The Comeback Round: A Teen’s Journey Through Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Miguel Ortega loves boxing. Throughout his recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury, Miguel used the discipline and focus he found in the ring to craft his comeback at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a devastating car crash, the teenager sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and was clinically dead […]
Common Communication Disorders After Stroke: Aphasia, Dysarthria and Apraxia
A stroke can change a person’s ability to communicate in an instant. While many people associate stroke recovery with physical challenges, stroke often affects speech, language and the ability to express thoughts clearly. For survivors and families, these communication changes can feel frustrating, overwhelming and isolating. As a speech-language pathologist at Mary Free Bed, I […]
Kidney Disease Awareness Month: From Patient to Clinician at Mary Free Bed
March is Kidney Disease Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about a condition that often progresses quietly until it dramatically alters daily life. For me, kidney disease is not just a diagnosis. It’s the chapter that reshaped my future, strengthened my resilience and ultimately led me to my role as a certified occupational therapy […]
Maverick’s Motivation: Brain Injury Recovery Through Inpatient Therapy
Maverick Martin experienced a brain injury moments before completing his first 5K; his heartbeat stopped steps from the finish line. 30-year-old Maverick and his wife, Jamie, were running in the LeRoy Razzasque Days 5k in July. He was flying through the race with impressive speed. His wife was about 10 minutes behind. Maverick was racing […]
Cornerstone University and Mary Free Bed Launch Nursing Partnership
Nursing partnership expands BSN clinical training, tuition support and workforce pathways in rehabilitative care GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – (February 19, 2026) – Cornerstone University and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital are establishing a new partnership to expand clinical experience, tuition assistance and professional pathways for students in the university’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. […]
Mary Free Bed Expands Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is expanding access to inpatient rehabilitation care with the opening of its newly expanded sixth floor. The build-out adds 20 private inpatient rehabilitation rooms, increasing capacity to serve patients from across Michigan and beyond. The project responds to a growing need for rehabilitation care. Over the […]
Nour’s Next Chapter: Brain Injury Recovery Journey Through Day Rehab
Nour Yahya is thoughtful, kind and extraordinarily resilient. After a car crash caused a traumatic brain injury, the 23-year-old spent a year in the Mary Free Bed Day Rehab Program, rebuilding herself – and her independence – through specialized brain injury rehabilitation. Fast forward one year to the day she graduates from physical therapy. Her […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Earns Top Rankings in Pediatric Therapy
Families across West Michigan have recognized Mary Free Bed Kids as a leader in pediatric therapy, ranking its teams among the best in the 2026 GR Kids Family Care Providers Guide. Mary Free Bed Kids earned top honors across all three outpatient therapy disciplines, with its physical, occupational and speech-language therapy teams placing in the […]
Pediatric Stroke Recovery at Mary Free Bed: Amelia’s Story
A stroke is something most people associate with adults. But for one West Michigan family, it arrived without warning—on a school field trip, in the middle of an ordinary day. Cari Dennany was running errands when her phone rang. On the other end was her 8-year-old daughter’s teacher. “She told me Amelia had fallen down,” […]
Newsweek Ranks Mary Free Bed at Home Among America’s Best Home Health Agencies 2026
Mary Free Bed at Home is proud to be named among America’s Best Home Health Agencies for 2026 by Newsweek and Statista. Ranked fifth in the state of Michigan, and first in West Michigan, this prestigious recognition places Mary Free Bed at Home among the top 300 home health providers nationwide, selected from more than 10,000 agencies across the country. “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition from Newsweek,” said Trey […]
PODCAST: Rebuilding Strength and Hope: Brad Mathis Reflects on His Mary Free Bed Journey, Five Years Later
Five years after a life-changing illness and complex surgery, Brad Mathis shares his incredible journey of recovery at Mary Free Bed. From being dependent on a ventilator to regaining his independence, Brad reflects on the care, hope, and determination that helped him rebuild his life. Join us as he reunites with his rehabilitation team who […]
Mary Free Bed Guild Names First Executive Director for Historic Organization
The Mary Free Bed Guild is proud to announce the appointment of Amy Stuursma as its first executive director, marking an exciting new chapter in the Guild’s 134-year history of service to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation ,the West Michigan community and beyond. Stuursma brings more than 17 years of nonprofit leadership experience as the executive director of […]
Making Spirits Bright: Celebrating the Holiday Season with Mary Free Bed Patients
The holidays are a time for family, warmth and togetherness, but for patients at Mary Free Bed recovering from complex conditions, including brain and spinal cord injuries, being away from home can be especially difficult. That’s why team members work hard to spread holiday hope and cheer for those who need it most. Thanksgiving Therapy Activities for Pediatric Patients On Thanksgiving […]
A Hero’s Homecoming: Patient Returns as New Comic Book Alter Ego
The flu bug doesn’t stand a chance against his arch nemesis, “Kaden Blaze”! The superhero character, inspired by former Mary Free Bed Kids patient Kaden Stevenson, made an exciting appearance at the hospital’s Grand Rapids Campus on December 2. Three years ago, during Christmas break, Kaden’s mom, Michele Stevenson, noticed the 7-year-old’s health was getting progressively worse. […]
Taking it Day by Day: Greyson’s Healing Journey after a Brain Injury
The summer before his freshman year of high school, 14-year-old Greyson Schuelke walked out of the Mary Free Bed Kids Inpatient Rehabilitation Program after 41 days of intense recovery. Just weeks earlier, he had been relearning how to walk, talk and eat following a traumatic brain injury. His graduation was a milestone celebrated by family, […]
Carle Health and Mary Free Bed unite to transform inpatient rehabilitation
National rehab expert and community health system offer local care and advanced treatment Starting January 2026, patients across the central Illinois region will have greater access to elevated inpatient rehabilitation services right in their own communities. The Carle Health system and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation are partnering together to enhance patient outcomes and the […]
New Voice for Disability Advocacy: Madison Reid Wins Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2026
Michigan has a new voice for disability advocacy! Detroit native Madison Reid was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2026, and she’s looking forward to getting to work. Four women took the stage at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids on Saturday, November 15, to share their platforms and stories. Madison’s platform, “Hope After Harm” […]
Central Michigan University Announces Partnership With Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation
Central Michigan University (CMU) Online is excited to announce a new partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, designed to provide expanded access to CMU’s educational programs for employees and their families. The agreement, signed recently in a co-branded ceremony, reflects a shared commitment to supporting lifelong learning and professional development. Through this partnership, over 2,500 […]
Keep Rolling, Keep Happy: Jason’s Spinal Cord Injury Recovery
Jason Norwood’s chill demeanor rolls off him like waves. He’s quick to smile and eager to talk about motocross, the sport he’s loved since he was a kid. Recently, he’s been sharing a new story: how his life has changed after a spinal cord injury. It’s another kind of challenge with a different track, but […]
The Cost of One Fall: Why Hunters Must Prioritize Safety
In the quiet woods of Michigan, a single misstep changed Bill Pahl’s life forever. On November 11, 2022, while hunting from a tree stand, Bill fell nearly 20 feet to the ground. The fall resulted in a spinal cord injury (SCI) that left him unable to walk. Bill’s road to recovery has been marked by […]
Tiny Trailblazer: Little Miss Wheelchair Michigan Becomes Inaugural National Titleholder
Little Miss Wheelchair Michigan, Dahlia Swanson, made history Wednesday afternoon, becoming the first person to hold the title of Little Miss Wheelchair America. The 4-year-old was crowned in front of her family, friends and therapists at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, taking on this brand-new role and title within the Ms. Wheelchair America organization. “Dahlia was able to […]
Next Steps and New Friends: Madeline’s TBI Recovery
Madeline Bade is teasing her dad during his interview. While he’s trying to describe her, she flexes and points to her bicep. He laughs: “She’s tough. Spirited. Strong in every way.” At 23, Madeline is smack dab in the middle of five siblings, and she credits her family as a huge part of her recovery […]
Restoring Hope, Freedom and Mobility in Guatemala
Five Mary Free Bed team members recently returned from Guatemala, where they helped build prostheses for patients through the Range of Motion Project (ROMP). The nonprofit organization works to improve mobility and independence for people in underserved communities around the world. The team included CPO Ben Hogan, two prosthetic technicians, Arthur Pruiett and Alex Basford, […]
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 […]