Blind veteran overcomes all odds through music therapy

BRADENTON, Fla. - Iraq War Veteran Aaron Cornelius may not be able to see the strings he strums, but he's guided by the beat of the music. 

"I started getting military organizations and some of the small restaurants and stuff in Sarasota, Tampa, and Bradenton and just started getting out there playing music and enjoying the time, you know. It was good therapy too, because being around music, making people happy, and getting out into the community and not just staying at home and sitting on the couch and being depressed, " Aaron said. 

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During his third deployment to Iraq in March 2008, leading his platoon, he was hit by an IED and lost his eyesight from the blast.

"So, I kept going back. But, you know, there was this saying a lot of soldiers said, you know, third time, and it's like rolling the dice," he said. "You know, you made it through two. Here comes the third one. So three strikes, you're out. Who knows? I ended up on top of a buried IED that blew up underneath me and took the left part of my skull and my eyesight." 

The next thing he knew, he was waking up with his family and his youngest daughter by his hospital bedside. 

Aaron Cornelius

"And that was the first time I really cried and realized that, hey, you know, I'm not going to be able to see my children anymore, you know, see their little happy faces," he said. "And so, that really got me. That was like the big first realization."

But this new reality didn't stop him from living life to the fullest. Instead, he turned his pain into purpose and that's when he found the Wounded Warrior Project. 

"From mental health programs to, you know, physical programs, meeting your fellow brothers and sisters that have been there, done that too. I fell in love with it," he said. 

Through the organization, Aaron surfs the waves in Florida, bikes the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, and is now certified to sail boats in St. Petersburg.

"I learned how to steer it. I learned all the tricks about it. I can take anybody up to three miles out," he said. 

Through his active lifestyle, he now helps other wounded veterans transition back to civilian life with ease and camaraderie. Aaron believes that no matter if you have a disability, you have to learn to navigate life regardless of the circumstances. 

"There's always going to be a bad day. But just know that the next day is going to be a better day," he said. "And there's always, you know, people out there that can help you, that you can call, that can brighten your day."

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