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Tandem Bike Donation Brings Cycling to the Blind

People who are blind or have low vision can get back to the joy and freedom of cycling. The Grand Rapids Lions Club purchased a brand new Fun2Go Tandem Adaptive Bike for the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI). This custom-made tandem bike costs $15,000 dollars. The donation will help the local non-profit […]

Stride for Sight: Join the White Cane Awareness Walk Through Downtown GR

In support of White Cane Awareness Day, join the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) on a walk through downtown Grand Rapids to help raise awareness of people who carry a white cane. For people with vision impairments, the white cane is an essential tool for travel and mobility. It’s an important symbol […]

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: […]

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. […]

Breaking Ground to Brighter Futures for Michigan’s Children

The community came together to celebrate a monumental milestone for children and families in Michigan and beyond. Health care leaders, along with government officials – including Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer – spoke at the groundbreaking event for Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital. The venture is shared […]

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 […]

Push, Pedal, Win! Wheelchair and Handcycle Athletes Glide into River Bank Run

This weekend, racers of all abilities are heading to downtown Grand Rapids for the 47th annual Amway River Bank Run. The wheelchair and handcycle athletes are ready to compete, as the divisions welcome 30 athletes coming from West Michigan and across the nation. The River Bank Run is the largest road race in the country, […]

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 […]

Sled Hockey Tournament Ices Grand Rapids for 2024 Griff’s Sled Hockey Classic

A total of 25 sled hockey teams from across the national are in Grand Rapids for this weekend’s Griff’s Sled Hockey Classic. We’re expecting around 250 athletes making it the region’s largest tournament of its kind. The competition is hosted by Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports and serves as the league championship for […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

Mary Free Bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation Honored for Seventh Year by U.S. News

For the seventh year in a row, Mary Free Bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for Best Short-Term Rehabilitation. For the thousands of individuals and families, these ratings from U.S. News aid their search for health care needs. U.S. News & World Report evaluated over 15,000 nursing homes, skilled […]

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 […]

Mary Free Bed Hosts Michigan’s First Power Soccer Tournament

Local athletes have been waiting for it. Michigan has its first power soccer tournament right here in Grand Rapids. The Inaugural Overdrive Power Soccer Invitational Tournament presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union will feature nearly 50 athletes and coaches in the fastest growing sport on four wheels. Mary Free Bed’s Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports program […]

Rolling to the Hoop: Youth Wheelchair Basketball Glides into Grand Rapids

This weekend, young athletes will hit the courts for Mary Free Bed’s 24th annual Keep Up the Pace tournament. The junior wheelchair basketball tournament features over 50 athletes, ages 7 – 18 with various physical disabilities. The tournament is hosted by the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports program. Six different teams are traveling […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]