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 […]
Crafting Vision: A Night of Hope & Inspiration for the Blind and Visually Impaired
October is Blindness Awareness Month, and the community is coming together to help raise awareness and funds for those who are blind and have low vision. People can still attend Crafting Vision, the annual fundraising event for the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI). WHEN: Thursday, October 10, from 6:00 to 9:00pm WHERE: […]
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 […]
Taking the Mound Again: Korrie’s Return to Softball
If you had asked her six months ago, 16-year-old Korrie might have told you she’d never play softball again. In March 2023, Korrie was recovering from long-haul COVID when her symptoms suddenly got worse. She was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). That summer, she injured ACL during softball practice. It added another layer […]
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 […]
Run for Sight 5K Raises Funds for Visually Impaired
This weekend you can run, walk or handcycle along Michigan’s lakeshore and help raise funds for those who are blind or have low vision. Saturday marks the 18th annual Run for Sight 5K held at the beautiful Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon. The Run for Sight 5K benefits the Association for the Blind and Visually […]
Go Team USA! Mary Free Bed Athletes Competing at Paralympics
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games are here with the opening ceremonies on Wednesday, August 28. Around 4,400 athletes will compete in in 23 different disciplines. Mary Free Bed has five athletes that are competing in Paris starting this week including: Grace Norman Grace Norman is a Paralympic Paratriathlon athlete. This will be her third Paralympics, […]
Meet the Contestants Vying for the Title of Ms. Wheelchair America
Ms. Wheelchair America is here, and 22 women are competing for the national title and the crown. Each competitor has their own unique story to tell and a platform that they are advocating for. These contestants are not judged based on outward appearance, but rather on advocacy, achievement, communication, and their presentation. The winner of Ms. […]
Celebrating National Disability Independence Day with Ms. Wheelchair Michigan
On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Thirty-four years later, we celebrate this milestone as National Disability Independence Day, honoring a piece of legislation that has significantly advanced equality and empowered millions with disabilities. A significant purpose of the ADA is to ensure access to public spaces, employment […]
Mary Free Bed Climbs to 9th Best Rehabilitation Hospital in Nation
After breaking into the top 10 last year, Mary Free Bed climbs again in the rankings to be the 9th Best Rehabilitation Hospital in the country according to U.S. News & World Report. National rankings like these are extremely helpful to patients in the midst of recovery, as they begin to look for rehabilitation services. […]
Celebrating Advocacy: Ms. Wheelchair America Returns to Grand Rapids
The national Ms. Wheelchair America competition makes its return to downtown Grand Rapids in August. This annual, week-long event celebrates the achievements of women who use wheelchairs for mobility. The competition is based not on physical appearance, but on advocacy, achievement, communication and presentation. All of the participants enter the competition with one similar goal: […]
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 […]
Davenport University and Mary Free Bed sign education partnership
Leaders from Davenport University and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation signed an agreement that provides scholarships to Mary Free Bed employees and their family members. The two organizations signed the agreement May 3 at Mary Free Bed. The Mary Free Bed Corporate Education Scholarship Program offers up to $8,000 per year in scholarship funds to Mary Free Bed […]
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 […]
Mary Free Bed Partnering with Virginia Hospital to Bring Expert Rehabilitation to Region
Mary Free Bed is expanding its rehabilitation services to a new region with the announcement of a partnership with Valley Health. Valley Health is a not-for-profit health system based in Winchester, Virginia, serving communities in northern Virginia and parts of West Virginia and Maryland. The Valley Health system includes six hospitals and more than 70 […]
GRPS Students “Gear Up” for Careers in Health Care with Mary Free Bed
High school students from Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) took a break from the classroom to learn about careers in physical rehabilitation health care. The Mary Free Bed Grand Rapids Campus welcomed GRPS students as the first participants of its Pathways to Mary program – a new initiative that invites local students into the hospital […]
Ms. Wheelchair Michigan Crowning: Championing Advocacy and Leadership
This weekend, a new winner will be crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan. Contestants will be competing for the state title in an event hosted and sponsored by Mary Free Bed. Organizers are still accepting applications for the state competition that’s anything but a “beauty pageant.” Ms. Wheelchair Michigan is an advocacy-based competition that gives women opportunities […]
Mary Free Bed and GRCC Partnership to Help Cover Tuition for Nursing Students
Grand Rapids Community College Nursing students are receiving an opportunity to have their final semester of tuition paid for by Mary Free Bed. Tuition will be covered for nursing students with a one-year commitment to working for the hospital after graduation. Students in GRCC’s Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs are eligible for this new […]
Celebrating National Rehabilitation Awareness Week
September 18 – 24 was National Rehabilitation Awareness Week 2023. Every year, the third week in September gives us a special opportunity raise awareness about the benefits of rehabilitation to the overall health of our community. The week also serves as a platform to honor and recognize the outstanding efforts and hard work by our […]
ABVI Announces New CEO to Lead Historic Organization
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) has been serving the low vision and blind community in West Michigan since 1913. This month, the organization took a new step in supporting their clients by announcing Timothy Tuthill as its new president and CEO. ABVI helps clients by providing low vision services, rehabilitation, education, […]
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: Tips from an Audiologist
Are the new over-the-counter hearing aids right for you? Read on for some helpful answers to today’s commonly asked questions. The FDA recently made some types of hearing aids available for purchase over the counter (OTC). That’s great news for millions of Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss. Now they can buy hearing aids […]
Championing Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals through Blindness Awareness Month
Cleanlogic, the inclusive and socially conscious beauty brand that has pioneered the use of functional braille across all its product packaging since 2001, announces its campaign to shine a light on Blindness Awareness Month this October. The goal of this partnership is to recognize and support the over 25 million people in the U.S. who […]
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. […]
National Rehabilitation Awareness Week: Recognizing Rehabilitation Care
This week is National Rehabilitation Awareness Week. The first ever National Rehabilitation Awareness week started in 1976, and it’s grown into a national initiative dedicated to: Highlighting the positive impact rehabilitation has on the lives of patients Educating others on of the benefits that rehabilitation program can provide Recognizing everyone deserves to live their life […]
Help Us Bloom: Growing the Healing Journey at Mary Free Bed
Horticulture therapy is among the many recreational therapy interventions offered at Mary Free Bed. Our outdoor therapy garden provides patients the opportunity to focus on functional skills, learn and explore gardening, practice getting back to their favorite hobby at home and take time to connect with nature. Following an injury or illness, our rehabilitation teams […]
World PT Day Spotlights Osteoarthritis
September 8th is World Physical Therapy (PT) Day, giving us another opportunity to recognize the work of physical therapists and their positive impact on patients in pain. This year, World PT Day sheds education and light on osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis. It’s a joint condition affecting millions of people worldwide, and […]
Mary Free Bed Named Top Rehabilitation Hospital by Newsweek for 3rd Year
For the third straight year, Mary Free Bed has been recognized as one of America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers by Newsweek health care analysts. The rankings are based on scores for quality of care, service, follow-up treatment and accommodations/amenities. Clinician recommendations were also included in the calculations. Newsweek looked at all 50 states and spotlighted […]
Ms. Wheelchair America Crowns Winner After Week-Long Competition
Congratulations to this year’s competitors vying for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America. These 21 powerful, inspiring women traveled from across the United States to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and came together for a national competition. Following the week-long competition, Ali Ingersoll of Raleigh, North Carolina, was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2023. Ingersoll sustained a spinal […]
Inspiring Women Compete for the Title of Ms. Wheelchair America
It’s finally here! The national competition is back in Grand Rapids. After being canceled in 2020 and taking place virtually in 2021, the national Ms. Wheelchair America competition is back and in-person in. Twenty-two inspiring contestants from across the United States are contending for the crown and title of Ms. Wheelchair America. WHEN: August 15-21 […]
Meet the Ms. Wheelchair America Contestants
We’re less than a week away from the Ms. Wheelchair America National Competition! The event will be held in person in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is sponsored by the Mary Free Bed Guild. This year, 22 inspiring contestants from across the United States are contending for the 2023 title of Ms. Wheelchair America in the […]