Reclaiming a rite of passage

Shepherd Center staff member Julie Shepherd helps Paige Forrester, 18, of Columbia, Alabama, get ready for prom. Forrester was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 13 after a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. Thanks to a donation by nonprofit Andee’s Army, prom-goers were given budgets to shop for their prom wear, makeup, and other accessories. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Shepherd Center, which treats brain and spinal cord injuries, created an enchanted garden prom for its teen clients.

Photos by Arvin Temkar and Branden Camp
Text by Arvin Temkar
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

On a recent spring evening in Atlanta, music and karaoke echoed through a garden adorned with balloons and twinkling lights. An affable 18-year-old busted a dance move with his cane. Teenagers in wheelchairs snapped selfies and cracked jokes. It was prom night at Shepherd Center.

The evening was a moment of joy and reprieve for teenage patients of the hospital, which treats brain and spinal cord injuries. It gave the patients, along with friends and family, a chance to experience a rite of passage that had been disrupted by car accidents or disease.

“Being in a hospital is hard for anybody, but it’s particularly hard for kids who are going through adolescence and already have anxiety around being different or not fitting in or missing out on stuff,” says Shepherd Center occupational therapist Katie Kimball, one of the event’s organizers.

Anastasia Senn, 19, was one of the 10 teenage patients who attended prom. “My favorite part of prom was being around other people like me,” says the Portland resident, who was in a car accident that caused a spinal cord injury. “It’s super nice to have people to relate to who will not judge or pity me for what happened.”

Recreational therapist Avery Blankenburg (left) and occupational therapist Reagan Arwine (right) tousle 18-year-old patient Dominic LaRusso’s hair before prom. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Recreational therapist Avery Blankenburg (left) and occupational therapist Reagan Arwine (right) tousle 18-year-old patient Dominic LaRusso’s hair before prom. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Dominic LaRusso, of Gilbert, South Carolina, admires his newly curled hair. LaRusso was admitted on Feb. 10 after a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Dominic LaRusso, of Gilbert, South Carolina, admires his newly curled hair. LaRusso was admitted on Feb. 10 after a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

A Shepherd Center staff member places a corsage on 19-year-old Anastasia Senn’s wrist. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

A Shepherd Center staff member places a corsage on 19-year-old Anastasia Senn’s wrist. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Anastasia Senn, of Portland, was admitted to the hospital on March 3, after a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. Her high school prom was canceled due to COVID-19. “If I had gone to my normal prom in a wheelchair, it would have felt different,” she says. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Anastasia Senn, of Portland, was admitted to the hospital on March 3, after a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. Her high school prom was canceled due to COVID-19. “If I had gone to my normal prom in a wheelchair, it would have felt different,” she says. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

From left, Paige Forrester, Dominic LaRusso, physical therapist Chris Ready, and physical therapist Brian Tanner congregate before prom in the hospital’s “I Can” Studio. The mock apartment has a full kitchen and bathroom, and is used for home-training programs. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

The prom, themed “Enchanted Garden,” was held at the Shepherd Center’s Secret Garden, an enclosed outdoor area that borders Peachtree Road NE. There were about two dozen attendees. (Branden Camp for the AJC)

Attendees and their guests ate a Mexican dinner on the hospital’s seventh-level balcony, which has views of Atlanta. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Maria Manley and Dontae Wilson watch a video on a phone. Manley, 16, of Alliance, Ohio, has MOG antibody disease, which affects the central nervous system. Wilson, 16, of Whitemire, South Carolina, has a brain injury sustained in a car accident. (Branden Camp for the AJC)

Maria Manley and Dontae Wilson watch a video on a phone. Manley, 16, of Alliance, Ohio, has MOG antibody disease, which affects the central nervous system. Wilson, 16, of Whitemire, South Carolina, has a brain injury sustained in a car accident. (Branden Camp for the AJC)

Paige Forrester and Dominic LaRusso smile for a picture with occupational therapist Katie Kimball. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Paige Forrester and Dominic LaRusso smile for a picture with occupational therapist Katie Kimball. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Prom guest Lilly Ray sings karaoke with her date Aiden Gilligan, 18, of Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Gilligan was admitted on March 17 after a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. (Branden Camp for the AJC)

Dominic LaRusso dances with recreational therapist Avery Blankenburg (left) and exercise physiologist Kelly White (right). (Branden Camp for the AJC)

Prom-goers received gift bags that included Instax cameras, giftcards, and fanny packs donated by Patagonia. (Branden Camp for the AJC)