At the starting line, connection turns individual strength into shared momentum, reminding us that hope grows when we move forward together. (l-r): Gavin McClintock, Ari Spotts, Dave McBreyer, Ricardo Castanda, Pierre St. Brice. Photo by @eley_photo
Recovery is never a solo journey, as two former patients and the people who stood by them can attest.
They happen when a parent shows up every day. When a therapist answers a text message years later. The family members who rearrange their lives to help. The community that remains long after rehabilitation ends.
For Ari Spotts and Pierre St. Brice, those connections became an essential part of their journeys, proving that recovery is never just about healing the body. It’s also about the people who move alongside you every step of the way.
The people who show up
Ari arrived at Shepherd Center following a spinal cord injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident in 2022. After surgery and hospitalization, she began learning how to navigate life with a spinal cord injury.
Throughout that process, one thing remained constant: her family.
Her parents sat beside her in the hospital, helped her navigate difficult decisions, and made sure she had what she needed as she transitioned into rehab.
“My parents motivate me a lot. They make sure that I’m staying on top of things and doing what I need to do.”
Later, when Ari entered Shepherd Center’s Day Program, another family member stepped in. With daily travel to therapy required, Ari’s aunt temporarily relocated from Michigan so Ari could continue her rehabilitation while her mother returned to work.
“They’ve been there from the start,” Ari said.
That support didn’t end when the therapy was done. Her parents even drove to Florida to pick up a standing frame and FES bike so she could continue strengthening and exercising independently at home. And while motivation can sometimes be difficult without the daily structure of therapy, she credits her parents for helping her stay focused on her progress.
“My parents motivate me a lot. They make sure that I’m staying on top of things and doing what I need to do,” she said.
Connections that continue
Connection has also continued through the relationships she built at Shepherd.
Although she no longer participates in Beyond Therapy, she still reaches out to former therapists when questions arise.
She also continues with recreation therapy activities, like birding, chocolate-making classes, and curling events. She also has an eye on the Adventure Skills Workshop in the future.
These experiences have helped her reconnect with her Shepherd family, and with other people navigating similar journeys.
For Ari, connection often appears in quiet but meaningful ways: familiar faces, trusted mentors, shared hobbies, and family members who continue to show up.
More than a place to exercise
Pierre St. Brice’s journey is different, but relationships have played an equally important role in his recovery.
At 17 years old, Pierre sustained a spinal cord injury in a motor vehicle accident caused by distracted driving. Today, at 27, he is pursuing a degree in Biblical Studies, serving at his church, and continuing to build a life grounded in purpose and community.
Like Ari, Pierre credits many of the people around him for helping shape his recovery. One of those being the team at Shepherd Center’s Beyond Therapy program.
“The relationships I have with the men and women in that gym have been so fruitful for me throughout the years,” Pierre shared. “Even when I’m not on their schedule, I find myself always going back to visit them.”
What began as a program to improve strength, mobility, and independence became something more. The relationships formed there continue to influence his everyday life, both inside and outside the gym.
“Community has been something that always played a role in my life.”
A community worth keeping
For Pierre, maintaining those connections is important.
“Community has been something that always played a role in my life,” he said. “One of the things I believe is new is keeping the relationships that I’ve made at Shepherd Center.”
For Pierre, connection extends through Shepherd, his family, his faith, community, and the people who supported him throughout recovery.
His mother has had one of the greatest impacts.
“She has truly been monumental,” he said, reflecting on her patience, care, and unwavering support since the day of his injury.
Moving forward, together
Ari and Pierre’s journeys are different, but their stories arrive at the same truth: recovery is rarely accomplished alone.
Support can look like parents driving hundreds of miles to pick up equipment. It can be an aunt relocating so therapy remains possible. It can be a former therapist answering a question years later, a gym filled with friends, or a recreation outing that opens up a new hobby.
These relationships create trust, belonging, laughter, and a reason to look ahead.
For Pierre and Ari, those relationships became sources of encouragement that helped them to keep moving forward.
And while recovery may look different for every person, one truth remains the same: it’s also about who goes with you.
About Shepherd Center
With more than five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.
Discover how you can become a patient, support our mission, or join our team.