Ms. Wheelchair America Crowns Winner After Week-Long Competition
Congratulations to this year’s competitors vying for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America. These 21 powerful, inspiring women traveled from across the United States to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and came together for a national competition. Following the week-long competition, Ali Ingersoll of Raleigh, North Carolina, was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2023. Ingersoll sustained a spinal […]
Inspiring Women Compete for the Title of Ms. Wheelchair America
It’s finally here! The national competition is back in Grand Rapids. After being canceled in 2020 and taking place virtually in 2021, the national Ms. Wheelchair America competition is back and in-person in. Twenty-two inspiring contestants from across the United States are contending for the crown and title of Ms. Wheelchair America. WHEN: August 15-21 […]
Meet the Ms. Wheelchair America Contestants
We’re less than a week away from the Ms. Wheelchair America National Competition! The event will be held in person in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is sponsored by the Mary Free Bed Guild. This year, 22 inspiring contestants from across the United States are contending for the 2023 title of Ms. Wheelchair America in the […]
The Ms. Wheelchair America Competition is Back In-Person
After being canceled in 2020 and taking place virtually in 2021, the national Ms. Wheelchair America competition is back and in-person this year. Twenty-two contestants from across the United States are contending for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America, in this the 51st year of annual event. Unlike traditional beauty pageants, Ms. Wheelchair America is […]
Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp is in Session
Fifty kids with varying abilities are preparing for the much-awaited summer tradition of Mary Free Bed’s Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp. Campers ages 7-18 will participate in sports like lacrosse, kayaking and basketball. Campers and staff alike look forward to this week every year for the unique opportunity to spend time enjoying adaptive activities with their […]
Mary Free Bed Staff Lay Wreath at Presidential Ceremony
To commemorate President Gerald R. Ford’s 109th birthday, members of the Ford family and his Historical Legacy Trust conducted a wreath laying ceremony at his tomb on the grounds of the Ford Presidential Museum. The ceremony included presentation of wreaths on behalf of President Joe Biden, the Ford family and two clinicians from Mary Free […]
Going the Distance for Baby Rowan
Last August, at nearly 27 weeks gestation, the Bouman twins were born in Marquette, Michigan. Baby Rowan weighed just 1 pound 13 ounces. Her brother Noah, although bigger and deemed healthier, died unexpectedly from sepsis when he was only 8 days old. During her early time in the hospital, little Rowan experienced severe bleeding on […]
Governor Announces a Health Care First for Michigan Children
Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced plans to build the state’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. Through a joint operating agreement, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital are partnering to bring a shared vision to life in the thriving health care landscape of Grand Rapids. The new hospital will be built […]
Tournament Brings Wheelchair Tennis Athletes to Grand Rapids
Wheelchair tennis athletes are competing in Grand Rapids at the 2022 Midwest Wheelchair Tennis Championship, presented by Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports. This highly competitive, local tournament hosts athletes with inspiring stories and all levels of experience – from beginners to professionals. New this year, the tournament has added standing adaptive divisions for […]
Breathing Easier: Hannah Blumka Makes a Remarkable COVID-19 Recovery
Last December, 17-year-old Hannah Blumka arrived at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital fighting for her life. Before contracting COVID-19, Hannah was a healthy, lively teenage girl. The infection quickly and unexpectedly took a toll on every system in her body. Within a day of arrival at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, she was placed on life-support – […]
Wheelchair Softball Action was Back with a Tournament in Grand Rapids
America’s favorite pastime is in full swing, and last weekend’s tournament was a home run for everyone. After a four-year hiatus, the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair Softball Tournament had a full lineup and knocked it out of the park. The tournament was hosted at the Mary Free Bed YMCA and played on their outdoor wheelchair […]
Like Father, Like Son: Drs. VandenBerg Celebrate Seven Generations of Care
After more than three decades of caring for patients at Mary Free Bed, Dr. Chris VandenBerg will be hanging up his white coat. Dr. VandenBerg specializes in cancer rehabilitation, traumatic and non-traumatic neurological impairments (spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis) and spasticity/dystonia – and in his time here, he’s touched countless lives. […]
New Mary Free Bed PM+R Residency Program Graduates
The next generation of physicians is ready to help rebuild patient’s lives after graduating from Mary Free Bed’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency. This month, three physicians will finish their post-graduate training at Mary Free Bed’s advanced PM+R Residency Program. Mary Free Bed’s residency includes clinical, educational and research opportunities in all areas of physical […]
Local Golfers Hit the Fairway FORE! a Great Cause
The 2022 Mary Fee Bed Open was another enjoyable and successful day the course! Despite a few sprinkles and the chance of rain throughout the day, the golfing community showed up. The Mary Free Bed Open sells out annually, and this year was no exception. We welcomed 220 community members representing 50 area businesses and […]
Local Paralympian Honored at Mary Free Bed Golf Outing
During a break in play at the annual Mary Free Bed Open golf outing, long-time coach and athlete Lee Montgomery was surprised and honored with the announcement of a sponsorship fund in his name. The Lee Montgomery Athlete Assistance Fund was established thanks to the generosity of The Meijer Foundation. Montgomery is a former employee […]
She Said Yes! Patient Proposed to at Mary Free Bed While Awaiting Transplant
Her journey involves seven different hospitals, weeks in the ICU on ECMO, and now rehabilitation while waiting for a double lung transplant – but Kaitlyn Sterling is still all smiles. And she has a big reason to smile. Stan, her boyfriend of 5 years, just proposed. And Kaitlin said, “Yes!” Click through to see photos […]
Wheelchair & Handcycles Pumped and Ready for 45th Amway River Bank Run
After two years, the 45th Amway River Bank Run is back in May, and the wheelchair and handcycle athletes couldn’t be more excited and ready to compete. Over 35 wheelchair and handcycle athletes from across the United States, Canada and Spain will travel to Grand Rapids to race on Saturday. The largest road race in […]
Rising Sled Hockey Star Moves Towards His Paralympic Dreams
Taggart VanderMolen is on the move. He was a toddler when he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and began working with specialists at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Today the Fruitport, Michigan, native is 19. And he’s on the cusp of realizing his dream to play sled hockey for Team USA. A RISING STAR […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Celebrate Diversity Month in the Kitchen
In recognition of Diversity Month, patients at Mary Free Bed Kids celebrated with a culinary twist! All month long, six teenagers who are patients at Mary Free Bed’s pediatric inpatient program in Grand Rapids along with their parents and staff, celebrated different heritages in the Mary Free Bed therapy kitchen. Each week, the creative team […]
Power Soccer Chair Challenge Kicks into ‘Overdrive’ with Lori’s Voice
Mary Free Bed’s power soccer team needs your help! The Overdrive power soccer team is raising money to replace its aging power chairs with new ones. Overdrive travels and competes nationally, and new chairs will keep the growing team competitive. Power soccer is played by people who use power chairs for daily mobility; it’s one […]
Mary Free Bed Receives 2022 Outstanding Community Partner Award from CMU
Mary Free Bed is honored to be a recipient of Central Michigan University’s 2022 Outstanding Partner Community Award. The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions Community Partnership Awards are presented annually to faculty, staff, students and community partners in recognition and support of reciprocal and sustainable collaborations that align with the […]
‘Bikes for the Rest Us’ Gives Freedom on Wheels
Last weekend, over 50 children and adults with disabilities were introduced to adaptive bicycling. Thanks to Mary Free Bed’s “Bikes for the Rest of Us” event, participants were given a new lease on freedom and mobility. At the event, pre-registered participants were paired with therapists who assisted in matching their physical needs to the most […]
Mary Free Bed’s Sled Hockey Teams Headed to National Tournament
The Grand Rapids Sled Wings are bound for Nationals! The Junior and Adult teams are packing up their gear and competing in the USA Sled Hockey National Championship this weekend. The Junior Sled Wings, young athletes ages 13-18, have had recent success in tournaments, winning their home tournament, the Griff’s Sled Hockey Classic, in March. […]
Nurse chooses chiropractic to relieve pain, fuel her health
A typical workday for Keren Nobel is logging 15,000 steps – the equivalent of nearly seven miles. As a registered nurse at Mercy Health St. Mary’s Hospital, she’s on her feet for 12.5-hour shifts four days a week – longer and more often during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keren’s also an athlete who […]
Mary Free Bed expands services to offer chiropractic care to patients
Patients have yet another choice of treatment with the innovative addition of chiropractic to rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed. This holistic, whole-body approach to care provides patients with ways to manage and prevent pain without medications or surgery. Joining Mary Free Bed’s outpatient Spine Center team is Dr. Tom Fowler, the only doctor of chiropractic […]
Hope by design: Fellow amputees get creative and find friendship in the process
Bryan Donihue and Matt Schwab are friends who share an unwavering sense of hope and optimism. It’s a feeling that stems deeply from a condition they both know well. Bryan, a 50-year-old father of six, lives in Grand Rapids – among his many passions is game design. That is, he explained, “old school, around-the-table experiences.” […]
Applications are open for Mary Free Bed’s new Neurologic Occupational Therapy Fellowship
Occupational therapists can get advanced clinical training and further their expertise with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation’s new Neurologic Occupational Therapy Fellowship. It’s the first of its kind for the hospital and one of only a few nationwide, focused on therapy for patients who’ve experienced brain injuries, stroke, spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions. Applications […]
Brain injury rocks geologist Mike DeVasto’s world, but he’s on the road to recovery
Ask Mike DeVasto what his favorite rock is, and the geologist is on a roll. “Rocks aren’t static,” he said. “They are an unraveling of history.” Mylonite is his favorite. “They’re a product of a shear zone,” Mike said. “When you put a rock under heat and pressure and forces act on the rock, the […]
Fifth-ranked Mary Free Bed Pacers to play for national championship
The Mary Free Bed Pacers wheelchair basketball team is ranked fifth in the country and is heading to Wichita, Kansas to compete for the national championship. The Junior Pacers also will compete on the national stage, which means 20 athletes from West Michigan will make the trip. Both teams had their last practice this week […]
Chronic Pain Program helps Selena – and kids like her – find relief
Selena Jacinto is looking forward to graduating from high school this spring and gearing up for college in the fall. A few months ago, the 17-year-old’s life goals seemed out of reach. Plagued by disabling headaches and body pain for years, Selena found it difficult to attend school, exercise or enjoy hobbies. Chronic pain was […]