Celebrating National Rehabilitation Awareness Week
September 18 – 24 was National Rehabilitation Awareness Week 2023. Every year, the third week in September gives us a special opportunity raise awareness about the benefits of rehabilitation to the overall health of our community. The week also serves as a platform to honor and recognize the outstanding efforts and hard work by our […]
Sky’s the Limit: Bruce’s Resilience after a Spinal Cord Injury
In April 2023, life took an unexpected turn for Bruce Roger, 58, of Traverse City, Michigan. A fall at work left him with a concussion, orbital fracture and a spinal cord injury. Following the accident, Bruce was diagnosed with quadriplegia. Fortunately, Bruce’s C3/C4 spinal cord injury was incomplete, which meant he still had some […]
A Winner is Crowned Ms. Wheelchair America During National Competition in Grand Rapids
This year’s national, week-long competition wrapped up with the crowning of Ms. Wheelchair America 2024, presented by the Mary Free Bed Guild. The title was awarded to Ms. Wheelchair Maryland, Chandra Smith, who competed alongside a group of 18 outstanding women. This was the 52nd year of Ms. Wheelchair America. The competition doesn’t focus on […]
Run for Sight Along Michigan’s Lakeshore
This Labor Day weekend you can run along Michigan’s lakeshore and help raise funds for those who are blind or visually impaired. Saturday marks the 17th 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 Impaired. For […]
Teenager with Cerebral Palsy Breaks Barriers and Inspires us All
Loralei DeHoek is a thrill seeker. At age 15, she’s just begun her freshman year at Caledonia High School. Looking back, her summer was one for the books. If you can keep up with her busy teenage schedule, you’ll find Loralei sailing on Reeds Lake, kayaking with friends, competing in Miracle League baseball, playing […]
National Ms. Wheelchair America Competition Returns to Grand Rapids
Competitors from across the nation are heading to Grand Rapids to contend for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America. Unlike traditional beauty pageants, Ms. Wheelchair America doesn’t focus on physical attributes. The competition highlights participant achievements, disability advocacy and presentation skills. In the 52nd year of this annual event, 18 women will compete for the […]
Mary Free Bed Joins Top 10 Rehabilitation Hospitals in Nation
For ten years, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has been ranked within the top 50 Best Rehabilitation Hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. This year, we’re pleased to share our hospital is ranked among the nation’s top ten leaders. U.S. News & World Report ranks Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital as […]
National Disability Independence Day: Celebrating 33 Years of Progress
July 26, 2023, marks the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. It’s commemorated as National Disability Independence Day. The landmark civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life – including employment, education, transportation, and public accommodations. The goal is to […]
Camp is in Session: Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp is back
It’s the highlight of their summer! Mary Free Bed’s Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp is back in action. Kids and teens age 7-18 will take over Grand Valley State University’s campus playing sports like basketball, lacrosse and tennis. Every year camp provides the chance for kids to come together through adaptive sports to try new activities, […]
Next Level Rehab: Mary Free Bed Expands 6th Floor to Serve More Patients
Mary Free Bed is taking rehabilitation to the next level with its newest expansion in Grand Rapids. The hospital is building out its 6th floor in order to serve more patients. The nine-month expansion project will add a total of 28 private inpatient bedrooms; 20 of the new beds will be licensed, while the other […]
Local Paralympian & Admired Veteran Returns to West Michigan
Our Family® Brand Spokesperson Melissa Stockwell Visits Patients and Staff at Mary Free Bed Melissa Stockwell, West Michigan native and three-time medal winning Paralympian, brought her story back home thanks to a partnership with SpartanNash and Our Family®. She visited patients and hospital staff at Mary Free Bed and lead a keynote speaking engagement, which […]
Mary Free Bed Celebrates Retirement of Three Long-Time Leaders
This month, three long-time leaders and clinicians celebrated their retirement from Mary Free Bed. Ingrid Cheslek, RN, chief operating officer Michael Jakubowski, MD, chief medical officer Richard Ball, MD, medical director of the Mary Free Bed PM&R Residency program Through their leadership, mentorship and dedication to the Mary Free Bed mission, these exemplary team members […]
Wheelchair and Para-Standing Tennis Action Returns with Tournament
Wheelchair and para-standing tennis athletes are competing in Grand Rapids at the 2023 Midwest Wheelchair Tennis Championships, presented by Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports. This highly competitive tournament has been in Grand Rapids for over 30 years. It will be hosted at MVP Athletic Club – Crahen and features athletes with all levels […]
Mary Free Bed Dietitian & GRCC Professor Competes on Food Network’s Chopped
Jenn Struik is a registered dietitian, personal chef and college professor. Now, she’s bringing her culinary skills to the national stage on the next episode of Food Network’s Chopped. Chopped is a reality-based cooking television game show series in which four chefs face off to create delicious dishes out of mystery ingredients. The competition tests […]
Mary Free Bed Celebrates 2023 PM&R Residency Graduates
Mary Free Bed is honored to congratulate its newest class of graduating residents. Five physicians are headed into the next phase of their careers after graduating from Mary Free Bed’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency program in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The residents finished their post-graduate training program through the single-specialty teaching hospital which is […]
Stayin’ Alive: Pastor Uses CPR to Save Teen’s Life
Rafe Oard, 17, of Gladwin, Michigan, is an active teenager with a great sense of humor. You’re likely to find him outdoors, working on cars with his grandpa, or caring for his pheasants and quails. Last February, Rafe headed to the weekly open gymnasium hour at his church. He often joined members of the community […]
Destiny by His Side: Grand Rapids EMT is Getting His Groove Back after a Stroke
It’s hard not to smile when you’re in the company of Lavell McDaniel. He’s got the kind of laugh that makes others laugh harder. His positivity lights up the room. Ask anyone he knows, and they’ll tell you: Lavell knows how to boogie. “Lavell likes to do little dances,” explained his wife, Destiny. “He […]
Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports Receives $50,000 Grant from The Hartford
Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports was awarded a $50,000 grant from The Hartford for new adaptive sports equipment. The grant enabled the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports program, a member of the Move United member network, to purchase adaptive sports equipment, including seven handcycles and three sports wheelchairs for the inpatient […]
Wheelchair and Handcycles Geared up for Amway River Bank Run
It’s time for the 46th annual Amway River Bank Run and the wheelchair and handcycle athletes are ready to compete. Nearly 30 athletes from West Michigan and across the national will travel to downtown Grand Rapids to race on Saturday. River Bank Run is the largest road race in the country, and the only race […]
Polio Survivor Returns to Mary Free Bed Six Decades Later
In April, James Sloan returned to Mary Free Bed for the first time since he was a child. At 7 years old, James was diagnosed with polio. He spent a week at Mary Free Bed recovering and getting fitted for custom leg braces and crutches. Returning to Mary Free Bed 60 years later inspired James […]
Grand Rapids Mayor Honors Mary Free Bed Nurses with Proclamation
Every year, May 6 – 12 marks National Nurses Week. It’s a time to recognize and celebrate the exemplary contributions nurses make to our community. This week, Grand Rapids Mayor, Rosalynn Bliss, issued a written proclamation thanking nurses at Mary Free Bed and across the Grand Rapids community. Nurses make up the nation’s largest health […]
Experiencing the Great Outdoors in Michigan: An Accessible Resource Guide
Guest blog: With the guidance of the Mary Free Bed Recreational Therapy team, Kelsey Heller, recreational therapy intern, has created an Accessible Nature Resource Guide for our patients, their families, and other health care professionals. Accessible Nature Resource Guide This guide contains a variety of accessible outdoor leisure and recreation information. It features wheelchair-accessible outdoor […]
Mary Free Bed’s Sled Hockey Teams Return to Nationals
The Grand Rapids Sled Wings are back competing for the title! The junior and adult teams have traveled to St. Louis for the USA Sled Hockey National Championship. The Junior Sled Wings feature young athletes ages 13-18, and they will be defending their title, after winning the national championship in 2022. The Sled Hockey National […]
Mary Free Bed Joins West Michigan Hospitals in Mask Policy Updates
As the COVID-19 pandemic heads toward endemic status, hospital systems across the U.S. are revisiting mask requirements within their facilities. These changes follow September 2022 guidance from the CDC announcing masking in health care settings is no longer needed unless transmission rates were high. Earlier this month, Michigan hospital systems – including Sparrow Health System […]
Coming Full Circle: Meet a Trailblazing Occupational Therapist from West Michigan
It was in the 1960s when Dorothy Singer found her calling. A college student at the time, Dorothy was working for Easterseals as a recreation planner for children and adults with disabilities. Two weeks into the job, she knew she’d found her life’s calling. Dorothy, of Grand Rapids, transferred schools to Eastern Michigan University to […]
That’s a Wrap! Lymphedema Workshop Shares Tools & Techniques for Incurable Condition
Thousands of people in Michigan suffer from an incurable condition that is rarely discussed. That makes March, which is Lymphedema Awareness Month, a great time to talk about it. Mary Free Bed’s lymphedema physician and specially-trained therapists are hosting a Lymphedema Workshop for the public. Participants will hear from experts about: • Equipment overviews • […]
Grand Rapids Hosts Sled Hockey Competition for over 250 Athletes
Sled Hockey is back in Grand Rapids! Twenty-four teams are traveling from eight states for this weekend’s Griff’s Sled Hockey Classic. With over 250 athletes, it’s 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 the adult league. […]
Tough Like a Monster Truck: Kaden Recovers After Double Amputation
“He’s my everything,” said Michele Stevenson, about her son, Kaden. When he started to get sick before Christmas, she didn’t think it was serious at first. But after a few days she knew something was wrong. As 7-year-old Kaden’s health grew getting progressively worse. Michele, of Grand Blanc, Michigan, rushed him to the emergency […]
Hearts on Fire: One Couple’s Rescue Story & Journey to Recovery
It started with a spark. Carl Beintema knows how to play with fire. When it comes to welding, you’ve got to. Carl, 37, is a pipefitter from Allendale. On December 23, he was welding in his barn – something he’d done countless times before – when his grinder sparked an undetected gas leak. “The […]
Gilda’s Club and Mary Free Bed Launch Cancer Education Workshop Series
Gilda and Mary are teaming up to talk about cancer. Mary Free Bed cancer rehabilitation physicians are partnering with social workers at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids to provide support and resources for patients, families and loved ones facing the rigorous disease. The new Cancer Rehabilitation Education & Wellness (CREW) initiative will hold free, quarterly workshops […]