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Tag: Brain Injury

Harvesting Hope: Crane Orchards Corn Maze Salutes Mary Free Bed

With fall around the corner, something special is happening at Crane Orchards. The six-generation farm is known for its U-pick apples, pumpkins and 20-acre corn maze, which features a different design and new challenges every year. This year, it’s designed in honor of two medical facilities that have made a difference in the Crane family’s […]

West MI Whitecaps Players Bring Smiles with Heartwarming Visit

Two West Michigan Whitecaps players took time out of their schedules ahead of playoff season to meet with kids patients at the Mary Free Bed Grand Rapids Campus. Lucas Bradshaw is recovering from a brain injury in the Mary Free Bed Kids Inpatient Rehabilitation Program. He’s a huge baseball fan, so he took advantage of […]

Hit by car, Bek makes amazing progress after traumatic brain injury

Rehabilitation is a vital part of recovery after a brain injury. Research shows people with brain injuries experience better outcomes the sooner rehabilitation begins. Rebekah Caudle’s journey is testament to that. Bek and her boyfriend were involved in a New Year’s Day crash on a highway north of Ann Arbor. When she got out of […]

Gary battles debilitating effects of West Nile virus with intensive rehabilitation

It took 65 days in three different hospitals before Gary Shepherd was able to return to the two things he loves most: his family and his farm.  Gary’s from Onaway, a small town in northern Michigan where he owns Bonz Beach Farms. He grows fresh produce, makes maple syrup and honey, and cares for egg-laying chickens. During an off-season trip to Arizona In November 2019 with his father, everything changed.  “I was running along, 10 […]

The beat goes on for The Ghost Inside drummer seriously injured in 2015 crash

When Andrew Tkaczyk wrote a guest blog in 2016 about his recovery after a devastating traffic crash, the drummer for The Ghost Inside was very clear. “I have no doubt I’ll get back to doing what I love,” he wrote. “That’s still a while away, but I’m very confident it will happen. Very confident.” It’s […]

Hard work, lots of laughter help 14-year-old Kendall on long path to recovery

Kendall Hicks is a bubbly 14-year-old with sparkling green eyes who loves playing the flute in the middle school band and cuddling with her guinea pig, Levi. Hangouts with friends typically turn into laugh-fests. And laughter, as the saying goes, is the best medicine. Walking into Kendall’s room at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, a […]

Former patient Anthony White overcomes odds to earn PTA degree

Anthony White was catching a nap during the 18-hour trek back to college in Wyoming from his home in Michigan when his friend fell asleep at the wheel. The car careened off the road, striking a group of trees. His friend was OK, but Anthony sustained life-threatening injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. “My parents […]

Road to recovery comes ‘full circle’ for Kalamazoo bike crash survivor

It’s been nearly a year since Paul Gobble graduated from Mary Free Bed. A survivor of the June 7, 2016 bicycle collision in Kalamazoo County that killed five others, Paul has been recovering from a head injury, multiple spinal cord injuries and a fractured fibula. “When I left Mary Free Bed, I was wearing three […]

Lids for Kids and the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet

At Mary Free Bed, we treat hundreds of people each year in our brain injury programs with a focus on helping each patient reach his or her maximum potential. Helmet use while riding a bicycle has been estimated to reduce the odds of head injury by 50 percent according to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. […]

Safety precautions can help prevent ‘life-altering’ injuries from tree stand falls

Hunting is a tradition for many Michigan families and can be rewarding and fun when the proper safety precautions are taken. Each fall, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital provides rehabilitation to hunters injured while hunting, mostly in falls from elevated tree stands. Such falls are often very serious and can result in multiple trauma, complete […]

David Lulenski: ‘Mary Free Bed gave me a chance’

In 1997, David Lulenski was 18 years old and ready to start his sophomore year at the University of Arizona when he was involved in a car accident that nearly cost him his life. He was thrown more than 40 feet from a Jeep and hit the side of a house, head-first. After spending nearly […]

Kalamazoo bike crash survivor Paul Gobble happy to be home, ready to return to cycling

Paul Gobble’s love for cycling is anchored in his desire to be healthy. About three years ago, he and his wife, Chris (pictured below with Paul), decided to become more fit by eating healthfully, exercising more and losing weight. “Cycling became very important for me,” Paul said. “It became a very consistent, passionate part of […]

Abigail Kopf’s recovery: ‘To see where she is today is amazing’

Abigail Kopf, the Battle Creek teen critically injured in the Feb. 20 mass shootings in Kalamazoo, graduated April 20 from Mary Free Bed after 6 weeks of intensive inpatient treatment. Since her admission to Mary Free Bed on March 8, Abigail has made significant strides in her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. […]

Lauren Brasure is racing to recovery

Lauren Brasure is no stranger to hard work. The 2014 Rockford High School graduate was an all-conference and all-state runner named “Ms. Cross Country” by the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association. Her tremendous talent led to a scholarship to compete for the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, where she’s also seen success for the Division […]

The Ghost Inside drummer develops bond with Dr. Bloom on rehabilitation journey

Dr. Stephen Bloom visited Andrew Tkaczyk about 7 am every day for 5 weeks at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. He reviewed reports with his patient, and they talked about the next steps on his road to recovery. Then they talked about drumming. “Andrew’s nickname is Dr. Beats, and he calls me Dr. Drums,” said Bloom, […]

Fall prevention should be a year-round concern

Falls are a significant public safety concern, no matter the season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of Americans 65 years and older fall each year. Head injuries and hip fractures are among the most common types of injuries sustained in a fall. Here at Mary Free Bed, fall prevention is […]

Brian bonds with team at Mary Free Bed at Sparrow

Brian Byelich needed 4 months of rehabilitation after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. Knowing he had the right to choose where he received his care, he asked for Mary Free Bed at Sparrow. This decision also meant he could be close to his wife, Jessie, and their two kids – a crucial factor in […]

Growing network improves access across state

The Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network extends the reach of Mary Free Bed’s services and expertise far beyond Grand Rapids. The recent expansion of Mary Free Bed at Sparrow in Lansing is just one example of how Mary Free Bed’s reputation and name are growing statewide. Learn more about the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network by […]

In sickness and in health: Mary Free Bed alums celebrate 50th anniversary

John and Linda Pincumbe plan to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in a big way this summer. The event will be quite a milestone, considering that an October 2013 car crash nearly killed them both. After the accident, the Pincumbes spent 9 months in hospitals and rehabilitation centers before returning home to Schoolcraft last summer. […]

Bob and Cyndi Kamps thrive & give back while living their ‘New Normal’

“Instead of putting alarms on everything and giving him a bed that is pretty much on the floor, they make sure an actual human is watching him all the time. It’s hard to describe how wonderful that is. Bob deserves the best and he’s getting the best at MFB.” – Excerpt from “Our New Normal” […]

Back in the Swing of Things – Update on Ozzie Koroma

After a fateful night in March that landed him at Mary Free Bed – and in the headlines – 24-year-old Osman Koroma is back at work and looking forward to returning to Grand Rapids Community College this fall. “Ozzie,” who lost his sight due to cataracts at the age of 14, was hit by a […]

Pediatric patient Tamarah Williams finds independence at Mary Free Bed

Guest Blog by Sarah Williams, mother of Mary Free Bed alumnus Tamarah Williams Tamarah Williams is my 13-year-old daughter who was born with hydrocephalus, more commonly known as water on the brain. She suffered a brain injury during a medical procedure in June, 2013, which left her unable to care for herself. On July 3, […]

Two sisters came to Mary Free Bed and found hope

Guest Blog by Sue Bauerle, sister of Mary Free Bed alumnus Nancy Goodsell Hope. That’s the first word that came to mind as I accompanied my sister (Nancy Goodsell) to the Mary Free Bed gym on the first morning of her therapy. Just a few weeks before, her health had begun deteriorating. She was confused, […]

Third time’s the charm for Megan Reynolds

Megan Reynolds is pleased to be a “repeat customer” at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. “I requested to come back here because it feels safe. I trust everyone here,” says Megan, who is 27 and lives in Hudsonville. Last week, as she wrapped up her third stay as an inpatient, Megan spoke fondly of the […]