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With Laughter, There is Hope

Season 2, Ep. 2

In this week’s episode of The UpBeat Podcast powered by CoachArt, our Executive Director

and host Greg has the chance to chat with Derek Hughes, a “stand-up magician” who performs

live all across the country and has appeared on numerous TV shows, including America’s Got

Talent (where he was a finalist on season 10). Derek was also a featured performer at our 2019

CoachArt Gala of Champions.


As a child, Derek was born prematurely with an atrial septal defect — a hole between two

chambers of his heart. Derek shares the amazing story of how he overcame this challenging

condition and how his love of magic and performing helped him along the way. He also

discusses tips for how kids with chronic illnesses can find their passion and how his involvement

with the CoachArt Gala of Champions impacted his life and his work.

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