Posted on March 12, 2014

Student graduates from Mary Free Bed in style

Sixteen-year-old Hanna Rinkevicz was all smiles today as she walked out of Mary Free Bed. She was accompanied by her parents, Christy and Mark Rinkevicz, and a group of firefighters who work with her dad at the Grand Rapids Fire Department. They came to wish her well and provide a grand escort from the hospital.

Hanna, who contracted viral encephalitis, came to Mary Free Bed 10 days ago after spending 10 days at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She was nonresponsive when she arrived.

“They said she could be here for eight weeks,” her mom said. “It’s amazing. She went from not responding to going home after a week and a half.”

Hanna, a standout on the Grand Haven High School basketball team, said she was eager for life to get back to normal.