Travis Laws was determined to get his life back and knew it wouldn’t be easy. Bedridden for several years, the 46-year-old from Allegan had significant health issues, including a large mass on his right leg. He weighed nearly 1,300 pounds. Specialists from Bronson Healthcare in Kalamazoo cared for Travis and developed a diet and exercise…
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Munson Medical Center and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital have signed a joint operating agreement that expands their partnership to provide rehabilitation services to northern Michigan residents. The agreement took effect Jan. 1. Mary Free Bed has managed inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services at Munson Medical Center since August 2015. A significant increase in the…
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Divya Harkema has a joy-filled smile that melts hearts and the power of love from a young mother intent on creating the best life for her daughter. Five-year-old Divya was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, which affects her legs. She was living at Sarah’s Covenant Homes, an organization in Hyderabad, India, that provides group…
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Herb “Shorty” Monroe was seriously injured in a July car crash just a mile from where he works. He was taken by ambulance to Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, where doctors discovered Shorty had a spinal cord injury that required surgery, as well as spinal fractures, broken ribs and bruised lungs. He needed a ventilator…
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An August car crash near her Cedar Springs home left Lila DeLine with a life-threatening spinal cord injury. Essentially, she was internally decapitated when the force of the impact separated her skull from her spine, an injury that most often proves fatal. But Lila defied the odds. She was an inpatient at Spectrum Health for…
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It had been 18 months since truck driver Matthew Watson was seriously injured in a horrific crash in Ohio, miles from his Allegan, Michigan home. He sustained multiple injuries, including to his brain and spinal cord. Following surgery and a lengthy hospital stay in Toledo, Matthew returned home and began months of physical therapy. But…
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The holiday season can be equal parts joyful and stressful. From long to-do lists to strained family relationships and the desire to create the “perfect” holiday, we often put too much pressure on ourselves. When we feel stress, we increase our risk for stress-induced eating. Jessi Boehme, a registered dietitian at Mary Free Bed, has…
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Grand Rapids, Mich. – Officials from Sunset Communities will work with Mary Free Bed at Home to provide in-home services for its residents and members of the West Michigan community. Mary Free Bed at Home will deliver skilled nursing and rehabilitation care, while Sunset will continue to furnish all private duty services including homemaking, laundry,…
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The holidays are a time to celebrate and enjoy family and friends. The season is filled with gatherings that feature festive meals and delectable treats – full of calories. But with a little planning, you can still enjoy yourself and stick to your wellness goals. Jessi Boehme, a registered dietitian at Mary Free Bed, offers…
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UPDATE: After their daughter, Charlotte, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was about six months old, Kristine Hendricks and her husband, Matt, knew early intervention would have a positive impact on her quality of life. So, every Tuesday morning, Kristine drove Charlotte to Mary Free Bed for therapy. “It was about two years ago…
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