Chicago musician Matthew Leone is back peforming. (CBS)
CHICAGO (CBS) — A Chicago man made a remarkable return to the stage Saturday, nearly a year after his act of goodwill nearly cost him his life.
Matthew Leone, bass player for the local band Madina Lake, tried to intervene last July when he saw a man beating his wife on the street. That man then attacked Leone, and he was hospitalized with a severe brain injury.
CBS 2′s Suzanne Le Mignot was at Metro in Wrigleyville, where Leone and his band performed together for the first time in 10 months.
Leone had been in a coma, endured two brain surgeries and flat-lined twice. That’s why, he says, he feels very fortunate to be alive.
“I’m so humbled and I’m so grateful to be here and to be in a room with the city that saved me and the people that saved me,” Leone said. “There’s no words for that.”
Leone said his prognosis looked grim initially. He could have faced extensive physical and cognitive therapy and amnesia. But, he says, “I managed to get those faculties back pretty quickly.”
The musician has a new perspective, he says.
“Stop and think about what you value. Determine if that’s important, if that’s fulfilling. Don’t be afraid to make changes if it’s not,” he said.
Leone’s band plans to release a new CD this summer entitled “World War III.”
