The Health Beat images in this photo gallery represent the top 50 stories that captured your attention and touched your soul. Bearing witness to such courage, compassion and commitment is truly an honor.
Betsy Koop spent the final three months of her multiple birth pregnancy living inside Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Bethany Cunningham and her husband chose the name Emma for their baby girl. "We wanted this to be a special name because she's a miracle baby," Bethany said. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Jacob Taylor was born with an extremely small lower jaw. Surgeons at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital recently implanted titanium jawbones on either side of his face. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Nurse anesthetist Sarah Engels wrapped her arm around Qian Ding's shoulders and pulled her close. "You are my miracle," Engels said. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Jayden Pyle aims his beam of light toward police cars his sees flashing their lights. The first official edition of Project Night Lights was hosted Wednesday, June 13. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Diane Peterman experienced 25 hot flashes or night sweats every day. The hot flashes, sleeplessness, lack of energy and weight gain made her life miserable. Then she found hope. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
"Not a lot of people get to say their kids are their hero," Don Markle, Noah's dad, said. "But it's true. He's our hero." (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Five years ago, Lily and Liza Brouwer recovered from a life-threatening condition caused by food poisoning. Their family continues to show gratitude those who helped save them. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Lisa Cardillo and her husband were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary when she felt a burning sensation in her chest. Her memory picks up four days later. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Jack Postma's doctor described him as a "remarkable man" and "a very positive person." Jack battled through four cancers and two stem cell transplants, and vowed to help others for as long as he could. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Isaac Cabrera arrived in West Michigan in July 2017. Healing the Children made arrangements for cleft lip and palate surgery at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Keeghan and Dalton Haight are pronounced husband and wife at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Their 6-month-old son, Jameson, witnesses the ceremony. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Jack Hofstra says he survived the Battle of the Bulge and his time in Western Europe "without a scratch." Doctors recently replaced the WWII veteran's failing aortic heart valve. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Phil Simon and his wife, Jennifer, had a baby at home. Their eyes were set on career and family. Phil's MS diagnosis was not part of the plan. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Evan Beukema played football in a state championship game. After surviving cancer, he celebrated with an advertising commercial trip to the NFL Super Bowl. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Christine Cox caught a bad case of the flu in 2011. She was on life support in the Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center for 28 days. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Elaine Slikkers lived for years with a failing heart that stole her energy and limited her choices. She then became the 100th heart transplant recipient at Spectrum Health. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Little Kaleb Rietema's entry into the world left his parents and a whole team of caregivers surprised and scrambling to keep up. Nothing went as expected on the day of his birth. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Mark Lackey didn't know he had a hole in his heart. When his health began to fail, doctors found a way to fix the defect without high risk open-heart surgery. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Dorsey Ligon, MD, has been delivering babies for 40 years. He also delivered and cared for three generations of Diane Legate's family. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Beau VanSolkema always envisioned himself as a husband or father, even if the rest of the world saw him as a wife or mother. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Rhonda White, serene and beaming in a purple dress, a flowing lilac wig and a sparkly veil, wished for a double wedding. Her wish came true in a hospital lounge with the help of her hospice team. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
When Schuyler Kleibusch was told that he had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, he asked his doctor if he could still play football. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
This patient heart model was made using the new 3D printer at the Congenital Heart Center at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Lauren Filkens and Megan Durham, good friends since middle school, gave birth on the same day. Dawn DeWitt, MD, delivered both babies. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Lily-Mae Morrison jumps for joy with her brother, Evan. The little girl from Ireland, known as "Tiny Dancer," has been declared a five-year survivor of neuroblastoma. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Twin brothers John and Tom Pantlind shared many experiences growing up. Now they share an end to their heart troubles. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
"He's a little fighter, he has been since the beginning," Ollie's mom, Kimberly Lott, said. "There's lots of kids in the world who have kidney disease and they are fine." (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Mallory Hersman has two daughters with rare diseases. "Alsae and Renner are both rock stars," she said. "I really feel like the luckiest mom in the world." (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Emily VanKeuren thought a lump on her collarbone was nothing to be concerned about. Cancer tests proved otherwise. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Terry Beck didn't know a small tumor blocked his pancreatic and bile ducts. He just knew his skin itched, he couldn't sleep and he was losing weight. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Natalie Guthrey's treatment for kidney disease meant she had to endure many needle pokes. She became terrified at the thought of a blood draw. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
When Grace Ward was born one month premature, her mom, Christine, remembers feeling that something wasn't right. Nine years later, a doctor diagnosed Grace with Turner Syndrome. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Hospice care workers arranged for Michael Vallery to spend an evening at a Whitecaps game with his sons. "Just being with the kids is the main thing," he said. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Don Fournier nearly lost his life when he crashed his snowmobile into a seawall. His trauma team used an innovative device to save him. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Fabian Vasquez, 10, is almost fully recovered after surgery to remove a tangle of blood vessels that caused a hemorrhage on the left side of his brain. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Santa holds his newest elf, Gabriel Kulakowski, in the children's hospital neonatal intensive care unit. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Mike Ply knew his weight was becoming a problem. He hadn't seen a doctor in years. Then he decided to turn his life around with the help of a care team who got it. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Little Kamryn Ann Klotz entered this world via emergency C-section, six weeks before her scheduled due date. Doctors asked her parents if cystic fibrosis was in their family history. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Josh Parker heard the words that would forever change his life: chronic myeloid leukemia. That was 10 years ago. He is still battling the after effects. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Jason Blakeslee almost died in a motorcycle crash. With the help of art and occupational therapy, he's regaining mobility and danced with his wife at a recent wedding. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Charlotte Drinkall was on a road trip with her family, heading to Florida. Halfway through the trip she became sick with diabetic symptoms for the first time in her life. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Christian Bertotti is one of the first patients to be treated at the neurology team's new Ketogenic Diet Clinic at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Midlife triggered a complex set of women's health issues for Molly Davidson. She wants other women experiencing symptoms to know they are not alone. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Little Leslie Frederick's rare genetic condition was closely watched and managed during her mom's pregnancy. She continues to receive care for her blood and liver conditions. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Megan Keller was 23 weeks pregnant when she began having pain in her left breast. An ultrasound revealed the need for biopsies. Megan had breast cancer. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Mike Miklusicak returned to running the football for Hope College after knee injuries in consecutive seasons tried to slow him down. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Pat Ringler, owner of the Chase Creek Smokehouse, is back to work after suffering a stroke in August. He is pictured with his wife, Linda. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Kimberly Flach's second daughter, Eloise, was born with congential CMV and will spend the rest of her life facing health challenges. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Candus Jones comes from 'a long line of cast-iron skillet women.' That toughness came in handy as she faced a rare and debilitating condition. (Taylor Ballek | Spectrum Health Beat)
Our lives forever change in an instant. A stroke, a crash, a heart attack, a diagnosis.
In these moments, we find ourselves battling for life itself, for more time to spend with those we love.
As we navigate this maelstrom, we encounter compassionate and skilled guides who help us find our way, gain our footing, and forge a new reality. We also gain wisdom and courage that inspires people near and far.
From new beginnings and near-death experiences to last wishes, Health Beat is truly honored to share the behind-the-scenes moments of these incredible journeys.
And you, our dear readers, choose the best of the best stories by sharing Health Beat’s stories with friends and family, and cheering on these warriors as they overcome challenges and open their lives to us.
Do you have a story to share? Tell us about it. Thanks to all of our Health Beat readers for making Health Beat such a success. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our weekly and monthly email and bookmark us on your desktop or cell phone so you can stay up to date on all the great health news you can use. Best wishes to you and yours for a healthy and happy 2019!