Two women with limb differences smile at the camera. One woman sits in a wheelchair and wears a cream blouse, while the other stands beside her in a blue dress with a prosthetic leg. They pose against a warm, neutral backdrop.

Jamie Matos

Graduate, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program

  • Resilience

About the portrait

Self-Titled

Fortifying through the Fire

Photographer

Michelle Carmona

About Jamie

Jamie Matos, a mother of two from Georgia, began her journey at Shepherd Center after a life-altering illness in 2023 resulted in quadruple amputation. An active person before her illness, Jamie had been treated at Grady Memorial’s burn unit before transferring to Shepherd for rehabilitation, something she looked forward to due to the Center’s strong reputation and focus on restoring independence.

She titled her portrait “Fortifying Through the Fire,” a phrase that reflects the strength, love, and happiness she found through adversity. For Jamie, recovery wasn’t just about healing physically; it was about reclaiming purpose, building confidence, and leaning into the encouragement of those around her.

Jamie hopes her portrait shows her not just surviving but thriving. Though it can’t fully reflect her adventurous side, like camping with her sons, playing field hockey, or running like she used to, it captures something deeper: her joy, her perseverance, and the community that helped her heal.

Today, Jamie draws hope from others in the amputee community and shares the message that healing doesn’t mean returning to who you were; it means learning who you can become. She encourages others to offer themselves grace, avoid comparisons, and celebrate the wins, no matter how small they are.

In her portrait

During her portrait session, Jamie was reunited with three pivotal members of her recovery journey: Carol Ardanowski (case manager), Jenna Kelly (occupational therapist), and Kimberly Emmanuel (Amputee Coalition mentor). She chose to include them in her portrait because they each played a meaningful role in her healing, offering guidance, encouragement, and a sense of connection. Though Kimberly wasn’t a Shepherd Center patient, she visited Jamie at Shepherd and was embraced by the community, just as Jamie was. Their presence in the portrait reflects the deep support system and strong bonds that helped Jamie move forward.

A smiling woman with short dark hair, wearing a cream blouse, sits in a motorized wheelchair. She is a quadruple amputee, and the background is a plain blue backdrop.
Four women pose together smiling against a dark blue backdrop. The woman in front uses a wheelchair and has limb differences; the three women behind her rest their hands on her shoulders, showing support and friendship.
Three women pose together in front of a blue backdrop. One woman sits in a wheelchair and has limb differences, while the other two women stand on either side of her with their hands on her shoulders. All are smiling.
Left image: Jamie; Top right image: Jena, Carol, Kimberly, and Jamie; Bottom righti mage: Jena, Jamie, and Carol