2015 Bikes for the Rest of Us matches 80 people with adaptive cycles
Bikes for the Rest of Us — Mary Free Bed’s popular annual adaptive bike event — was held Saturday, April 25, in the parking ramp of the Mary Free Bed professional building in downtown Grand Rapids. The chilly (but dry!) morning provided a productive, fun-filled opportunity for attendees to select and try the bicycle best suited for […]
Wheelchair basketball coach & player earns spot in national hall of fame
Lee Montgomery — a wheelchair basketball player and coach of Mary Free Bed’s Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports’ basketball teams, the Junior Pacers and the Adult Pacers — recently was inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Hall of Fame. The coach’s relationship with Mary Free Bed spans more than 5 decades. Coach Lee, 57, was born with limb differences […]
Orthotics & Prosthetics now open in West addition
Mary Free Bed’s Orthotics & Prosthetics department has officially moved into its new home in the state-of-the-art West addition of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. All O&P services — prosthetics, orthotics, assistive technology and OrthoSEAT — are now housed together in one convenient location (Suite 1100 at 235 Wealthy St. SE). The move was completed […]
The FAQs of handcycling and wheelchair racing
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital is proud to sponsor the wheelchair and handcycle divisions of the Fifth Third River Bank Run for 26 years and support the Grand Rapids community. Below you’ll find some frequently asked questions about the Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports team, wheelchair racing, handcycling and how to be involved. 1. How long […]
A vintage look at kids of courage
From the Grand Rapids Press – Sunday, April 12, 2015 CLICK the image to open a larger version in a new window. For more Mary Free Bed historical photos go to: bit.ly/maryfreebed
Thank you volunteers – National Volunteer Appreciation Week 2015
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is here again (April 12-18, 2015) and we love to salute the many volunteers who help Mary Free Bed on a daily basis. Volunteers help with everything from administration/clerical duties to helping therapists be an extra helping hand during rehabilitation. “Mary Free Bed volunteers come from a variety of background and […]
National Championship Pride – The Grand Rapids Sled Wings
Guest Blog by Steve Kozlowski, Grand Rapids Sled Wings Coach Hello, my name is Steve Kozlowski. Athletes and parents call me Coach Koz, or just Coach. I currently coach the Grand Rapids Sled Wings youth program but it’s important to know that the youth and adult programs and all of our coaches and coordinators work […]
Rehabilitation hospital takes patient success to new level
From the Grand Rapids Press – Sunday, April 12, 2015 CLICK the newspaper pages to see larger version and open in new window.
Welcome to the all-new maryfreebed.com
New functionality, easier navigation, social media integration and tons of web videos. Welcome to the new MaryFreeBed.com – your one-stop shop for rehabilitation information. If you need rehabilitation, please #AskForMary.
Learn about cancer rehabilitation, resources & research during free community event on March 16, 2015
Dr. Chris VandenBerg, medical director of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s Betty Bloomer Ford Cancer Rehabilitation Program, will be a panelist at Celebration Cinema North in Grand Rapids (2121 Celebration Dr. NE) for a free community screening of the new Ken Burns documentary, “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.” The event begins at 7 p.m. Monday, March […]
Jamie Spore: ‘I am proof that dreams absolutely do come true!’
UPDATE: Jamie Spore, who was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2016 in February, will vie for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America 2017 this week. Jamie joins 25 other contestants from across the country who will compete in the 45th annual national pageant, which celebrates the achievements of women with disabilities. The Aug. 8-14 event is being […]
Rebekah reflects on her unexpected friendship with Marion
Guest Blog by Rebekah Karel, Mary Free Bed alumni It is with a sad heart to inform you that my recent roommate at Mary Free Bed, Miss Marion, went to be with her Lord and Savior at 9pm on December 5, 2014. While I only roomed with her for a short seven days, I feel […]
Two women from different generations form bond during rehab
Sometimes you find a great friend when you least expect it…
Mary Free Bed appoints new chief medical officer
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Michael S. Jakubowski, M.D., has been named chief medical officer for Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. He assumes the role immediately. A member of the Mary Free Bed medical staff since 1987, Dr. Jakubowski is board certified in both physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as internal medicine. Respected in the […]
Still hunting – and still walking
Ed Spoelma has three words of advice for anyone who hunts from a tree stand: Wear your harness. Three years ago, Ed was hunting from a tree stand near Remus, Mich. when he fell 20 feet, breaking his sternum and back. He suffered permanent nerve damage and now has two rods in his back. “I […]
Amputee Pam Buschle and her new $100,000 robotic hands
Sepsis survivor and Mary Free Bed alumna Pam Buschle received her new hands on Monday, October 27, 2014. The following are links to stories from local Grand Rapids media on the fitting and happiness that came from the day! Congratulations again go to Pam and the amazing strides she has made in the last year. […]
What a difference a year can make
Guest Blog by Becca Willis, wife of Mary Free Bed alumnus On September 25, 2013, Adam Willis had a life-changing accident on a mountain bike trail. He went over his handlebars and hit the ground head first. His neck was snapped back and he sustained a spinal cord injury. Without his helmet, he would have […]
Mary Free Bed and Airway Oxygen to Provide Wheelchairs for Artprize 2014
For the first time in the history of ArtPrize, visitors with limited mobility will have free access to wheelchairs. Thanks to support from the Mary Free Bed Guild, home medical equipment suppliers Airway Oxygen Inc. and, of course, ArtPrize, at least 10 wheelchairs will be available for the duration of ArtPrize, which begins September 24 […]
Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp Gives Opportunities to Kids
From the Grand Rapids Press – Sunday, September 14, 2014
Members of Mary Free Bed Staff take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
You see the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge all over the internet lately, staff at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital decided to take up the challenge…and donate. Follow #ALSIceBucketChallenge via social media or go to www.alsworldwide.org for more information.
MFB Alumni Joyce Manning and friends find themselves on Good Morning America in New York City
Guest Blog by Joyce Manning, Mary Free Bed alumni I broke my wrist on March 28, 2014. It was a bad break and required extensive surgery. I am now the proud owner of a plate and 10 screws and may set off the metal detector at airports. Before this happened, a group of friends and […]
My Disability Helps Motivate Me!
Oksana Parmenter was eight years old before she realized that people in wheelchairs could do more than simply sit around and watch the world go by. Born with spina bifida and raised in a Lithuanian orphanage, Oksana was told she’d never play basketball or swim in a pool. But then Jan and Bill Parmenter adopted […]
Back in the Swing of Things – Update on Ozzie Koroma
After a fateful night in March that landed him at Mary Free Bed – and in the headlines – 24-year-old Osman Koroma is back at work and looking forward to returning to Grand Rapids Community College this fall. “Ozzie,” who lost his sight due to cataracts at the age of 14, was hit by a […]
Our congrats to Orrin Schroeder
Our congrats to Orrin Schroeder – way to go! A recent below–the–knee amputee, 67-year-old Orrin came to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital to be fitted for a prosthetic leg and receive outpatient therapy. On May 19, a little more than a month after he received his prosthesis, Orrin shot a hole–in-one on hole 16 at […]
Mary Free Bed CEO Kent Riddle talks our doctors in his monthly video blog series
Mary Free Bed CEO Kent Riddle talks about our culture and doctors in his monthly June video blog. This video starts off a series that explores each of our own doctors and how they can help assist you in the rehabilitation process. When you need rehabilitation, #AskForMary.
Mary Free Bed partners with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine are joining together to transform Mary Free Bed into a research and teaching hospital. This collaboration sets the stage for cutting-edge research and evidence-based medicine to improve the lives of patients and encourage more medical school students to focus on physical rehabilitation. […]
MFB and MSU form research partnership
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine are joining together to transform Mary Free Bed into a research and teaching hospital. This collaboration sets the stage for cutting-edge research and evidence-based medicine to improve the lives of patients and encourage more medical school students to […]
MFB and MSU form research partnership
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine are joining together to transform Mary Free Bed into a research and teaching hospital. This collaboration sets the stage for cutting-edge research and evidence-based medicine to improve the lives of patients and encourage more medical school students to […]