Posted on July 18, 2025
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 here in Grand Rapids, rehab isn’t just for humans.
This past winter, the animal care team at John Ball Zoo noticed something off about one of their own. Andes, a charismatic flamingo, had developed a curious limp. Flamingos are delicate by design. With thin limbs and quirky joints, it doesn’t take much for things to go wrong. Andes wasn’t bearing weight on one leg; and over time, the zoo team realized he needed more support—quite literally.
They did what any creative, animal-loving team would do: they built their own brace. Flamingos are active. They’re surprisingly zippy, they flitter flutter, and they spend a lot of time in the water, and Andes is no exception. But it eventually became clear that he needed a more durable solution.
So, John Ball Zoo made a bold call to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.
Would we consider helping a non-human patient?
The answer was a resounding yes.
One Bird. Many Experts. A Lot of Pink Velcro.
At Mary Free Bed, rehabilitation is what we do best. And while Andes may be our first flamingo patient, the approach isn’t so different from any other: Assess the problem. Design a custom orthotic solution. Learn to understand the patient—especially when they can’t speak for themselves.
That’s where Brittany Weeks, Certified Orthotist and Site Lead for Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics, came in. She and her team partnered closely with Dr. Ryan Colburn, (or simply “Dr. Ryan”) John Ball Zoo’s Director of Animal Health and Wellbeing, to understand Andes’ anatomy, his unique needs, and his lifestyle (hint: Andes is a pool guy, through and through).
“This was a learning process from the beginning,” Brittany said. “We’re used to working with humans. Humans talk, flamingos don’t. But they do tell you things, just differently.”
Creating a brace for a flamingo isn’t as simple as scaling down a human one. From the limb’s shape to Andes’ sensitivity to different materials, every detail required creativity, patience, and collaboration. The team ended up hand-sculpting a model out of wooden dowels and modeling clay before casting it to create a usable prototype.
“Sometimes, innovation needs to go old school,” Brittany shared.
The final design? Andes’ specially fitted orthotic is made of lightweight thermoplastics, metal joints and a removable foam liner that doesn’t absorb water (key for a bird who spends half his life swimming).
But even then, the process isn’t over.
A Work in Progress, and That’s the Point
Like most flamingos, Andes is super smart. He has opinions about his brace (especially in the water, and especially with Velcro). The Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics team is working with other experts in innovative orthotics to get it right.
“We’re experimenting with different materials to make sure it’s comfortable, durable and easy on his skin,” Brittany explained. “It’s trial-and-error, but with purpose.”
And that’s the beauty of it.
This project has brought together experts in animal care and human rehabilitation in a way that’s both unexpected and inspiring. It’s a testament to what happens when curiosity drives care. When mission overrides comfort zones. When two iconic West Michigan institutions get together and say, “Let’s give this a go.”
Why It Matters (and Why It’s So Cool)
Flamingos like Andes can live 40 – 50 years in human care. He’s also part of a flamboyance (yes, that’s the real term for a group of flamingos!), and his social health matters just as much as his physical recovery. Thanks to his new orthotic, he’s able to—dare we say, flamingle?—in his habitat. And thanks to this partnership, his care is evolving every day.
Beyond Andes, this story shines a spotlight on what zoos and rehabilitation hospitals do best: problem-solve, protect, celebrate our differences, and serve the community. It’s also a reminder to everyone who use prosthetics, orthotics or adaptive equipment—that healing, adjusting and innovating is a shared experience that involves a team of experts working towards the same goal: maximize our mobility to the best of our ability.
Because rehab is rehab—whether you’re walking, wheeling or strutting fashionably on pink legs.
Andes is Getting His Groove Back
Thanks to the teams at John Ball Zoo and Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics, especially Dr. Ryan, Brittany, the flamingo care staff, and every behind-the-scenes expert who makes this partnership possible.
Andes is standing as tall as the mountain range he’s named after. But the impact of experts collaborating across fields stretches even further.
“Throughout the zoo industry, we’re always looking to each other for unique solutions,” said Dr. Ryan. “We share these stories and insights so others can learn from them. Because we’re all navigating similar challenges when it comes to caring for animals.”
“When we take the leap to try something new—even in rare cases like wildlife orthotics—we’re not just helping one exceptional bird. We’re setting the stage for innovation that can ripple across zoos and animal care facilities around the world.”
We call that #FlaminGOALS.
And to Andes: Thanks for being the kind of sassy patient who keeps us on our toes. Or in your case, your one, very well-supported leg.
Want to see Andes in action? Head to John Ball Zoo on Friday, July 18, for Pink Flamingo Day! Keep an eye out for the flamingo with his matching pink accessory. He’s easy to spot, and impossible to forget.
Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics is on a mission to restore hope, freedom + mobility. Our team of certified orthotists and prosthetists creates custom solutions and treatment plans that blend expertise with advanced technologies. Our clinics serve kids and adults across the state of Michigan. Learn more about our services and locations.
About John Ball Zoo
John Ball Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1891 and located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Guided by the five core values of Conservation, Education, Community, Celebration and Compassion, John Ball Zoo accomplishes the mission to inspire our community to be actively engaged in the conservation of wildlife and wild places. As a conservation organization, John Ball Zoo works to protect wildlife and wild places, starting right here in our Great Lakes region. John Ball Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, demonstrating that we hold ourselves to the highest standards in animal care and welfare. Learn more about John Ball Zoo.
