Those We Serve
The People Behind
The People Behind
Our Mission
Cole's Choice exists because of real people with real lives, real dreams, and real barriers. Meet the individuals who inspire everything we do.
Community Member
Grady Hughes
Minneapolis, MN · 24 years of resilience
On December 14, 2001, Grady was struck by a Ford F-350 while riding his bike. He spent 87 days at North Memorial Trauma Center in Minneapolis — the first 42 of them in a coma. The surgeries that followed included brain, eye, and facial reconstruction, removal of his spleen, and repair of a broken femur. The list goes on.
Today, Grady lives with left-side paralysis, legal blindness, no hearing on his left side, and no sense of smell. He manages dystonia with Botox injections every three months — no anesthesia. For years, seizures added another layer of uncertainty to daily life, until a brilliant resident tried a new approach. Grady has been seizure-free for nearly eight years.
"He doesn't let a little left side paralysis, legal blindness, no hearing on the left and no sense of smell get in his way. He is a positive force to be reckoned with."
Grady can't drive. He depends on the people around him for most activities outside the home. And yet, when he sees someone whose challenges are greater than his own, his instinct is to remind those around him to count their blessings. He chooses joy — every single day.
Cole's Choice is proud to be part of the community that shows up for Grady — creating inclusive experiences that let him explore, connect, and live his fullest life alongside everyone else.
24
Years of resilience
8
Years seizure-free
87
Days at North Memorial
