Getting to Know Grady

So who is the individual named Grady that I brought up in my last post?

Grady is a guy I am honored to know. He is my brother Pete's wife's sister's husband. What do we call that—a brother-in-law in law? A brother-in-law once removed? I'm not sure. But Grady is definitely family.

Grady is a husband, brother, friend, father of three and star employee of one of the Big Four. He is the type of person everyone wants to be around, the life of the party, the optimist. He touches every life that he bumps into. Grady was once recognized (out of 165,000+ global employees) for having the best people skills; in fact, he was due to interview for partner on Monday, February 4.

His road to partner took an unexpected turn when, the evening before, Grady left my brother's house in Florida on his bicycle to head home. He was crossing Hwy. 17 when the traffic light turned and he was hit by an oncoming truck.

Judging from this single photo found online the following day—and thanks to Google maps' street view—Grady's bike landed up to 50 yards from the site of impact.

Grady was unconscious when delivered to Orange Park Medical Center with a broken hip, crushed wrist and severe brain swelling and hematoma. A shunt was inserted in his brain to drain fluid. After a move to the Mayo Clinic and another move to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center for surgeries on his wrist and hip, Grady was transferred to the renowned Shepherd Center here in Atlanta for rehabilitation. He is still in a coma today.

It just so happens that Shepherd Center is walking distance from my home, just 1.1 miles away. Since Grady's arrival here around February 28, I've gotten to know him pretty well, mostly through his wife Joanie, her sister Jacqui, Grady's brother Steve, and their dad and step-mom. There have been plenty others, too. Grady has had lots of visitors, including a couple of the firm's partners and a fellow employee for whom Grady was an enlightening mentor.

Oddly enough, Grady continues to be an inspiration to those around him, despite his current inability to communicate. More on that in my next post.