champions place news
AUGUST 2026
Champions place@home expands its reach!
The Woods Family: Trevor (father), ____ (mother), Weston and his sister, ________!
In June 2025, we were introduced to the Woods family from Ohio. Their 15-year-old son, Weston, had recently been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his spinal cord and further complications resulted in Weston becoming paralyzed from the shoulders down.
After multiple surgeries and six weeks of radiation, the Woods family came to Shepherd Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation. While Weston focused on recovery and learning to navigate life after his injury, his family began preparing for what life would look like when they returned home. Their home had never needed to be an accessible space before, which meant many of the everyday things Weston had always been able to do independently were suddenly out of reach. Turning on a light, adjusting the fan, or changing the temperature in his room now required someone else’s help.
Weston and _____ at Shepherd Center.
When we met Weston and his family, we immediately knew we wanted to help in any way we could, which is how the idea for the first-ever remote Champions Place@Home installation was born. Champions Place@Home brings the same smart technology used at Champions Place into the homes of individuals living with physical disabilities, helping create spaces that are safer, more accessible, and more empowering.
Through the program, Weston received assistive technology including smart light switches, smart plugs, a smart ceiling fan, a smart heater, and voice-activated devices that allow him to control his environment using his voice. Today, that technology is simply part of everyday life in the Woods home. Weston can adjust the fan or lighting in his room, turn on the heater beside the large windows near his medical setup, ask the time, or get answers to all the random questions you might expect from a soon-to-be 16-year-old — all on his own.
For Weston, that ability to make choices and control elements of his own space is meaningful. And for his parents, younger sister, and nurse, the technology has helped make his room more comfortable and daily life a little easier. As his dad shared, “With [the devices] being intelligent and voice-activated, in most circumstances, he is able to do and command things on his own.”
Being able to play even a small part in helping Weston feel more comfortable and independent at home has meant so much to all of us. Weston’s story is a beautiful reminder of why Champions Place@Home matters. Accessibility is not just about technology; it is about helping people feel confident, independent, and capable at home. We are hopeful that this first remote installation is only the beginning, and that Champions Place@Home will continue reaching families like the Woods family across the country.
Weston’s new Alexa device that allows him to control his fan, lights, heater and more - using his voice!