Rise Players Make an Impact Off the Court Through Mary Free Bed Partnership
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Rise is once again supporting Mary Free Bed through its Players with Purpose Program. This is the third year of the community-driven initiative that gives Rise supporters the opportunity to attend any remaining regular-season match at Van Andel Arena while making a direct impact on causes that matter […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Welcomes New Child Life Specialist to Support Patients and Families
Mary Free Bed Kids has welcomed a new child life specialist to support young patients and their families across its growing Pediatric Rehabilitation Program. This grant-funded position strengthens the services that will be moving into the new Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital this fall, a joint venture with Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. What […]
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,” […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Young Patients Score Big During Grand Rapids Griffins Visit to Mary Free Bed
Two Grand Rapids Griffins players took a break from practice to visit kids at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. The hockey pros joined in the physical therapy sessions for the patients practicing passing and shooting the puck. First year pro, Gabriel Seger, Forward #11, from Sweden, was joined by six year pro, Joe Snively, #21 […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Announced as Beneficiary of Michigan International Auto Show Charity Gala
The Michigan International Auto Show and Grand Rapids New Car Dealers Association (GRNCDA) have named Mary Free Bed as this year’s beneficiary of the newly named Cars for Kids Gala, an exclusive preview of this longstanding automotive event on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, beginning at 6 pm, at DeVos Place. “I am excited to share […]
Mary Free Bed Opens Renovated Walker Kids Clinic, Expanding Access to Autism Services
Families with children in need of autism services have a new welcoming and supportive location available to them. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation is opening its newly renovated location in Walker. This clinic will provide expanded access to specialized autism services, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and autism diagnostic testing. Research […]
Ride for a Cause: Grand Rapids Gran Fondo Benefits Mary Free Bed
This summer, Michigan’s signature cycling event, the Grand Rapids Gran Fondo, is back and bigger than ever. The race offers course lengths for every rider, leading to a finish line festival in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. Cyclists of all skill levels can enjoy the 80-mile ride, 40-mile ride, 25-mile ride, or 12-mile family […]
Major Area Health Care Partners Announce $50 Million Gift to Advance Children’s Medical, Rehabilitative and Mental Health Care
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 19, 2024 – Today, leadership from Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services came together to announce a landmark $50 million gift from the DeVos Family. This gift furthers the DeVos Family’s longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of children […]
Jack’s Journey: Calling on Superheroes of Integrated Care
At first glance, it might appear as though 4-year-old Jack Lohman is playing an imaginary game with his superhero figurines – but this little boy is on a mission. He’s channeling his inner Batman on the journey of a lifetime. At 3 years old, Jack was diagnosed with hemimegaloencephaly, a rare condition that causes part […]
Warrior Mac: Thriving Against the Odds with Cerebral Palsy
When McKay Mortier, affectionately known as “Mac,” entered the world in December 2015, his parents, Jessica and Justin Mortier, braced for a future that would come with uncertainties. A Fighter from the Start: Mac’s Challenging Beginnings Born via an emergency C-section, Mac was unresponsive. But from his very first breath, he was a warrior. […]
A New Era for Michigan’s Kids: Announcing Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital
It’s a significant milestone for our community as we proudly unveil the name for Michigan’s first pediatric rehabilitation hospital at Mary Free Bed: Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital. The name not only represents state-of-the-art rehabilitation care but also celebrates the continuing legacy of one of our community’s most devoted philanthropists, Joan Secchia. The Secchia family’s […]
Stayin’ Alive: Pastor Uses CPR to Save Teen’s Life
Rafe Oard, 17, of Gladwin, Michigan, is an active teenager with a great sense of humor. You’re likely to find him outdoors, working on cars with his grandpa, or caring for his pheasants and quails. Last February, Rafe headed to the weekly open gymnasium hour at his church. He often joined members of the community […]
Tough Like a Monster Truck: Kaden Recovers After Double Amputation
“He’s my everything,” said Michele Stevenson, about her son, Kaden. When he started to get sick before Christmas, she didn’t think it was serious at first. But after a few days she knew something was wrong. As 7-year-old Kaden’s health grew getting progressively worse. Michele, of Grand Blanc, Michigan, rushed him to the emergency […]
International Design Firm Selected for New Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids
The award-winning design firm SmithGroup has been chosen to design Michigan’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. The facility will be constructed on the Grand Rapids campus of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. SmithGroup has been honored with over 400 design awards in the past five years, and ranked 5th in Building Design + Construction’s Top Architecture/Engineering […]
Acts of Kindness: Brooklyn Zylstra Gives Back in a Big Way
Brooklyn Zylstra understands the assignment. But her project isn’t like that of many middle schoolers her age. This 13-year-old has been giving back to the Grand Rapids community in a very unique way. Brooklyn, an 8th grader at KPS Pinewood Middle School, has taken it upon herself to bring joy to kids who are on […]
Timmy Fanco Defies the Odds Following Car Crash
To say the Fancos are fighters is an understatement. On June 10, 2022, Liz Fanco of Alto, MI, received a phone call. Her children, Anna and Timmy, had just been in a broadside collision. Anna, 17, was driving and suffered a collapsed lung, broken leg and several broken ribs. Her younger brother, Timmy, 11 at […]
Mary Free Bed Brings Halloween to the Hospital for Patients and Families
This year’s Halloween event Mary Free Bed was an eerie-sistable success! The Mary Free Bed Kids inpatient team transformed the hospital’s outdoor therapy garden into the “Mary Cemetery.” The haunted “scare-apy” garden was filled with smiles and screams to those who dared to enter. In true trunk-or-treat style, staff and community members ‘dressed up’ over […]
3 Kids, 12 Helmets, Globetrotting Family Makes Cranial Remolding Journey Fun
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in one family’s case, cranial remolding helmets. The Anderson family has been making the most out of a condition they’re all too familiar with. They have four children – Emily, 14, Lydia, 12, James 3, and Jeven, 18 months, and three of them were born with craniosynostosis. […]
Going the Distance for Baby Rowan
Last August, at nearly 27 weeks gestation, the Bouman twins were born in Marquette, Michigan. Baby Rowan weighed just 1 pound 13 ounces. Her brother Noah, although bigger and deemed healthier, died unexpectedly from sepsis when he was only 8 days old. During her early time in the hospital, little Rowan experienced severe bleeding on […]
Governor Announces a Health Care First for Michigan Children
Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced plans to build the state’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. Through a joint operating agreement, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital are partnering to bring a shared vision to life in the thriving health care landscape of Grand Rapids. The new hospital will be built […]
Breathing Easier: Hannah Blumka Makes a Remarkable COVID-19 Recovery
Last December, 17-year-old Hannah Blumka arrived at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital fighting for her life. Before contracting COVID-19, Hannah was a healthy, lively teenage girl. The infection quickly and unexpectedly took a toll on every system in her body. Within a day of arrival at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, she was placed on life-support – […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Celebrate Diversity Month in the Kitchen
In recognition of Diversity Month, patients at Mary Free Bed Kids celebrated with a culinary twist! All month long, six teenagers who are patients at Mary Free Bed’s pediatric inpatient program in Grand Rapids along with their parents and staff, celebrated different heritages in the Mary Free Bed therapy kitchen. Each week, the creative team […]