A HealthBeat Special Series

Inspire

Spectrum Health makes it easy and fulfilling for people to achieve their best health.

Patient Story

Living life to the fullest

Even while his body grows weaker from Parkinson’s disease, Daniel McCarthy’s spirit remains strong.

Patient Story

‘It’s amazing he survived’

After a car crashed through a store and struck Elias Dababneh, it took a team to save his life and set him on the road to recovery.

Patient Story

‘I collapsed like Jell-O’

Paralyzed by Guillain-Barré syndrome, Rich Toole found his way back to mobility through intense physical therapy and unyielding positivity.

Patient Story

Aurora’s whirlwind start

A little fighter beats all the odds to overcome congenital heart disease shortly after her birth.

Patient Story

A bolder voice

Amid a second bout of breast cancer, Kathy Shoemaker's faith has become stronger than ever.

Patient Story

Back in the race

Ted Droski suffered the loss of a leg in a sudden car crash. He has since become a shining example of how the human spirit can emerge from adversity stronger than ever.

Patient Story

‘I’m here for a reason’

Surviving sudden cardiac arrest, 17-year-old Luke Anhalt discovers new insights into sports, life and faith.

Patient Story

‘We’re here to celebrate with you’

Two families connected by organ donation meet to honor the gift of a young man's heart, now living on in another.

Patient Story

The fun factor

A woman with Parkinson’s disease gets back on her feet through the perfect beat—music-based rehab that feels more like entertainment than therapy.

Patient Story

‘We are very grateful’

A first-time mom donates her baby’s umbilical cord blood in hopes of saving a stranger’s life.

Patient Story

Your top stories of 2018

From miracles to mysteries, you loved these best of the best Health Beat stories.

Patient Story

‘What do you say to the person who saved your life?’

Lilly Vanden Bosch lived much of her life in a hospital after being diagnosed with a rare anemia at age 7. A donor oceans away changed her life.