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 […]
Grant helps Mary Free Bed pediatric patients feel more at home
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Little things can make a big difference for hospitalized kids and their families. Mary Free Bed Kids, the rehabilitation hospital’s pediatric unit, is ensuring patients of color have what they need to feel supported and comfortable during their stay. Thanks to a grant from the Mary Free Bed Guild Foundation, participating […]
Playground supports therapy disguised as play for children of all abilities
When Mary’s Therapy Playground was created in 2018, the outdoor space provided a fun, healing space for our youngest patients to grow. Three years later, the playground has grown, too! The growth occurred as part of Mary Free Bed’s decision to build its own kitchen to better serve the nutritional needs of patients. Construction of […]
Sales from Grand Rapids photographer’s new book to benefit Mary Free Bed Kids
Brian Kelly’s new passion project exemplifying his love for the city of Grand Rapids will help two local organizations near and dear to his heart. The popular Grand Rapids photographer is publishing a book of aerial photographs offering a unique perspective of the city. “AERIAL: Grand Rapids from Above” is a 100-page coffee table book […]
Faith, hope fuel ‘Miracle Malachi’s’ recovery from traumatic brain injury
One of life’s greatest lessons is how quickly it can change in a split second. That’s why, when the Griffin family gathers this week to celebrate Thanksgiving, they’ll give thanks for second chances. “We look for every moment we can to celebrate,” said Thomas Griffin, his son, Malachi, sitting by his side. They were visiting […]
Halloween Heroes celebrate in style
Kids love Halloween, and volunteers from the community and Mary Free Bed made sure 35 current and former patients were able to celebrate in a special way. The fourth annual Halloween Heroes Parade marched around Mary Free Bed and Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Hospital on Oct. 26, with the Forest Hills Central Marching Band leading […]
Heroes Bash a party of galactic proportions for Mary Free Bed Kids graduates
The Force is strong in the Mary Free Bed family. The mysterious energy field in the fictional “Star Wars” universe provides extraordinary abilities to those who possess it, binding the galaxy together. The magical power of the Force bears similarities to Mary Free Bed’s unique culture and the special bond between caregivers and patients. […]
Paige heads back to school after spinal cord injury
Summer took a scary turn for the Baird family when their eight-year-old daughter fell from the deck of a cottage in Northern Michigan. Paige wasn’t breathing and had to be resuscitated. She was taken to Munson Healthcare in Cadillac, where doctors determined Paige broke the C2 vertebrae in her neck and bruised her spinal cord. […]
Full Peds Ahead’ initiative betters access to care, creates brighter futures for Mary Free Bed kids
Improving the lives of children and teens with disabilities has been an important part of Mary Free Bed’s mission for more than a century. Recently renamed Mary Free Bed Kids, specialized programs and services continue to evolve with exciting potential. Mary Free Bed is the only inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Michigan with a secure unit […]
Charlotte makes great gains with outpatient pediatric rehabilitation: ‘We were looking for hope’
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 […]
Mary’s Therapy Playground provides a fun, healing space for youngest patients
A playground is a happy place where children can explore, learn and grow. At Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, it’s also a haven for healing, hope and freedom. Mary’s Therapy Playground is a joyful new space where the hospital’s youngest patients can work on their rehabilitation goals in a safe, secure and accessible environment. The […]
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 […]
Child life specialist helps Mary Free Bed’s youngest patients cope with hospitalization
Mariah Bruff always knew she wanted to become a teacher, but she didn’t expect a hospital to be her classroom and its youngest patients to be her students. Mariah studied education at Grand Valley State University, but found teaching in front of a large group in a small classroom wasn’t for her. Her sister, a […]
Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports motivates 10-year-old Ginessa to compete
Ginessa Aguirre is a spunky 10-year-old with a long brown ponytail who likes making slime, watching YouTube and cuddling with her cat, Smokey. She also likes cooking and baking with her mom, Nora. But what Ginessa likes most is playing basketball. “I like to steal the ball,” she said. See? Spunky. Ginessa plays for the […]
New coloring book introduces Mary Free Bed pediatric patients to ‘Hope and Freedom League’
Pediatric patients at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital have a fun way to get to know their team of physicians, therapists, nurses and caregivers – otherwise known as the “Hope and Freedom League.” A new coloring book introduces the hospital’s youngest patients to the superheroes whose special powers will help them “get better at lightning […]
Heroes Bash to celebrate Mary Free Bed pediatric patients
Updated Oct. 24 with the above images from the Oct. 20 event. Click here for additional photos Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital will celebrate its youngest patients and their families at “Heroes Bash 2017.” Current Pediatric Program patients and many who graduated this year are among more than 120 people expected to attend tonight’s superhero-themed […]
Arlee Rodgers tackles cerebral palsy with determination and a lot of spunk
Guest blog: Jynel Rodgers shares her daughter, Arlee’s, story and how Mary Free Bed’s pediatric rehabilitation specialists have helped put her on the path to independence following Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery to treat cerebral palsy. Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch her heartwarming video story. Arlee is 7 1/2 years old. She […]
Silas helps inspire ‘SO Awesome’ gift
UPDATED January 19, 2016: Silas Camp, a former patient treated about 4 years ago for plagiocephaly and torticollis, visited Mary Free Bed’s Outpatient Pediatric Therapy team with a special gift for other young patients. During the holiday season, his family’s business, SO Awesome, gives back to the West Michigan community through its “One for One” […]
Jerrensia & Jen make national splash with message of inclusion
Guest blog by Jen Kroll, whose daughter Jerrensia has sought outpatient therapy at Mary Free Bed. This fall, Jen wrote a Facebook post about Target’s Halloween advertisement that included a little girl with leg braces and arm crutches. The post went viral and drew attention from Mashable, Upworthy and other publications. This is a follow-up […]
Scoliosis treatment uses teamwork and technology
Scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine, affects an estimated 7 million Americans. The spinal condition typically is diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, often discovered during back-to-school “well child” checkups. Mary Free Bed’s Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) professionals are well-versed in helping to fit patients of all ages with custom scoliosis braces. These specialized orthotic devices are […]
4-year-old Ayden experiences joy of riding his very own bike
Four-year-old Ayden Wilson wanted to ride a bike, just like the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. Born with a form of dwarfism, Ayden experiences pain in his hips and knees. Though he lives in northern Ohio, he earlier this year visited a doctor in Wisconsin. That physician referred him to Dr. Michael Forness at […]
They believe in Anna, so Anna believes in herself’
Guest blog by Juliana Morano, mother to pediatric patient Anna Morano Anna was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. She is being treated by Dr. Mann, which is where she first met her speech therapist, Jenn Bobb. Due to her cleft, Anna was having a very difficult time making sounds and forming words […]
New pink helmet elicits lots of smiles [Photo Gallery]
Violet Pratt is a spunky 4-year-old. With big brown eyes and a wide smile, she twirls and laughs as she waits with her family in an Orthotics & Prosthetics examination room at Mary Free Bed. On this May afternoon, Violet is here to receive a helmet – “a pink one,” she tells Kim Nequist, the […]
One-year-old girl defies the odds in outpatient therapy
At Mary Free Bed, we’re daily witnesses to our patients’ determination, grit and strength. This is particularly true of our youngest (and most vulnerable) patients. Aubry Maronek, who recently celebrated her first birthday, embodies this spirit of hope and resolve. After being diagnosed with hemimegalencephaly — a rare neurological condition in which one half of the brain is […]
Little Girl’s Determination Helps Her Graduate from Feeding Therapy
Since the day she was born, it was quite clear that Erin Hughes knows what she wants. This determination helped her become the healthy little girl she is today. In January 2011, Erin and her twin brother, Will, were born 3 months early, each weighing just over a pound. The twins spent a combined 279 days […]
Baby Roman wears helmet to correct flat spot on his head
Early on Eric and Debbie Boersma had concerns about the back of their son, Roman’s, head. “We thought it looked a little flat, but given we see him every day it was difficult for us to really know if it was flat or if it was normal,” said Eric. During Roman’s four month check-up they […]
A Walking Miracle – And Inspiration For All
At first, the morning of April 10, 2012 appeared to be much like any other for Tammy Gould. Her 10-year-old son, Benjamin, had school in less than an hour, and she had to ensure he was ready for the day. After packing his lunch and preparing breakfast, she walked upstairs to wake him up. But, […]
Baclofen Pump and Therapists Help Taylor Make a Comeback After Brain Hemorrhage
It’s been 11 years since 19-year-old Taylor Cunningham suffered an AVM rupture, which caused a hemorrhage in her brain and left Taylor unable to walk. Just a young girl at the time, Taylor had to undergo several surgeries. Yet it was the severe spasticity that caused Taylor the most pain, a constant presence in her […]
Cancer survivor plays wheelchair tennis against able-bodied competitors
by Kate Snider Jess Sporte, 23, lost her leg to cancer when she was just 4 months old. Jess uses crutches for short distances and a wheelchair for longer distances. She received outpatient care from the Center for Limb Differences at Mary Free Bed until she was 21 years old. Growing up, Jess watched from the sidelines as […]
Tummy time: Tips to help you position, carry, hold and play with your baby
Your baby needs supervised time on her tummy throughout the day while she’s awake. Mary Free Bed’s pediatric specialists offer these ideas and activities to ensure your baby gets the exercise she needs. How you play and interact with your baby helps her increase strength and decrease the risk of tight muscles. Increasing tummy time […]