ATLANTA – Injured Covington Police Department Officer Matthew Cooper, 34, of Covington, was transferred on Sept. 13 from Grady Memorial Hospital to Shepherd Center in Atlanta for brain injury rehabilitation. 

Officer Cooper sustained a brain injury when he was injured by a gunshot wound to the head in the course of doing his job on Sept. 3, 2018.

He admitted to Shepherd Center’s Intensive Care Unit for evaluation, care and observation. Soon, he will move into the hospital’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, where he will begin therapy under the guidance of a full team of medical and rehabilitation specialists.

Medical and rehabilitation teams at Shepherd Center typically include the following:  an attending physician, nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech language pathologist, recreation therapist, case manager, peer support specialist, dietitian and psychologist. 

Shepherd Center specializes in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury or brain injury. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation.

Officer Cooper’s family said they are grateful for the excellent care he received while at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center and then at Grady Memorial Hospital, which referred the injured officer to Shepherd Center for rehabilitation.

For those who want to donate online to help support the medical-related expenses for Officer Cooper, a GoFundMe account is available at www.gofundme.com/633s108.