At Sheppard Pratt, generosity takes many forms. Some give their time, some give their talent, and some give financially. Every gift transforms what’s possible for our patients and programs. And what unites these gifts is the intention behind them: a shared belief in our mission and a commitment to helping our patients, clients, and students.
In this article, we’re highlighting two remarkable employee donors, LaTonya Shedrick and Wilma Maye-Eady. Their reasons for giving are rooted in gratitude and purpose, and their contributions join countless others— including major philanthropic gifts—that fuel Sheppard Pratt’s ability to expand access, innovate care, and meet the growing needs of our community.
Meet LaTonya Shedrick
Shedrick is the lead mental health worker on the adult co-occurring disorders unit at Sheppard Pratt’s hospital in Towson—a unit designed for people who have more than one mental health diagnosis, often having both a mental health diagnosis and a substance use disorder.
“I like taking care of people,” says Shedrick, a mother of four and grandmother of three. “It’s incredible to see them get better and move on to the next chapter.” That dedication to her patients and desire to help them find hope and healing has fueled her 30-year career at Sheppard Pratt—and her history of giving back to the organization.
“We’ve had patients come in with nothing and nobody. Maybe they don’t have clothes or hygiene products. It can bring a sense of normalcy in a tough time to be able to go about your daily routine,” she reflects. “Being able to go to the nurse’s station and get the supplies you need to freshen up and feel a bit more like yourself? That can be everything for someone. I like to see my patients smile.”
Shedrick is wholly dedicated to giving back and lifting others up; yet, trauma in her personal life has also served as inspiration, driving her to support her fellow employees. “Behind this smiling face, there’s been a lot of pain in my life. My son was shot 14 times and needed to spend time in a rehab,” she shares. “And seeing the life situations people there were experiencing made me want to improve things for them, too.”
“It’s a hard, hard world. That’s why I take care of people. This job—coming here is what keeps my mental health going,” Shedrick concludes.
Meet Wilma Maye-Eady
Maye-Eady has been the unit manager of our child and adolescent neuropsychiatric unit, one of just a few programs across the nation, for nearly 10 years. She started at Sheppard Pratt on a temporary basis as an agency nurse but was quickly convinced that Sheppard Pratt was where she wanted to stay. “I love working in mental health,” she says. “It’s important we understand that mental health is serious business. People are suffering in so many ways and they need support.”
Maye-Eady is no stranger to needing support. “I was raised in Baltimore City, and we were very poor at the time,” she recalls. “I can remember the sisters from one of the local charities giving us clothes and food. But whenever we had anything extra, my mom would always feed the neighbors. She would always say, ‘as long as we have the food, we’re going to feed whoever’s hungry.’”
Maye-Eady believes that nursing is the art of caring—and her caring shines through in everything she does, from donating to the Employee Hardship Fund to supporting her patients.
“I have a patient named Mike,” Maye-Eady shares. “It can often be tough finding placement for our patients—somewhere that can support them after they leave the inpatient unit and are ready for a less intensive level of care. And while we’re working to find the right placement for him, I told Mike, ‘I want you to be the greeter for the Sunflower Suite.’ It brings him a sense of purpose and makes him feel like he has a place and something he can give. Every time someone comes in, he welcomes them, introduces himself, and reaches out to shake their hand. Seeing that is so special to me and is a perfect example of why I do what I do.”
Pouring into others
Our employees spend their days delivering compassionate care—which makes going above and beyond to give back in additional ways so remarkable.
Gifts of every size make a lasting difference. And often, it’s the personal stories behind them that inspire all of us to give more boldly, more intentionally, and with a deeper sense of connection to the work we do.
As Maye-Eady says, “It’s so important to give back—especially when someone has sown into you.”