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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. […]

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 […]

Orthotics & Prosthetics relocates to upgraded facilities

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s orthotics and prosthetics patients will have access to enhanced services and experience improved patient care as the hospital’s Orthotics & Prosthetics Corporation moved into new and high-tech office space over the weekend. For the first time, the following four orthotics and prosthetics services will be housed […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids breaks ground on the new Mary Free Bed YMCA

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids broke ground today on a new $30 million facility in Cascade Township which will be the first-of-its-kind Y in the nation to comprehensively implement universal design to serve individuals of all abilities. To commemorate its 125th anniversary, the Mary Free Bed Guild is investing in this […]

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 […]

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.