Teen tackles rehabilitation from serious illness with self-motivation and her Mary Free Bed team
Samantha Beckhorn thought her life was “shattered and broken” after she woke up at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, unable to move. Diagnosed with autoimmune-related encephalitis and transverse myelitis, Sam came to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation following a month in the Intensive Care Unit at Sparrow. That’s when she changed her mindset. “I was like […]
Andria finds hope, learns mindfulness with Weight Management Program
Andria Kiel joined the Mary Free Bed Weight Management Program hoping to drop weight for good. Through participation in the program’s 20-week Foundation class followed by the year-round Stride program, Andria’s goals evolved into achieving lifelong health and wellness. She recently completed her first 5K. In this blog, Andria shares her experience: Why did you […]
Kristy calls recovery from back pain ‘amazing’ with help of Mary Free Bed Spine Center
Kristy Reuss suffered with back pain for nearly two years. At one point, her pain was so debilitating she was unable to stand or walk and missed a month of work. Diagnosed with a disc herniation between the L5 and S1 vertebrae in her spine, Kristy’s course of treatment provided some relief but only for […]
Hard work, lots of laughter help 14-year-old Kendall on long path to recovery
Kendall Hicks is a bubbly 14-year-old with sparkling green eyes who loves playing the flute in the middle school band and cuddling with her guinea pig, Levi. Hangouts with friends typically turn into laugh-fests. And laughter, as the saying goes, is the best medicine. Walking into Kendall’s room at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, a […]
Child life specialist helps Mary Free Bed’s youngest patients cope with hospitalization
Mariah Bruff always knew she wanted to become a teacher, but she didn’t expect a hospital to be her classroom and its youngest patients to be her students. Mariah studied education at Grand Valley State University, but found teaching in front of a large group in a small classroom wasn’t for her. Her sister, a […]
RaeAnn loses weight, gains confidence with Weight Management Program
Mary Free Bed’s Weight Management Program uses a team-based approach to weight loss – a physician, registered dietitian, psychologist and an exercise physiologist all play an integral part in each patient’s success. Participants lose an average of 29.5 pounds or 11.58 percent of their body weight during the first 20-week phase of the program, and […]
U.S. Navy sailors from USS Gerald R. Ford visit veterans at Mary Free Bed
In commemoration of President Gerald R. Ford’s 105th birthday, several U.S. Navy sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) — the newest and most high-tech aircraft carrier — are spending a few days in Ford’s hometown of Grand Rapids. The crew members included some Michigan residents: Lt. Sarah Brower; Grand Haven, Mich. Chief […]
Recovery from rare West Nile virus a life-changing journey for Al Walczak: ‘I just want to live’
For information about West Nile virus activity in Michigan and how to protect yourself, visit the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services website here. Al Walczak always looks forward to summer, to warm days when he can putz around his backyard garden, walk along Millennium Park’s winding trails and settle in on his front […]
Harper excels after surgery to remove brain tumor with participation in intensive Pediatric Day Rehab program
Harper Gallagher hadn’t been feeling well. When her mom, Stephanie, asked the 2-year-old what was wrong, Harper touched the top of her head. The toddler wasn’t sleeping and was experiencing severe headaches. After several trips to her pediatrician’s office and medical tests, doctors discovered Harper had Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, a rare brain tumor. “It was […]
Brandon says disability scholarship from Mary Free Bed Guild offers ‘opportunity to be independent’
Brandon Buxton wasn’t sure what his future held. Complications related to a long-term health condition caused significant pain that warranted hospitalization and threatened his independence. But rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed helped to restore his freedom and the opportunity to continue his college education, something he thought “was inconceivable” just a few months ago. Brandon […]
Robert chooses Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation after spinal cord injury
Robert Hoag was talking with his son during a barbecue when he accidentally fell off the deck of his Crystal, Michigan home. He initially was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, but Robert later began to lose feeling from his waist down. He returned to the doctor and an MRI revealed a spinal cord injury. After […]
Brooklyn raises money for Mary Free Bed to honor her grandma
Brooklyn Hammer is just 8 years old, but she already knows what she wants to be when she grows up. “She’s going to either U of M, MSU or GVSU to become a physical therapist,” said her mother, Sarah. While that may seem like a lofty goal for a second-grader, Brooklyn’s familiar with the field. […]
After two years of suffering, Pain Rehabilitation Program teaches Nathan ‘you control the pain’
After she broke her ankle in 2016, it was several months before Nathan Parnell was able to put any weight on her injured ankle. Her recovery proved difficult, and Nathan endured disabling pain that reverberated through her legs, hips and back. She struggled for nearly two years before being referred to the Pain Rehabilitation Program […]
High-intensity gait training fuels stroke survivor’s recovery
Nick Snyder came to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation following a stroke that caused significant weakness on the left side of his body. Unable to stand without assistance, the 56-year-old Sheridan resident participated in high-intensity gait training to help him regain strength and endurance. When he graduated five weeks later, Nick was walking. High-intensity gait […]
Spring clean your nutrition
Spring cleaning isn’t just for decluttering your closets and clearing out the garage. Spring is a great time to evaluate your weekly meal plan and add a variety of healthy foods. It’s good to change up your weekly meal routine. We get in a rut when the same foods appear on our plates week after […]
Music motivates Mary Free Bed patients, putting the harmony in rehabilitation
Sharlet Alagia was walking across the street when she was struck by a car in the crosswalk. The impact broke her back, and Sharlet underwent emergency surgery at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo to repair the injury to her spinal cord. When she came to Mary Free Bed four days after the accident, Sharlet could […]
Inn at Mary Free Bed expansion accommodates more patients, families
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – Nicholas Burrell comes to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital each week for outpatient therapy, traveling about 90 minutes from his home north of Shelby, Michigan. It’s a fairly long trek, but staying overnight at the Inn at Mary Free Bed makes it possible. Nicholas, 32, arrives in the afternoon for a therapy session, […]
With new prosthesis and encouragement from her Mary Free Bed team, Dottie Kuklewski ‘just keeps going’
Dottie Kuklewski developed an infection that forced doctors to amputate her leg. She went to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation and spent several weeks in the inpatient Amputee Program. Since then, Dottie used a wheelchair exclusively for mobility, hesitant to try a prosthesis. About two years later, Dottie needed a new shrinker for her residual limb. […]
Former patient Anthony White overcomes odds to earn PTA degree
Anthony White was catching a nap during the 18-hour trek back to college in Wyoming from his home in Michigan when his friend fell asleep at the wheel. The car careened off the road, striking a group of trees. His friend was OK, but Anthony sustained life-threatening injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. “My parents […]
Eric hits goals with Mary Free Bed’s Weight Management Program
Eric Lake, a pain psychologist with Mary Free Bed’s Pain Center, has learned to “listen to his body” and focus on his wellness goals with help from Mary Free Bed’s Weight Management Program. To support the weight-loss success he achieved in the program’s Foundation phase, Eric committed to the next phase of the program — […]
Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports motivates 10-year-old Ginessa to compete
Ginessa Aguirre is a spunky 10-year-old with a long brown ponytail who likes making slime, watching YouTube and cuddling with her cat, Smokey. She also likes cooking and baking with her mom, Nora. But what Ginessa likes most is playing basketball. “I like to steal the ball,” she said. See? Spunky. Ginessa plays for the […]
Rehabilitation, hard work help Dario overcome debilitating pain
In 2015, Dario Cook was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine and can lead to severe, chronic pain. That was nearly eight years after he first experienced symptoms, collapsing in pain while walking to work. He initially was diagnosed with a hip strain, but the pain never really went […]
Mary Free Bed graduate Bobby Decair helps patients get in Super Bowl spirit
Bobby Decair has constantly reminded himself to not quit since Jan. 25, 2016 – his first day at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Just days earlier, Bobby sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury when his truck slid on black ice and flipped multiple times. “I just held on,” said Bobby, recalling the accident. He said […]
Dave loses 100 pounds, improves health with Weight Management Program
Mary Free Bed’s mission is to restore hope and freedom through rehabilitation. Our programs and services are an extension of that mission. For Dave Nichols, a graduate of the Mary Free Bed Weight Management Program, hope and freedom came by way of improving his wellness. In this interview, Dave explains how the medically based program […]
Mary Free Bed, GVSU announce expanded partnership
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Leaders from Grand Valley State University and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital are expanding their partnership, which will strengthen the region’s health care talent pipeline and serve the needs of rehabilitation patients. The two organizations have a long history of collaboration. Mary Free Bed serves as a clinical site for Grand […]
Covenant HealthCare and Mary Free Bed forge partnership to expand inpatient rehabilitation care
This week, leaders from Covenant HealthCare and Mary Free Bed signed a partnership agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture. Working together, Covenant and Mary Free Bed will bring advanced rehabilitation care to Saginaw and the Great Lakes Bay Region. Located in Saginaw, Covenant HealthCare is a 642-bed health care system. Providing quality inpatient rehabilitation […]
Mary Free Bed adds new outpatient rehabilitation locations to serve patients in Holland, Kalamazoo
Grand Rapids, Mich. – People who need specialized outpatient rehabilitation now have more options in the Holland and Kalamazoo areas. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has expanded its system of care to satellite locations in the West Michigan communities. “We’re excited to offer our specialized rehabilitation programs in convenient locations for Holland and Kalamazoo patients,” […]
Participants with traumatic spinal cord injury being recruited for new research study
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has been awarded a three-year, $400,000 grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to measure how physical activity impacts the lives of people with spinal cord injury. Researchers will focus on whether a positive impact can be made on people’s participation in physical activity over a year-long period, said Mary […]
Mary Free Bed Foundation receives Excellence in Fundraising Award
The Mary Free Bed Foundation has been honored with the 2017 Excellence in Fundraising Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals West Michigan Chapter. The award was presented today at the chapter’s National Philanthropy Day event at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. National Philanthropy Day, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, recognizes the impact […]
How to stay healthy during the holidays
The average Thanksgiving meal has 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat. Other holiday meals will have similar caloric opportunities. Many people start by snacking throughout the day. That, combined with the meal, can lead to a total of more than 4,500 calories. Not to worry! The holidays can be healthfully enjoyed if they’re taken […]