Veteran’s Spotlight – Finding his way forward: Bruce’s story

For most of his life, Bruce defined independence on his own terms. A U.S. Air Force veteran, pilot, and skydiver with more than 100 jumps, he built a life rooted in confidence and adventure. He played jazz drums alongside legends like Kenny Rogers and Jack Benny, built a long career in accounting and construction, and cherished the life he built with his wife of 40 years, their son, and three grandchildren.

Then, five years ago, everything changed.

Bruce began losing his sight due to macular degeneration, and his world started to close in. “It was like looking through a kaleidoscope or a wax mirror,” he said. “The colors were all wrong, and I couldn’t see clearly enough to work or drive anymore.”

After countless appointments with specialists and no real answers, Bruce discovered NewView Oklahoma on his own — and that call changed everything.

He was quickly connected with an Orientation and Mobility Specialist who placed a white cane in his hand that same day. What began as a few tentative steps soon turned into confidence and skill. From there, Bruce worked with NewView’s rehabilitation team to rebuild not just his mobility, but his independence.

Through orientation and mobility training, braille instruction, assistive technology classes, and emotional support, Bruce learned new ways to live — and rediscovered his own resilience.

“NewView is a bridge between what you are today and what you’ll be tomorrow,” Bruce said. “The instructors inspired me — many of them are blind or have low vision themselves. I thought, if they can do it, so can I. They genuinely care, and they won’t let you fail if you put in the effort.”

Today, Bruce has reclaimed his confidence. He takes cabs across town on his own, volunteers at a local organization, cooks dinner, cares for his dogs, and, as he jokes, “can get from the barbershop to the bar.”

For Bruce, each new milestone — big or small — represents another step toward independence. And through NewView’s support groups, like VITAL (Veterans Independence Through Adaptive Living), he’s found a community of peers who understand his journey.

His story also extends to his family. When his wife struggled to understand his vision loss, a NewView specialist invited her to wear a blindfold during a home visit — an experience that helped her finally see life from Bruce’s perspective. “That moment changed everything,” Bruce said.

At 78, Bruce knows he can’t go back to the way things were — but thanks to NewView Oklahoma, he’s discovered that life with vision loss can still be full of purpose, humor, and hope.

“Doctors sent me to other doctors,” he said, “but NewView was the only place that truly helped me live again.”