Kidney Disease Awareness Month: From Patient to Clinician at Mary Free Bed
By Natalie Frias March is Kidney Disease Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about a condition that often progresses quietly until it dramatically alters daily life. For me, kidney disease is not just a diagnosis. It’s the chapter that reshaped my future, strengthened my resilience and ultimately led me to my role as a […]
Nour’s Next Chapter: Brain Injury Recovery Journey Through Day Rehab
Nour Yahya is thoughtful, kind and extraordinarily resilient. After a car crash caused a traumatic brain injury, the 23-year-old spent a year in the Mary Free Bed Day Rehab Program, rebuilding herself – and her independence – through specialized brain injury rehabilitation. Fast forward one year to the day she graduates from physical therapy. Her […]
Taking it Day by Day: Greyson’s Healing Journey after a Brain Injury
The summer before his freshman year of high school, 14-year-old Greyson Schuelke walked out of the Mary Free Bed Kids Inpatient Rehabilitation Program after 41 days of intense recovery. Just weeks earlier, he had been relearning how to walk, talk and eat following a traumatic brain injury. His graduation was a milestone celebrated by family, […]
New Voice for Disability Advocacy: Madison Reid Wins Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2026
Michigan has a new voice for disability advocacy! Detroit native Madison Reid was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2026, and she’s looking forward to getting to work. Four women took the stage at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids on Saturday, November 15, to share their platforms and stories. Madison’s platform, “Hope After Harm” […]
The Cost of One Fall: Why Hunters Must Prioritize Safety
In the quiet woods of Michigan, a single misstep changed Bill Pahl’s life forever. On November 11, 2022, while hunting from a tree stand, Bill fell nearly 20 feet to the ground. The fall resulted in a spinal cord injury (SCI) that left him unable to walk. Bill’s road to recovery has been marked by […]
Next Steps and New Friends: Madeline’s TBI Recovery
Madeline Bade is teasing her dad during his interview. While he’s trying to describe her, she flexes and points to her bicep. He laughs: “She’s tough. Spirited. Strong in every way.” At 23, Madeline is smack dab in the middle of five siblings, and she credits her family as a huge part of her recovery […]
Finding Cosmos in the Coffee Grounds After a Stroke
Bruce Najor, 39, prefers crisp communication. During his tenure as a speech and debate coach at Michigan State University, Bruce has continuously championed language and the written word. Following a stroke, Bruce spent 38 days at Adult Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Program at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During his stroke rehabilitation […]
Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics Goes Global with ROMP
For the second year in a row, members of the Mary Free Beds Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics team traveled from Michigan to Zacapa, Guatemala. Their mission? Restore hope and freedom … globally. The trip was made possible through philanthropic support from the Mary Free Bed Guild. Six O&P+B team members joined the Range of […]