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 […]
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,” […]
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, […]
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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]