2015 Fifth Third River Bank Run wrap-up [Photos & Video]
Congratulations to everyone who rolled, ran or walked through a very rainy — but exciting! — Fifth Third River Bank Run on Saturday, May 9, in downtown Grand Rapids. Below is a wrap-up of Mary Free Bed’s 2015 River Bank Run experience, including photos, video and news coverage. Thank you to our handcycle and wheelchair […]
ZeroG gait & balance training technology at Mary Free Bed [Video]
Learn more about ZeroG at Mary Free Bed by reading the story — published May 10, 2015, in the Grand Rapids Press — below. [Click the image for a larger view.]
Mary Free Bed at Sparrow completes $ 7.5 million expansion and renovation
Lansing, Mich. – The $7.5 million Mary Free Bed at Sparrow expansion and renovation project is finished and will be completely open for patients on November 17, 2015. There are 40 private rooms, two state-of-the-art therapy gyms and several social areas. The 45,000-square-foot adult rehabilitation program spans the sixth floor of all three Sparrow Hospital towers. […]
Thank you to our Guild for sponsoring Fifth Third River Bank Run Wheelchair & Handcycle divisions
An open letter to the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Guild: The Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports Department is very appreciative of the Mary Free Bed Guild for their continued support of our sports and recreation programs, including the Fifth Third River Bank Run Handcycling and Wheelchair divisions. The Guild of Mary Free Bed […]
Are you ‘Avenger Tough’? A look at the strengths & weaknesses of Marvel’s favorite heroes
Guest blog by Dr. Eddie O’Connor Sports psychologist for Mary Free Bed’s Performance Excellence Center Editor’s Note: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ hit theaters on May 1, earning the record for second-highest-grossing opening weekend. Below is Dr. Eddie’s assessment of what it means to be ‘Avenger Tough.’ Subscribe to the Performance Excellence Center newsletter to get sports […]
Mary Free Bed recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Business
May is National Bike Month, making it the perfect time to share the exciting news that Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital is now recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Business! On April 22, the League of American Bicyclists announced its spring 2015 round of Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFB), with Mary Free Bed earning a Silver Level […]
Mary Free Bed YMCA to have universal design and LEED certification
Guest Blog by Bryan Koehn, @bwkoehn ProgressiveAE Principal, Director of Design The greatest of all ideas are universal. They transcend the boundaries of age, ability, location, or financial situation. They are brilliantly simple, yet inherently complicated. The greatest of ideas are dreamt by few, understood by many, and accessible to all. The Mary Free Bed […]
River Bank Run with Mary Free Bed handcycle and wheelchair athletes
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital is proud to sponsor the Fifth Third River Bank Run Wheelchair & Handcycle divisions. The following videos show you first-hand what it’s like to train and race on a handcycle or wheelchair. Please contact Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports if you’re interested in being involved with the team. #MFBRollin | #53RBR – Join […]
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 […]