastrophically injured patients to the highest level of functioning possible, enabling them to continue their lives with hope, dignity and independence. We offer a full continuum of services - from intensive care to an ambitious Community Bridge program that extends Shepherd Center's commitment into the patient's home for up to a year after their injury. Our record of positive outcomes is enviable, and our levels of patient satisfaction are high. Please browse our website for more information about our programs and expertise. I hope you'll learn what sets us apart from other rehabilitation facilities. Our Admissions Department will be happy to answer your questions, arrange a tour of our facility, send you a video, or connect you with former patients. The first hours, days and weeks following a spinal cord injury or brain injury are a difficult time for a patient's loved ones. You may want to look through our Caregiver Guide booklets to find information and advice that will help you through these first weeks. Whomever you choose, remember that catastrophically-injured patients benefit from admission to a specialty rehabilitation hospital as soon after injury as possible. When it comes to rehabilitation hospitals, it's helpful to know that someone has been in your shoes. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for the right kind of care for my son...and sometimes I feel like I did. Please consider us. We've been there and we can help. Sincerely, 
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