DALLAS — Veterans recovering from service-related injuries rely on a vast network of medical professionals and peer support to navigate their journey back into a productive civilian life. And another resource, for the next few months, is on display behind glass at Dallas Love Field.
In the frenzy that comes with a spring break rush to get to whatever important place it is that you're going, it's easy to pass by the glass display cases near Love Field baggage claim without much notice. But Sharona Young hopes you stop - at least for a second.
"Just have my good days and my bad days, ups and downs," she said from her home in Orlando, Florida.
Medically retired from the Navy when she developed multiple sclerosis, she founded the Wounded Warrior Project's Independence Program: an art project where she can get through some of her daily struggles with pencil and paper.
"A daily struggle would be just learning to live with a new normal," Young said. "Doing art is an escape. It helps me just kind of calm my mind."
An escape that a Marine named J.T. Doody badly needed, too.
"He was shot in the leg three times on March 9th in 2007," his mom, Chris Ott, told WFAA from her home in Tampa, Florida.
"And so he was about as close to being dead as a person could possibly be without actually being dead," she said.
Infection led to strokes and anoxia and brain injuries. Ott says strokes with a paintbrush are part of what helps heal him now.
"He wants to remind us that no matter what happens to us, we are blessed," Ott said while showing the framed scenic landscapes that she now has throughout her home. "And J.T. is a blessing every time he meets someone new."
And from a hospital bed in his Tampa home, right under a Marine Corps flag, that's exactly what J.T. wanted to say.
"How are you doing today sir," I asked him over Zoom.
"Blessed," he responded.
And a wounded warrior hopes that's what passengers, in their mad dash to get somewhere, stop for a second or two to see: veterans healing themselves - one piece of art at a time.
"But I think if they really stop and think about it, they might get the message," said airport employee Fernando Ballesteros who stopped to look at the Wounded Warrior art display.
"Something to think about if life does throw you a curve. There's something to help you get through it," added retired firefighter Armando Rodriguez.
That brings a smile to a Marine 1,000 miles away.
"Why do you tell people you are blessed J.T.?" I asked in a Zoom interview.
"Because I'm blessed. I believe in God. And God has my back," he said.
"And you're still here," I said.
"Absolutely," his mom Ott replied.
A blessing and a bit of perspective for every weary traveler to see.
The installation at Love Field, "Art of Independence," is a collaboration with the Wounded Warrior Project's Independence Program. The exhibition, featuring artwork by 16 veterans, including J.T. Doody and Sharona Young, aims to showcase their talents and highlight "the transformative power of alternative therapies in their recovery."
The Wounded Warrior Project's Independence Program supports veterans with severe injuries, such as spinal cord injuries and brain trauma, offering long-term assistance beyond traditional rehabilitation. Veterans regain physical and cognitive abilities through alternative therapies and art programs, finding fulfillment and contributing to society.
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