Shepherd Center

Ryan Edwards went from having a stroke to completing four 5Ks this year and looking to participate in several more. He hopes that just by being out there, he encourages someone else.

In October 2024, Ryan, then 30, had a hemorrhagic stroke while getting ready for work one morning. After falling several times, he eventually called 911.

Ryan dragged himself 45 feet to the front door and unlocked it for the paramedics before losing consciousness. In hindsight, he says things could’ve been worse, since 15 minutes earlier, he would’ve been asleep, and 15 minutes later, he would’ve been driving to work. “God's timing was shown in that situation,” he says. “So, I've come to terms, and I'm glad it happened when it did.”

He spent 20 days in Huntsville Hospital after having surgery to remove part of his skull to reduce the pressure from the bleeding in his brain.

Ryan’s mom, Terri Edwards, remembers how overwhelmed she felt immediately following Ryan’s stroke.

“I had no idea what to do,” she recalls. It wasn't until Ryan transferred to Shepherd Center that real relief happened.

“And I would say nine out of every 10 staff persons, from a janitor to a doctor, a tech, a nurse, whoever, walked by and they would say, ‘Are you okay? Do you need anything? Are you waiting on somebody?’ They would talk to us. And by the end of the first two hours … I knew we were in the right place.”

When Ryan first arrived at Shepherd, he had to work to rebuild his physical strength and address cognitive issues. At first, Ryan used a wheelchair and had weakness on his left side, especially his left arm. While his long-term memory was intact, his short-term memory was a challenge, as was fatigue from mental strain when problem-solving.

Ryan credits his therapist for getting him where he is today. But he also recognizes the effect of getting to know other patients. “We got to go out to a couple of the restaurants down the street with some other patients, and we got to meet up and make some friends with a couple of the other patients and share experiences with them,” he says. “I think that's really good — getting the patients together is really good.”

One of Ryan’s biggest goals was to return to work at the family business, which he partners in with his uncles. Cognitive exercises to help him prepare for work and build mental stamina were an integral part of his therapy at Pathways, Shepherd’s outpatient brain injury rehabilitation program.

Ryan started gradually, working half days when he wasn’t doing therapy, and now he works close to 40 hours a week, sometimes taking a power nap in the middle of the day if he needs it.

Ryan lived with his parents for a little over a year. Then he bought a house close to his job and his parents' home and went back to living independently. Both Ryan and his mother say that it is a testament to how far he has come in his recovery.

Since 2023, our Quality Improvement Champion Program (QICP) has celebrated 63 graduates who stepped forward and said, “I want to make Shepherd Center better.” Their dedication reflects our culture of continuous improvement and our shared commitment to providing the very best care for our patients and families.

The projects developed through QICP continue to shape the way we deliver care today, including:

• The Swallowing Precautions Initiative — a three-year effort that delivered lasting impact and earned two Georgia Hospital Association awards.

• The Combined Therapy and Nursing Skills Day — strengthening collaboration and consistency across disciplines to support better care.

• The Speech Therapy Weekly Outcomes Measure Tool — bringing greater clarity and measurement to patient progress for more focused care.

• Adding patient images to Seating Clinic evaluations — improving communication and increasing the precision of care.

These are not small changes. They are meaningful improvements that enhance safety, strengthen teamwork, and improve outcomes for the patients we serve.

To our 2026 QICP graduates, we recognize your hard work, commitment, and lasting impact.

Thank you to all our Quality Improvement Champions—past and present—for helping Shepherd Center continue to learn, grow, and lead. Every idea, every project, and every improvement helps move us closer to excellence in care.

As Argentina and Egypt prepared for their round of 16 match in Atlanta, Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program got ready for a World Cup experience of its own.

Thanks to an incredible partnership with the Georgia World Congress Center Guest Experience Team, led by Melinda Buchanan, our patients received VIP treatment at the FIFA Fan Festival in Centennial Olympic Park, making the experience feel seamless from start to finish.

With the goals of community reintegration and disability advocacy in mind, patients had the opportunity to experience the excitement of one of the world's biggest sporting events in a supportive and accessible environment. To address the challenges posed by large crowds, overstimulation, and Atlanta's summer heat, the group was welcomed into the VIP tent, where they could enjoy the festivities while staying comfortable and engaged.

To help make the day even more memorable, Alex Seblatnigg, Shepherd Center's director of volunteer services and internal engagement, prepped swag bags filled with sunscreen, water bottles, sweatbands, stickers, and a U.S. Men's National Team scarf, adding another thoughtful touch to the experience.

Experiences like these are about so much more than soccer. They offer opportunities for patients to practice real-world skills, build confidence in community settings, advocate for their needs, and reconnect with activities they enjoy.

A special thank you goes to our Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program staff, who consistently show up for our patients, ensuring they can safely reintegrate into the community after injury.

Congratulations to the winners of the 45th Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division of the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race!

Thousands of spectators lined Peachtree Road to cheer on some of the best wheelchair racers in the world as they competed in Atlanta’s iconic race.

A special congratulations to Tatyana McFadden, who won the women’s open division with a finishing time of 23:02, and to Daniel Romanchuk, who captured the men’s open title with a finishing time of 19:00. Both champions took home the top prize of $12,500.

This year’s competition featured 65 racers, ages 13 to 67, and once again served as a powerful display of inclusion for athletes with disabilities. As racers passed Shepherd Center, they inspired patients, families, and spectators by showing what is possible through sport, determination, and resilience.

“We are thrilled to welcome racers to Atlanta for Shepherd Center's Wheelchair Division of the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race,” said Rebecca Washburn, MS, manager of Shepherd Center’s Beyond Therapy® and wellness programs. “This race draws some of the world’s most elite racers, and it’s exciting to show them and all of the racers what Atlanta and the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race have to offer."

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and donors who helped make this event possible. Atlanta Track Club served as the event's Platinum Sponsor, with MARTA as the Silver Sponsor. We are also grateful for the support of InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta and The Kyle Pease Foundation, whose contributions helped defray travel and lodging expenses for racers and support cash prizes for the winners.

Congratulations to all of this year’s competitors.