| Lisa Holst |
Imagine you've had a heart attack. Eight stents have been placed in your arteries. You also have diabetes, which not only adds to your risk of future heart problems, but also tends to make heart attack symptoms more difficult...
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| Sophie Rice |
What if living with diabetes meant living well?
After living with Type 2 diabetes for nearly 20 years, 56-year-old Sophie Rice struggled to manage her blood sugar levels. During that time, she faced a cancer diagnosis and ma...
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| Walter |
On May 3, 2009, Walter Catton was hit by an SUV while riding his bike near his Holland home. He was airlifted to Spectrum Health where our trauma team was able to repair his broken body.
See his ama...
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| Doty, Kevin, Peggy, Rich, Tim |
Hear the testimonials of several Grand Rapids area men and women who tell what it's like discovering and living with osteoporosis.
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| Sherri |
Before she went in for surgery for a brain aneurysm, 52-year-old Middleville resident Sheri Higgins made a living will and put her affairs in order. Testing had revealed an aneurysm that was so large doctors had grave concern...
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| Rhonda |
In the way that illness is often a double-edged sword, Rhonda Murray’s recent experience with an arteriovenous malformation, or AVM, was both the worst and best thing that ever happened to her.
First the worst. While visit...
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| Arlene |
“Are you serious?” Those were the first words out of the mouth of Arlene B, a 68-year-old West Michigan woman, when her doctor called to tell her she had an aneurysm. After all, it was April 1. Perhaps it was a pr...
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| Emily Berry |
What happens when an expectant mother gets the prenatal care she needs?
The Need
Michigan's infant mortality rate continues to be higher than the national average. In 2007, 997 infants who were younger than 1 year old died....
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| Greg |
In September 2009 I was diagnosed with Diabetes and was told that I had to go on insulin. I went to see my doctor Dr. Bouwens with Spectrum Health and he recommended that I should attend the Diabetes classes and my wife shoul...
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| Victor Villafuerte |
What if a cultural barrier prevented you from getting the health care you needed?
When Victor Villafuerte came to the United States from Peru, he was looking for opportunities for a better life. But in the summer of 2009, Vi...
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| Chris Butler |
What Happens When a Child Has to Learn to Eat?
Most babies are born with a natural instinct to eat. But what happens when a developmental delay, an illness or allergy interrupts that ability?
When Chris Butler was just 6 mo...
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| Lisa Lee |
What happens when the birth of a new baby leads to the blues?Lisa Lee and her husband, John, are the proud parents of two beautiful children. But when their daughter Annelise was born four and a half years ago, those smiles d...
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| Ruth Farney |
Three years ago, Wyoming resident Ruth Farney, 71, would come home from work, take the maximum amount of over-the-counter pain medicine she could for her sore left knee, and call it a day. At the time, Ruth worked as a cook a...
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| Cody Holbrook |
What happens when a nurse is on call in the schools? One of the biggest lessons Cody Holbrook learned in middle school didn't come from a teacher but from the school nurse. A diabetes diagnosis at 12 years old turned his life...
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| Ava Siciliano |
What happens when a clinical trial helps treat a child’s cancer? Ava Siciliano’s mom, Janelle, first noticed a bump that would not go away under her daughter’s right eye. A course of antibiotics prescribed by her pediatrician...
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| Megan Morrill |
What happens when breakthrough research helps a child lead a more normal life? Megan Morrill and her mom, Jill, have a special bond that goes beyond just mother and daughter. Megan has one of her mom’s kidneys, following tran...
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| JoAnn Edwards |
What happens when healthy food becomes an option? JoAnn Edwards struggles with each breath she takes. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, severely limits her lung capacity. After trying various medications and bei...
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| Mariah Walker |
What happens when our children can’t afford to breathe? Mariah Walker’s uncontrolled asthma made her life miserable. The 10-year-old Grand Rapids girl often struggled to breathe. Frequent asthma attacks forced Mariah to miss...
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| Joint Replacement Patients |
Take a moment to listen to the inspiring stories of our patients whose quality of life improved dramatically following joint replacement surgery.
They came to the Center for Joint Replacement seeking relief from severe join...
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| Dan's Dad |
My son has been a resident at Homeward’s
North since 1984, following an injury that I
must say was the most traumatic emotional
experience I have ever endured. However
painful it is to see your child so badly injured,
we...
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| Mark's Family |
Mark and his wife were in an automobile accident in early February. Carol was admitted to 4 Heart Center with severe trauma and passed away three days after admission. Mark's injuries included a fractured back and some wounds...
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| Mona |
I traveled all the way from Chugiak, Alaska to get my total knee replacement from Dr. DeMaagd!
I spent time in Grand Rapids some time ago when my sister had knee replacement surgery performed by Dr. DeMaagd. I was so impress...
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| Brooke |
I volunteer with patients who wish to share
their life stories. Recently, I assisted an elderly
patient who was receiving end-of-life care.
This patient had endured life-long pain and
numerous medical interventions after ...
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| Kevin |
I wanted to say thank you for all the care that
was provided to my wife after the birth of our
two children.
I was so impressed with the commitment of the
staff to the needs of my wife, and their general
happy and caring...
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| Carlos |
The nurses in the peds units are all wonderful. They all have a common commitment of doing whatever they can to make us feel comfortable. They even brought us drinks! We love the snack cart and the nice ladies who bring it.
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| Jackson |
Here's why my experience at Spectrum Health was outstanding:
When we got lost in the hospital maze, an employee quickly got us back on the right path
You were always on time
You weren't secretive about results
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| Sarah |
Everyone in labor and delivery was awesome! I especially received great care from R.N. Phaedra. She explained everything to us, she was kind, funny and helped me through a very quick delivery. The R.N.s in post-partum were aw...
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| Geraldine |
I would like to thank everyone that was involved in my care. Everyone was thoughtful, respectful, helpful, reassuring, comforting and professional. I was nervous about my procedure and the entire staff made me feel safe and c...
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| Laura |
I was happy to be able to pre-register online. Because I am deaf, my husband had to take time to handle my phone registrations in the past. I like being able to do all my "business" myself and the online registration allows m...
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| PICU Team |
Have you ever worked with people who you thought were amazing, kind souls, selfless human beings? Have you ever looked at those people and thought that they could not possibly get any better—then once again they've gone so fa...
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| Amijah |
I want to thank you for providing such amazing pediatric emergency department staff at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
My 4-year-old tripped and had a small laceration on her upper lip that required a suture. In the ED, she...
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| Frank |
Taking into consideration my daughter's inherent apprehension about all things medical, and her requirements that (knee) surgery and hospitalization involve no blood, no needles, and no pain, the staff did an outstanding job ...
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| Anthony |
I have the highest accolades for the staff and facility at the Meijer Heart Center. From the moment we walked in the door, to when I left the following day, the whole operation was run in clocklike precision. I could not ask ...
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| Carmen |
I brought my 4-year-old to the ED because her "heart was hurting." As I drove to the ED entrance, the officer offered to park my car so I could get my daughter right in. We were greeted by smiling nurses who were prepared for...
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| Mary Anne |
Shelley was my husband's nurse the day of his heart catheterization. She was the most incredible nurse and here are our reasons why:
Made us feel comfortable almost instantaneously
She was able to get an IV in the f...
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| Melanee and Jackie |
We are the parents of a 9-year-old who spent nine days on your unit.
All monitors and eyes were on our son, but we will forever marvel at the compassion and excellence of the treatment all three of us received from you. We w...
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| Henry DeRidder |
Five years ago, Henry’s family doctor discovered that he had a heart murmur. They kept a watchful eye on it, but as the degree of leakage of the mitral valve dramatically worsened, his doctor recommended mitral valve re...
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| Charlotte Dunham |
“Take me to the Meijer Heart Center.”
Those were the first words out of Charlotte Dunham’s mouth when her cardiologist suggested that she might need cardiac surgery.
“Ten years ago, my mother had bypass surgery at Spec...
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| Tom Torresson |
As Tom Torresson—a 39-year-old volunteer firefighter, advertising executive, outdoors enthusiast, husband and father of three—tells it, on the evening of Monday, March 30, 2009, he nearly died. Fifty-two times. His wife, Jen,...
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| Beth's Son |
To my mom's health care team, thank you. Our behavior was not always exemplary but yours was. You offered no cross looks or harsh words. You requested to be assigned to my mom on your shift. You listened to my ramblings and a...
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| Katherine |
After a total hip replacement, my father was transferred to the Spectrum Health Rehab and Nursing Center for therapy. We are very happy with the facility and the care he received there.
The nursing staff was very nice and he...
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| Alicia |
These are all small items that when added up, improve patient comfort:
Waited only 5 minutes
Fabulous staff (mammogram, ultrasound, doctors)
During ultrasound, offered a warm blanket!
Doctor came in to dis...
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| Jamie |
I was in town visiting family last December. During brunch, my father started experiencing visual changes in his left eye. I am a physician in New York City and I took my father to the emergency department at Butterworth Hosp...
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| Valerie |
After the surgery, I completed a patient survey and expressed my thoughts. I expected no response since it has been my experience that hospitals (and I have been in many-including some of the "best") don't really act on feedb...
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| George |
During my initial bone scan, they found something and wanted to do another scan. Having lost a friend to lung cancer and recently losing another friend in a hunting accident, I was upset and worried. My technician, Herbert co...
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