Close Connections
It was the twinkle in his eye, she says, that first attracted Linda Root Shepherd (BSHE '77, Fashion Merchandising) a decade ago to the founder of the Shepherd Spinal Center, and his upbeat attitude continues to inspire her to this day.
James Shepherd was partially paralyzed in October 1973, just months after earning his bachelor's degree in business from UGA, when he suffered a broken neck while body surfing in Brazil. After being treated for several months at the renowned Craig Hospital in Colorado—a comparably specialized institution wasn't available in Georgia—he returned to Atlanta committed to creating a state-of-the-art center to treat those in the Southeast with spinal-cord or brain injuries.
Linda joined the by-then-well-established Shepherd Center 13 years ago. Her first job was in the durable medical equipment department, working with insurance companies to ensure that patients received the technologies they needed to make their lives easier. She has since moved into the renovations department, where she concentrates on keeping the center's furnishings updated and ensuring that they suitable for patients using wheelchairs and walkers.
Her first encounter with James was in September 2000. "I had just moved downtown from an off-site location when I saw him," she recalls. "I told a colleague, 'I'm going to have a date with him.'" She did, it led to several more, and the couple was engaged by December and married in February 2001.
Since joining the Shepherd family, Linda has become active in telling the Shepherd Center story and encouraging others to financially support it. "We can be out two or three nights a week attending fundraisers that range from the legendary ball (held each November) to small cocktail parties," she says. "But it's not hard to raise money for the Shepherd Center because it's a story that has a good, good ending—and it's true!"
FACS Athelete Temporarily sidetracked
Just a few days after Louise Hill transferred to Shepherd Spinal Center to begin her rehabilitation efforts, FACS student Johnathan Taylor (Junior, Consumer Economics) joined her. Taylor was injured March 6 during a collision with a teammate as both dived for a line drive during the UGA Diamond Dogs' baseball game against Florida State University. Taylor broke his neck in the collision with fractures of the C-5 and C-6 vertebrae. His spinal cord was bruised, but not severed.
Following surgery in Athens to stabilize his neck, Taylor was transferred to the Shepherd Center on March 11, where he continues to be a patient.
At a press conference held in late April, Dr. Donald Peck Leslie, the medical director at Shepherd Center, said that Taylor would transfer to the Woodruff Family Residence Center (located on the Shepherd campus) sometime in May and continue his therapy in the day patient program. Without providing detailed information about the extent of Taylor's injury, Leslie predicted that Taylor would soon be functionally independent. "He's an athlete; he wants to go train," Leslie said. "I think we'll see improvement every day."
UGA baseball coach David Perno said that he too is optimistic about Taylor's progress. "It's been exciting to watch for the past three years—to see him grow as an athlete. Some said he wasn't big enough, or he couldn't do this or that, but he's proven all of them wrong. Also, he's an honor-roll student who positively influences young people at our camps and other community-service events; and he influences his teammates, telling them to take advantage of the resources we have at the University of Georgia and to keep up with their studies."
