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Category: Amputation

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 […]

Hearts on Fire: One Couple’s Rescue Story & Journey to Recovery

  It started with a spark. Carl Beintema knows how to play with fire. When it comes to welding, you’ve got to. Carl, 37, is a pipefitter from Allendale. On December 23, he was welding in his barn – something he’d done countless times before – when his grinder sparked an undetected gas leak. “The […]

After His Spinal Cord Injury, Tom Maher’s Community Gives Back

Tom Maher is a problem solver. He has always taken great pride in being part of solutions for others.  Now, his community is returning the favor. In July, Tom was driving his motorcycle to work when he was struck by a drunk driver. He suffered severe spinal cord injuries and was rushed to Bronson for […]

Hope by design: Fellow amputees get creative and find friendship in the process

Bryan Donihue and Matt Schwab are friends who share an unwavering sense of hope and optimism. It’s a feeling that stems deeply from a condition they both know well.   Bryan, a 50-year-old father of six, lives in Grand Rapids – among his many passions is game design. That is, he explained, “old school, around-the-table experiences.” […]

Mary Free Bed prosthetists restore hope and freedom globally

Thanks to a donation from the Mary Free Bed Guild, hope and freedom has been restored in another part of the globe. Three members of  Mary Free Bed’s Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics team traveled to Zacapa, Guatemala to help people with amputations and limb differences maximize their mobility. Benjamin Hogan, Maria Lesniak and Jim […]

Team mindset helps Matthew overcome amputation, stroke and COVID-19

A few months ago, Matthew Stallman didn’t believe he’d be able to enjoy doing things he loved ever again. But with a little help and a lot of determination, Matthew set a goal to compete in a 5K and reached it far sooner than he thought possible. The 43-year-old Traverse City man developed a bone […]

‘Limit’ not in amputee Nathan Wolford’s vocabulary

During one of his first physical therapy sessions as an inpatient at Mary Free Bed, Nathan Wolford was tossing a weighted ball back and forth with his physical therapist. “That’s the day I first realized it was going to be OK,” said Nathan, 20, whose legs were amputated above the knee after a car crashed […]

Four new CARF accreditations for Mary Free Bed

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s amputation programs as well as the home and community services programs have been newly accredited by CARF International, the independent non-profit accrediting agency for rehabilitation hospitals. These 4 new accreditations boost the number of accredited rehabilitation programs to 11 for Mary Free Bed. Each one demonstrates a […]

Expert Information: Amputation & Prosthesis

Dr.  Benjamin Bruinsma has worked at Mary Free Bed for nearly 20 years. He’s the director of the amputee, orthopedic, and stroke programs. Therapy and prosthesis fitting A prosthesis is a man-made substitute for a missing body part.  It helps with function and mobility, and may give you more confidence in your appearance.  The time […]