Spook-tacular Fun for Pediatric Patients at Mary Free Bed
With Spooky Season in full swing, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital brought the Halloween magic to its youngest patients with its annual Trunk-or-Treat style event. Pediatric patients and their families enjoyed a haunted “Scare-apy Garden” filled with festive food, games, and trick-or-treating fun. Hospital staff and their families decorated dozens of tables and handed out […]
Celebrating Topping Out of Valley Health Winchester Medical Center Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Tower
Valley Health, in partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, proudly celebrated the topping out of the new Rehabilitation Tower at Winchester Medical Center (WMC), marking the placement of the final steel beam and a major milestone in the construction of this transformative facility. The topping out ceremony, a tradition in the construction industry symbolizing progress […]
Finding Cosmos in the Coffee Grounds After a Stroke
Bruce Najor, 39, prefers crisp communication. During his tenure as a speech and debate coach at Michigan State University, Bruce has continuously championed language and the written word. Following a stroke, Bruce spent 38 days at Adult Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Program at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During his stroke rehabilitation […]
Curve Appeal: 80-Foot Arch Installed Over Wealthy Street at Mary Free Bed
The new children’s rehabilitation hospital at Mary Free Bed is getting some curve appeal. This week, an 80-foot-tall arch was installed over Wealthy Street. This 126,000-pound arch spans 100 feet, stretching over the skywalk connecting Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital and Mary Free Bed. The steel arch was prefabricated in six sections, each roughly 60 […]
Quarterly Workshop Aimed at Helping Cancer Patients Take Charge of Wellness
Cancer comes with many challenges to navigate. To help people manage symptoms and provide support, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has been partnering with Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids to host Cancer Rehabilitation Education and Wellness (CREW) workshops throughout the year. This month’s workshop, on Thursday, October 2, will focus on cancer-related fatigue. Anyone with a […]
Mary Free Bed Nurse Desiree Zoet Receives Prestigious DAISY Award for Extraordinary Care
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital announced its first recipient of the DAISY Award, registered nurse Desiree Zoet. She’s worked with Mary Free Bed for 10 years and works on the hospital’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program. The DAISY Award is an honor given to nurses across the globe for their compassionate contributions to the lives of […]
Adorable Baby Rocks Pink Helmet and Steals the Spotlight at the US Open
It’s a story her family will tell for the rest of her life, and thanks in part to the Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics team, her family has a permanent keepsake to go along with it. When Katerina Buck first learned that her daughter Stella would need a cranial remolding helmet to […]
The Power of Patience: Devion’s Life After a Spinal Cord Injury
From his inpatient hospital room at Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids, 32-year-old Devion Holbrook could hear graduations underway. For Mary Free Bed patients, a graduation is a monumental moment that marks discharge from inpatient care. Therapists, nurses and friends line the halls celebrating patient’s progress, ushering them out of the hospital through a tunnel […]
Harvesting Hope: Crane Orchards Corn Maze Salutes Mary Free Bed
With fall around the corner, something special is happening at Crane Orchards. The six-generation farm is known for its U-pick apples, pumpkins and 20-acre corn maze, which features a different design and new challenges every year. This year, it’s designed in honor of two medical facilities that have made a difference in the Crane family’s […]
Amputees and Mary Free Bed Staff Team Up for Reeds Lake Triathlon
It was a summer of training for some Mary Free Bed staff and patients who teamed up for the fifth year to take on the Rhoades McKee Reeds Lake Triathlon. “This is the biggest group we’ve had, and honestly it’s what got me out here: having that teamwork, that team effort, that support,” said physical […]
West MI Whitecaps Players Bring Smiles with Heartwarming Visit
Two West Michigan Whitecaps players took time out of their schedules ahead of playoff season to meet with kids patients at the Mary Free Bed Grand Rapids Campus. Lucas Bradshaw is recovering from a brain injury in the Mary Free Bed Kids Inpatient Rehabilitation Program. He’s a huge baseball fan, so he took advantage of […]
Championing Change: 18 Women Compete to Empower Disability Voices at Ms. Wheelchair America
For the past four years, the Mary Free Bed Guild has collaborated with Ms. Wheelchair America to host a week-long national competition. Last week, eighteen women made their way to Grand Rapids to compete for the crown. The titleholders met in-person for the first time for a collaborative week of workshops and outings with a […]
Run for Sight 5K Raises Funds for Visually Impaired
This weekend you can run, walk or handcycle along Michigan’s lakeshore and help raise funds for those who are blind or have low vision. Saturday marks the 19th year for the annual Run for Sight 5K held at the Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon. The Run for Sight 5K raise funds for the Association for the […]
The Quiet Echoes of Survival
In the latest episode of The SumMARY Dr. Yunna Sinskey opens up to Dr. Doug Henry about her personal journey with stage 3 rectal cancer. She discusses her initial diagnosis and the tough reality of life after treatment, all while sharing honest insights on physical exhaustion and the mental toll of PTSD. Learn how her […]
Mary Free Bed Expanding Relationship with Beacon Health System
Leaders from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation and Beacon Health System have signed a new agreement to expand their relationship and increase access to high-quality rehabilitation services for patients in Indiana. In 2020, the two organizations started working together under a professional services agreement, and now they are deepening their connection with a new management agreement. […]
Breaking Barriers: National Ms. Wheelchair America Returns to Grand Rapids
Women from 20 states across the nation will travel to Grand Rapids this month to showcase how they embody an important mission: advocating for people living with disabilities. Ms. Wheelchair America highlights advocacy, achievement, communication and presentation. The 54th national competition will select the most accomplished and articulate spokeswoman for persons with disabilities to hold […]
Mary Free Bed CFO and Former Patient Named Leader in Finance
It’s been 15 years since Ryan Podvin graduated from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital following a spinal cord injury. After completing his rehabilitation, he returned to Mary Free Bed—not just to visit, but to lead. For the past 13 years, Ryan has been a vital part of our finance team, helping guide the hospital’s continued […]
41st Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp to Empower Athletes and Inspire Community
It’s the highlight of the summer for dozens of kids and teens who take part in adaptive sports. Mary Free Bed’s Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp is making a return, celebrating 41 years of building friendships and offering athletic opportunities for kids. The five-day camp, designed for youth with physical disabilities, is hosted by the Mary […]
A Flamboyance of Care: How a Flamingo Named Andes Became Grand Rapids’ Most Unexpected Rehab Story
Mary Free Bed + John Ball Zoo = One Wild Collaboration When you think of physical rehabilitation, you probably picture people. Patients recovering from surgery, injury or illness—maybe learning to walk again with a new prosthetic. What you probably don’t think of is a 14-year-old Chilean flamingo strutting around in a custom (pink) orthotic. But […]
Hundreds of Athletes with Disabilities from Across the U.S. Compete at The Hartford Nationals in Grand Rapids July 11-17
The Hartford Nationals conducted by Move United, the largest and longest-running national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, and/or intellectual disability, will take place in Grand Rapids, July 11-17. A first for the city and only the second time in Michigan, the competition is hosted locally by the West Michigan […]
What If a Bicycle Could Help Someone Walk Again? A Michigan Man Is Making It Happen
What if a bicycle could help someone walk again? That’s the question Ben Hogan, a prosthetist and former bike mechanic, set out to answer when he created a functional prosthetic leg made almost entirely from bicycle parts. His goal: to provide an open-source, low-cost solution for amputees in underserved communities around the world. The idea […]
Grand Rapids Gears Up to Host The Hartford Nationals Conducted by Move United July 11-17
West Michigan Sports Commission Seeks 600 Volunteers Plus Vendors and Sponsors in the Largest and Longest-Running National Adaptive Sports Competition (GRAND RAPIDS, MI – MAY 13, 2025) In two months, Grand Rapids will host The Hartford Nationals conducted by Move United, the largest and longest-running national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, […]
Cane Quest Empowers Visually Impaired Youth in Grand Rapids
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) successfully hosted its first-ever Cane Quest. The national orientation and mobility skills competition brought together students from grades 3 – 12 who are living with visual impairments. The event was hosted at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in partnership with the Braille Institute and Michigan Department […]
Standing Tall, One Millimeter at a Time
Dion’s Determined Comeback from Stroke If you had asked Dion Eason in April 2024 whether he’d be standing in a wedding come October, he would’ve told you, “No way.” Just weeks earlier, Dion was navigating his recovery journey after a stroke—still in a wheelchair, relearning how to walk, and processing what it meant to live […]
Speed & Spirit: Elite Wheelchair and Handcycle Athletes Ready for Amway River Bank Run
This weekend, racers of all abilities are heading to downtown Grand Rapids for the 48th annual Amway River Bank Run. Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports welcomes the wheelchair and handcycle divisions featuring 33 athletes from 13 states and Spain, showcasing talent from West Michigan and across the nation. The River Bank Run is […]
A Crowning Moment in Kids’ Rehabilitation: Crowning Ceremony for Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital
The crowning ceremony marked a significant milestone in the construction of Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital. The final steel beam was placed to complete the steel framework of Michigan’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. It will be the country’s ninth freestanding children’s rehabilitation hospital once it’s completed in fall of 2026. This topping off ceremony is […]
Mary Free Bed Graduate Featured on NBC Nightly News
A recent pediatric graduate of Mary Free Bed was featured on the NBC Nightly News this weekend. Mason Madden and his parents were interviewed by NBC News for their weekly segment, “There’s Good News Tonight.” Mason spent months at Mary Free Bed in rehabilitation after doctors discovered and removed a tumor on his spine. For […]
Mary Free Bed Breaking Ground in Virginia on New Rehabilitation Tower
Valley Health, in partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Rehabilitation Tower at Winchester Medical Center (WMC) today. This milestone marks a significant step in expanding access to high-quality acute rehabilitation services in the region. In March 2024, Valley Health and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, one of the nation’s most […]
Mary Free Bed at Munson: Expanding Access to Top-Tier Rehabilitation Care
Mary Free Bed at Munson Healthcare continues to expand its team of highly skilled physiatrists in Traverse City. Dr. Barent Bradt and Dr. Kaitlyn Vanias bring a wealth of expertise to the region, providing specialized rehabilitation care to patients facing a wide range of diagnoses, from musculoskeletal to complex neurological conditions. Patients across northern Michigan […]
Better Sleep for Stronger Recoveries: Mary Free Bed’s Sleep Apnea Program in Action
During National Sleep Awareness Week, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital is emphasizing the importance of healthy sleep and highlighting the critical role its respiratory therapists play in diagnosing and helping to treat sleep apnea. With nearly one in three American adults affected by this potentially life-threatening condition, Mary Free Bed is dedicated to providing timely […]