KENTWOOD, Mich. — Mary Free Bed patients and employees joined hundreds of other people Saturday for the Limb Loss Awareness 5K.
This annual race aims to boost awareness about limb loss while raising money for Kentwood Parks and Recreation’s adaptive recreation programs.
The 5K started at 10 a.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park in Kentwood.
Several Mary Free Bed patients who live with limb loss participated in the race:
- Faith Rickard who lost her legs from diabetes complications and “infection after infection.” Rickard received two new prosthetic legs from Mary Free Bed.
- Shari Sherk who has been an amputee for 18 years. For many years, every step was painful for Sherk until she received a new leg from Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics.
- Francis Sylvester is a United States Air Force Cadet who survived a 200-foot fall while hiking and ultimately lost one of his legs.
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Paralympian Grace Norman also joined the Mary Free Bed staff and patients in Saturday’s 5K.
Norman has been working with Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics recently on her new running leg.
More than 300 people participated in Saturday's race.