Hockey, Hope and Heart: Mighty Mason Hits the Ice

Описание: Meet Mighty Mason
12-year-old Mason Madden is a team player at heart. The Grandville, Michigan, native is lovingly nicknamed “Mighty Mason” by his therapy team, while his friends and teammates describe him as hardworking and kind. He spent years playing hockey at an elite club level, and his time on the ice gave him the grit and resilience that powered him through his recovery. “You can see how he just galvanizes the community,” said Joel Breazeale, head coach for the Grandville High School hockey team. “It pulls us all together.”

From Unexplained Pain to Life-Altering Answers
In the winter of 2024, Mason experienced persistent pain and rapid weight loss. He was admitted to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, where his doctors discovered he had spinal ependymoma.

Mason also experienced an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Spinal cord injuries occur when the spinal cord is damaged, resulting in loss of function or sensation below the point of injury. For people with SCIs, inpatient rehabilitation can provide a specialized, structured environment to learn essential life skills like navigating a wheelchair and self-care tasks.

Over the course of three months, Mason underwent multiple surgeries with his expert team of doctors and surgeons at Helen DeVos. Once he was medically stable, he came to the Mary Free Bed Kids Inpatient Rehabilitation Program.

Pediatric SCI Rehab is a Team Sport
Just like hockey’s a team sport where everyone has a part to play, every team member on the Mary Free Bed Spinal Cord Injury Team has a unique, invaluable role in someone’s road to recovery. With the help of his occupational and physical therapists, Mason learned how to transfer himself in and out of his wheelchair and get dressed in the morning.

“It’s cool to see how much progress he makes,” said Mason’s dad, Mike Madden.

At Mary Free Bed, personal goals and therapy go hand-in-hand. Patients are encouraged to talk to the Recreational Therapy Team about their hobbies and interests. Throughout his rehabilitation journey, Mason had one goal in mind: he wanted to play hockey again.

Back on the Ice: Joining the GR Jr. Sled Wings
Mary Free Bed is home to one of the largest adaptive sports programs in the country. While Mason was still in inpatient rehab, he started learning how to play sled hockey as part of his recreational therapy. Sled hockey is an adaptive sport where athletes sit in sleds and push themselves across the ice using hockey sticks with ice picks attached to the ends.

When Mason got back on the ice, it was like he never left. He’s now a member of the Grand Rapids Jr. Sled Wings, where he’s scoring plenty of goals and counting.

Locations We Serve
Mary Free Bed offers inpatient spinal cord injury recovery for both adults and children.
Find a location near you: https://www.maryfreebed.com/locations/

About Mary Free Bed Kids
Learn more about the Mary Free Bed Kids and our full continuum of care: https://www.maryfreebed.com/kids/