James Shepherd Jr. (left), his father, Harold, and his mother, Alana, co-founded Shepherd Center in 1975 along with Dr. David Apple.

James Shepherd Jr. (left), his father, Harold, and his mother, Alana, co-founded Shepherd Center in 1975 along with Dr. David Apple.

In 1973, Atlanta native James Shepherd Jr. graduated from the University of Georgia. He then backpacked through Europe and Africa before heading to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. There, in the waves off Rio’s famous beaches, Shepherd suffered a near-fatal accident. Teams of doctors in Brazil and the United States said he would never walk again.

Then, he did. After two years of intensive rehabilitation, James; his parents, Alana and Harold; and Dr. David Apple founded Shepherd Center in Atlanta. What began as a six-bed unit with a long waiting list now treats nearly 1,000 patients each year.

"On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott speaks with Alana Shepherd and James Shepherd Jr.

James Shepherd Jr. and Alana Shepherd joined “On Second Thought” host Virginia Prescott to talk about how they turned a personal catastrophe into a world-renowned treatment and rehabilitation center for spinal cord and brain injuries.

 

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Tags: medical care  spine and chronic pain  multiple sclerosis  brain injury  spinal cord injury  rehabilitation  assistive technology  stem cell research  harold shepherd  james shepherd jr.