Twice in the Dark: How Dan Liani Found Light After Losing His Sight

In 1982, while serving in the Israeli army, Dan Liani lost his eyesight during a bloody battle in Lebanon.

Twenty-four years later, he mustered the courage to undergo a cornea transplant in hopes of regaining his sight. The surgery was initially successful, and for a brief period, Dan could see again. But unfortunately he then lost his vision for the second time. Today, after experiencing blindness twice, Dan shares powerful insights and his unwavering decision to help others in similar situations.

The second blow left him in complete darkness, both literally and figuratively. “The silence was so intense, it felt like thinking while dead,” he recalls in a recent interview. The first time he lost his sight, he had hope and was convinced he would see again, but after the second time, he withdrew and sank into deep depression.

During that dark period, Dan says that he experienced a vision of his own funeral- his mother standing beside his coffin, watching as it was lowered into the ground. Hearing the sobs around him, he says, jolted him back to life and he felt a deep desire to live again and not give up. That was the moment he understood that blindness was, in fact, a gift. “When I realized this was a gift I had been given, it helped me reconnect with myself and embrace life again,” he said.

How does he do it? By focusing on the good things life still offers, such as participating in sports such as triathlons, skiing on Mount Hermon, and skydiving. “I don’t dwell on what I’ve lost. It’s not easy- it's hard- but I make sure to fill myself up. It’s not simple to wake up every morning and face something new each day, but you must look forward. I chose life, and I try to stay focused on that,” he concludes.