Ellis Shepherd

## Ellis Alexandra Shepherd

**Ellis Shepherd** is an attending general surgeon at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. They are the youngest child of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd.

## History

Ellis was born on January 7, 2016, at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. He was delivered via emergency c-section after his mother suffered a placental abruption. His older sister, Zola, was responsible for his safe delivery, as she called 9-1-1 when their mother began bleeding profusely.

Ellis was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of five. Their parents initially suspected autism, the diagnosis recently received by Ellis' cousin Geneva. Their parents also elected to keep Ellis off of psychiatric medication until they were older.

She began attending The Bush School at the same time as her cousin Geneva, and the two were placed in the same class to aid in the transition to kindergarten. Contrary to the concerns of Mark and Lexie, Geneva proved herself to be the much more well-adjusted one of the two, while Ellis only made it approximately half an hour into the first day before biting one of her peers.

Ellis considers themselves to have killed both Carolyn Shepherd and Richard Webber. These events were likely unrelated, though Ellis does blame their consumption of a whole kiwi and whole avocado for the deaths of Carolyn and Richard respectively.

Ellis attended the University of Louisville on a cheerleading scholarship. He majored in Philosophy at the recommendation of his father, who was also a Philosophy major, albeit fifty years earlier. Despite extensive amounts of "debaucherous behaviour," he graduated summa cum laude, and was later accepted to medical school.

## Relationships

### Familial

#### Derek Shepherd

Ellis is close with their father. Derek describes his youngest child as someone who "would be a nightmare to anyone else, but I knew what I was getting myself into when I willingly reproduced with their mother."

#### Geneva Sloan

Growing up, Ellis and Geneva were close, being cousins around the same age. The relationship was encouraged by both of their parents, who thought that their opposite personalities would complement each other and encourage growth.

In high school, Ellis would often throw parties at which Geneva would be present. While Geneva was typically withdrawn from the events of these parties, frequent injuries of Ellis' friends resulted in Geneva having many 'mock patients' and an incentive to be a sort of supervisor.

Ellis was a member of Geneva's wedding party.

## Career

Ellis initially did not want to go into medicine, but eventually changed their mind after realizing they had the potential to carry on the Grey family legacy of being a 'crazy' general surgeon. They described it themselves as "wanting every generation to get worse."

Ellis attended the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He majored in Philosophy based on a recommendation from his father. He excelled in this field, and was encouraged to pursue academia as a career, though he was firm on his decision to become a physician.

Ellis completed a surgical residency at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, later becoming an attending general surgeon.

## Notes and Trivia

* She looks extremely similar to their maternal grandmother and namesake, Ellis Grey.
* They are a Capricorn Sun, Sagittarius Moon, and Scorpio Rising.
* He taught himself to drive at age thirteen, using Derek's old Jeep. At fourteen, he was pulled over at a routine stop with Geneva in the passenger seat, but was let go when the police officer discovered that his driving skills were entirely self-taught.
* As a child, she hated the colours pink and purple, but loved brown and green.
* He chose his university by writing down the institutions he thought most obscure after visiting a career fair, laying out the pieces of paper, and spinning in a circle, choosing to attend whichever he landed on.
* They write fanfiction.
* She has always loved rap music.