EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A woman from Chicago got back on the water for the first time since being diagnosed with a spinal virus nearly 9 years ago.
Katie Vree went to Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids Friday with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, where she got to water ski for the first time since high school.
She suddenly fell ill while on a high school mission trip back in 2011 and is now paralyzed from the waist down.
The now-25-year-old grew up water skiing with friends on Lake Michigan, and has wanted to get back on the water.
"It felt exactly like I remembered it feeling, I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what would happen if I tipped over, because obviously I can't swim, but the staff was amazing, so it felt like old times,” Vree said.
Vree’s trip was made possible by Boundless Bus, an organization that fulfills bucket list wishes.
About 20 Mary Free Bed patients were on the water with her as part of the hospital’s adaptive sports program.
