For information about West Nile virus activity in Michigan and how to protect yourself, visit the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services website here. Al Walczak always looks forward to summer, to warm days when he can putz around his backyard garden, walk along Millennium Park’s winding trails and settle in on his front…
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Harper Gallagher hadn’t been feeling well. When her mom, Stephanie, asked the 2-year-old what was wrong, Harper touched the top of her head. The toddler wasn’t sleeping and was experiencing severe headaches. After several trips to her pediatrician’s office and medical tests, doctors discovered Harper had Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, a rare brain tumor. “It was…
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Robert Hoag was talking with his son during a barbecue when he accidentally fell off the deck of his Crystal, Michigan home. He initially was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, but Robert later began to lose feeling from his waist down. He returned to the doctor and an MRI revealed a spinal cord injury. After…
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Michigan families will have more convenient visits with their specialists and reduced transportation costs thanks to a new collaboration between Chicago and Cincinnati Shriners Hospitals for Children and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Instead of making out-of-state trips, young patients and their families can receive consultations from…
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Brooklyn Hammer is just 8 years old, but she already knows what she wants to be when she grows up. “She’s going to either U of M, MSU or GVSU to become a physical therapist,” said her mother, Sarah. While that may seem like a lofty goal for a second-grader, Brooklyn’s familiar with the field….
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After she broke her ankle in 2016, it was several months before Nathan Parnell was able to put any weight on her injured ankle. Her recovery proved difficult, and Nathan endured disabling pain that reverberated through her legs, hips and back. She struggled for nearly two years before being referred to the Pain Rehabilitation Program…
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Nick Snyder came to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation following a stroke that caused significant weakness on the left side of his body. Unable to stand without assistance, the 56-year-old Sheridan resident participated in high-intensity gait training to help him regain strength and endurance. When he graduated five weeks later, Nick was walking. High-intensity gait…
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Two Paralympians are among the elite athletes to compete in the 41st annual River Bank Run on Saturday in downtown Grand Rapids. Aaron Pike and Tom Davis will hit speeds of more than 18 mph, making the wheelchair and handcycle divisions two of the event’s most exciting races. Davis, who represented Team USA in the…
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Spring cleaning isn’t just for decluttering your closets and clearing out the garage. Spring is a great time to evaluate your weekly meal plan and add a variety of healthy foods. It’s good to change up your weekly meal routine. We get in a rut when the same foods appear on our plates week after…
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The Grand Rapids Thunder rumbled into Phoenix for the United States Quad Rugby Association national tournament and emerged with the 2018 Division II championship. It’s the first national title for Mary Free Bed’s quad rugby wheelchair team. The No. 2-seeded Thunder defeated the top-seeded Northridge Knights of California, 58-52, in the wheelchair rugby tournament April…
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