Imagine you were young, excited with schooling, and with a great ambition to be a musician. Out of the blue, you were diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare disease in which amoebae invade the cornea of the eye. What would you do?
Kurt Aungst was just 19 when he encountered what could have been the worst nightmare of his life. He just graduated from high school and was then playing in a local band. He was planning on studying guitar for two years at a community college and then gigging at night. Sadly, within two weeks after diagnosis, he was forced to drop out of the community college and his band.
“At first, it was kind of hard to grasp how serious it was,” Kurt shared. “I was definitely in a lot of pain, but I didn't realize I was getting ready to go up against quite a battle for seven months to save my eye,” he added.
Kurt was delirious from no sleep. The pain was unbearable. But the incredible support from his entire family made him stronger and determined to fight the battle. He never lost hope.
“I honestly wouldn't have a right eye if they didn’t all help. My mom was my caretaker for a few years. And I even remember my older brother coming home from college in the evenings to take a few nights shifts of administering my eye drops, as there were seven different drops that had to be administered around the clock every 15 minutes. This went on for four months straight.”
Kurt was lucky to have very loving and supportive parents, and two caring brothers. He grew up in a very solid home environment.
His eye disease resulted in a permanent blindness of his right eye. He was then given a cornea transplant. After the operation, he received the good news that he had been accepted into a very high-end music school in Hollywood, California.
But his health struggle has not ended yet. With one semester left, he was told that he needed to undergo a massive spinal fusion surgery. It was a deformity that he had from birth, and it had reached the point when his spine was already collapsing on his vital organs. He spent an entire year recovering from the surgery, using a walker for a good portion of it. During that time, he became depressed, withdrawn, and dependent on pain medications.
As a result, he was not able to finish school.
What motivated him to fight the battle and conquer life’s challenges
When he was a child, Kurt had always wanted to be a musician. “I loved the guitar ever since. When I was a kid, my dad would be playing blues on his car radio, and I could remember just physically being moved by blues guitar. When I was in the 6th grade, I convinced my dad to take me to see Eric Clapton. It was my first show, and I knew that’s all I ever wanted to do.”
But his battle with vision and spine operation was an enormous challenge. “It made me grow up fast. All my friends were off to their first year in college doing what healthy 20-year old adults do. I was battling to save my vision. There were times that I felt very alone and depressed. But my family was so supportive. My dad helped me grow mentally during that time.”
Despite the challenges in his health which greatly affected his life, Kurt did not have any regrets in life. “Sometimes I wish timing had been a little different,” he said with a smile. “I wished I'd been able to finish school. But like what my Dad says, it's just a piece of paper. I was there, I did the work, and I played with the best.”
He came out victorious against all the trials. What he went through helped him shape the person that he is today – a strong-willed, determined, loving, and caring person. “There is a mental toughness that develops inside you when you go through something that lasts for so long. I wish everyone could experience the result of having to go through it and the growth that comes with it without having to endure pain.”
Dreams for himself and his family
Kurt oozes an entrepreneur spirit. Fueled by the desire to have financial freedom, he is now involved with internet marketing. He gets himself busy with his online business, working with a supportive team.
As a father, he wants to teach his five-year-old daughter to enjoy the day.
“My goals are to work for myself, to allow time freedom and financial freedom to spend time with Juno and Renee, and play my guitar when I can. If I've learned anything, it's that we tend to get too wrapped up in the here and now without actually taking the time to enjoy the here and now.
A fighter and a life champion
Kurt is now 29 years old. He had a cornea transplant, underwent two spine operations totaling 13 fused vertebrae and over 36 screws, didn't get to finish the schooling of his dreams, battled depression, and became dependent on pain pill. But whatever happened to him never daunted his determination to live a normal, happy, and meaningful life.
What does Kurt have to say to all these? “When someone tells me it can't be done, I smile. We all have so much strength within us. We can always do just one more thing. So, let's all take a vow to take massive action. We truly can do whatever we want in life.”
