About the portrait
Self-Titled
Welcome to the Smoke Show
Photographers
ELEY and Celina Odeh
About David
David McBrayer, a DeKalb County fire captain, was paralyzed in a head-on car collision in June 2023, sustaining a C5-C6 spinal cord injury. He began his journey at Shepherd Center shortly after, spending three months as an inpatient, followed by ongoing outpatient therapy, including a pioneering hand surgery that improved his finger movement.
David hopes his portrait, titled “Welcome to the Smoke Show,” conveys a sense of resilience and identity, using his firefighter helmet as a symbol of pride in his career. He wants to be seen as a person first, beyond the wheelchair, and to share his humor and strength through the image.
Reflecting on his rehabilitation, David highlights the importance of faith, family support, and encouragement from his fire department and therapists. Celebrating milestones like driving again has fueled his determination to return to the fire service in a new role. For David, hope and purpose are powerful motivators that keep him moving forward.
To others facing similar challenges, David’s message is simple: never give up, because with persistence and support, new possibilities await. He feels deep gratitude for the Shepherd Center community, which inspires him with a culture that transforms “can’t” into “can’t yet.”
In his portrait
In his portrait, David chose to be photographed alongside his friend and Shepherd employee Danny Housley, who shares a similar journey of living with a disability, as well as his girlfriend Bailey Comer.
