Wounded: The Battle Back Home
Paul
S1 • E5 Mar 23, 2014 21m
After suffering a traumatic brain injury in an IED blast that threw his vehicle fifty feet in the air, Paul de la Cerda returned home with anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, dizziness, memory loss and the realization that “I wasn’t the same person anymore.” One thing kept him from giving up: “without music I would have put a bullet through my brain.” With the support of his angelic caretaker and girlfriend Dianne, and veterans of an older generation, Paul founds the Warrior Spirit Band, putting tens of thousands of his own dollars into the project. The band leads him back into a life of purpose on stage – and more importantly into meaningful connections with countless veterans through music therapy. As we follow Paul in the days leading-up to a big show at his Rock 4 Recovery studios, we learn his searing backstory, fall for his quirky, driven personality and see the direct impact he has on other struggling combat veterans.