A Mary Free Bed love story
Eighteen years ago, Shelly Loose received a call inviting her on the adventure of a lifetime. She and Ken, her fiancé at the time, were asked if they’d like to be married on the TV show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. For Shelly, a longtime fan of Kathie Lee Gifford and an expectant bride […]
Baby Sayla needed helmet for flat spot on head
“When I took Sayla to our physician for her four-month checkup, I questioned her head tilt and she had a bump on her forehead,” said Shanda Bender, Sayla’s mom. “My doctor said the bump was because of the flat spot on her head, and suggested I try repositioning techniques. At that point, we met with […]
11-year-old runner felt like she was breathing through a straw
by Kate Snider Last summer, Kaysey participated with Girls on the Run, but found it hard to keep breathing during her workout. As she was running, her throat felt like it was closing up. “It felt like I was breathing through a straw,” explained 11-year-old Kaysey Sterk. “I thought maybe it was asthma. I didn’t […]
Mary Free Bed polio patient from the late 1930’s recounts his experiences in autobiography
by Maureen McKenzie Max Harrell, a former pediatric Mary Free Bed patient, wrote his autobiography to share with his kids. Max generously provided a copy to Mary Free Bed, saying; “I didn’t put much in it about Mary Free Bed. If I had it probably would be about a thousand pages long.” Below is a summary […]
Patient dedicates life to physical therapy after recovering from brain injury
by Linda Truong In 1999, a propane truck smashed into Pete Cook’s car leaving him with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). An emergency medical technician witnessed the accident and came to Pete’s rescue, caring for him until a trauma team arrived. Pete was airlifted by helicopter to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids. Pete was in […]
Finding her place
In January, Jan Levering took her kids sledding after working two 12-hour shifts as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse. Exhausted, she decided to take one run down the sledding hill before sleeping in the car. Halfway down the hill, the sled turned 90 degrees and launched Jan 3 feet in the air. She […]
Ways you can help a patient’s family during rehab
by Kate Snider Marilyn Zinger’s 13-year-old son, Travis, was rushed to the hospital after surviving a car accident on a snowy December day in 1993. Travis doesn’t remember much from the accident because he suffered a traumatic brain injury, spent 3 weeks in a coma, and suffers from short-term memory loss. Marilyn, and the rest […]
Daughter tells story of dad’s recovery from brain aneurysm
by Jessica Sikkenga It’s been two years since my Dad, then 53 years old, suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm. The amazing neurosurgeons at Spectrum Health performed a lengthy brain surgery on September 27, 2008, to place a clip on my Dad’s aneurysm. My family and I spent the two weeks following surgery by my […]
Mary Free Bed patient just 24 when she had stroke, now healthy at 32
by Holly Grissom, stroke survivor I was a patient at Mary Free Bed in May 2002 after having brain surgery from a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that ruptured in my brain stem on April 19, 2002. I was 24 years old. I had actually just had my birthday 2 weeks prior. All of a sudden, I […]
Grand Rapids artist Carol Roeda and Mary Free Bed partner for ArtPrize
When the ArtPrize® pairing of artists and venues began, Carol Roeda, a Grand Rapids-based artist, and Mary Free Bed wanted a meaningful connection if they were going to participate in the international art competition held in downtown Grand Rapids. Even before Carol entered her proposal on the ArtPrize website, she knew if she was […]
Told he’d never walk or talk again, brain injury patient lives full life
by Kate Snider “Ten percent of life is what happens to you, the other 90 percent is how you react to what happens,” said Travis Zinger as he recalled what he learned during rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed. On a snowy day in December 1993, Travis, then 13 years old, and some friends were going […]
“I have everything to gain”
Dr. Hudson told Kim Ball on her first visit to The Pain Center at Mary Free Bed that she would be feeling better in four weeks. After 15 years of nausea, dizziness, and missed work, Kim wanted to be hopeful, but it was hard. She was misdiagnosed by her doctors for many years. She explored […]
Spinal cord injury patient embraces life
by Diane Teall Battle Creek native Mitchell Chapman, 17, embraces life, be it good or bad. He’s experienced his share of both this year. Mitch transferred to Mary Free Bed from Borgess this past fall after a severe car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. He had lost control of his car and […]
Cerebral palsy patient shares MFB experience
In December 2008, Mary underwent major surgery at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. During the eight-and-a-half hour operation, six of the bones in Mary’s legs were broken so that they could be repositioned using steel plates, releasing muscles and tendons. After spending four days in the hospital, Mary was sent home with her legs in casts. […]
Stroke patient Sandra Boyce tells her story
The 51-year-old widow from Grand Rapids suffers from diabetes, so she thought that might be the problem. After she rested a bit, her arm went numb and her leg was tingling. “I called my sister and said that something was wrong, and I needed to go to the hospital,” Sandra recalls. Her sister brought her […]
“Mary Free Bed gave her back her life,” says husband of brain injury patient
The evening of June 2, 2009 unfolded like any other for Todd and Vicki Bowen of Mt. Pleasant. They went for a walk. They ate supper. Their son brought one of the grandkids over to visit. Todd and Vicki went to bed about 9:30 pm, expecting to wake up the next day like usual and […]
“I was dropped off in heaven, and surrounded by angels.”
On a crisp Saturday in February 2009, 67-year-old Phil Stefanich gathered with friends at a cottage in Grayling to go cross-country skiing. “I was just skiing along, enjoying the scenery, when my skis got away from me,” Phil says. “I flipped up into the air, came down flat on my back and my head whiplashed.” […]
Patient recovering from gunshot wound recognized for efforts
By Stephanie Sundheimer Landon Whitaker has a lot to be happy about. He recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C. where President Obama congratulated the boy for his courage, willpower, and determination. But meeting the president is likely second on Landon’s list of things to be happy about. Landon, just 12 years old, was […]
MFB patient, Pat Smith: “I just want to talk!”
by Jess Venlet On the first day of speech therapy at Mary Free Bed, Pat Smith knew her life would never be the same. Her speech therapist held picture cards in front of her, and asked her where she should go at night when she was tired. One of the pictures was of a bed, […]
“Measure the small successes,” says parent of brain injury patient
by Maureen McKenzie Lauren Culp, a 16-year-old from Fort Gratiot, was on vacation with her friends at a northern Michigan ski resort. At the end of the day on January 31, 2010, Lauren and her friends decided to go sledding. Trying to be safe, Lauren wore a helmet, but was going too fast to be […]
Staying positive with Maria Penland
by Jess Venlet Mary Free Bed launched a new advertising campaign June 1. This post is the first in a series of the rehabilitation and recovery stories of all the real Mary Free Bed patients featured in our new commercials and billboards. Just moments after I say, “Thank you, Maria. Bye.” and end our phone […]
Junior Pacers Wheelchair Basketball—2009 Midwest Conference Champs
by Jess Venlet I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived at Jenison High School to watch wheelchair basketball for the first time. I thought that the game would be pretty laid back. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The games were intense, and the players competitive. I realized my mistake quickly. I had […]
The earlier torticollis is treated, the better
Jasper Jacobson of Zeeland was born premature. After an extended stays in a neonatal unit his parents noticed Jasper preferred to have his head turned in a certain direction, which caused him to develop a flat spot on his head from lying in the same position for so long. Their pediatrician suggested Jasper’s parents take him to Mary Free Bed […]
“The people around me give me strength”
Kyle Dockery, 15, had a strange tingling sensation one afternoon in November 2009 at his high school wrestling practice. He told his coach he wasn’t feeling well, complaining of tingling limbs and an aching head. Suddenly, Kyle collapsed. Doctors in Lansing suspected a spinal stroke. Twelve days after his injury Kyle’s mother, Shervonda Dockery, decided to have Kyle transferred to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation […]
Day at the playground ends in life-changing spinal cord injury
On a beautiful May day in 2009, Kate Clark and her 4-year-old Gwyneth packed a lunch and went to Kate’s son William’s school. While on the playground playing tag with her children and their schoolmates, a student standing on top of the slide jumped and landed on Kate. The boy’s elbow was shattered; Kate was paralyzed from the neck down. “I remember my sweet daughter […]
Expert Information: Amputation & Prosthesis
Dr. Benjamin Bruinsma has worked at Mary Free Bed for nearly 20 years. He’s the director of the amputee, orthopedic, and stroke programs. Therapy and prosthesis fitting A prosthesis is a man-made substitute for a missing body part. It helps with function and mobility, and may give you more confidence in your appearance. The time […]
Scott Rigsby, Double-Amputee Ironman
Scott Rigsby, the first double-leg amputee athlete to finish the grueling 140-mile Ford Ironman Marathon. Scott came to Grand Rapids in March to speak to the audience about his life, his book “UnThinkable,” and the importance of an active lifestyle. The event, “No Finish Line in Site,” was sponsored by Mary Free Bed, Gazelle Sports and […]
You’re Invited: Dedication Ceremony for “Rain,” 2009 ArtPrize Entry
On Monday, April 12, the Mary Free Bed Guild will hold a dedication ceremony for the sculpture Rain by artist Anna Donahue. The Guild bought and commissioned the piece to be bronzed after exhibiting it at the hospital for ArtPrize 2009. Artist Anna Donahue and her family have ties that run deep with both art and […]
Go Red For Women, Stroke Survivor Stories
The Mary Free Bed Guild is a sponsor of the West Michigan Go Red For Women® campaign. At the 2010 annual luncheon, Mary Free Bed unveiled this year’s public service announcement billboards to the public, sponsored by Mary Free Bed. Go Red For Women is a national awareness campaign sponsored by the American Heart Association […]
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital capital campaign exceeds goal
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Mary Free Bed’s “Join the Movement” capital campaign, the largest in the hospital’s 125-year history, has exceeded its $16 million goal by nearly $1 million. The campaign supports the $66.4 million expansion and renovation project that includes the West Building, making Mary Free Bed the fifth-largest freestanding rehabilitation hospital in the […]