Henry Sosnowski was the victim of a violent crime that nearly cost him his life in September of 2016.

Sosnowski, who was 68 at the time confronted a man who was tagging the Pioneer Theater and a State Historical Marker in Downtown Reno.

The man nearly beat Sosnowski to death.

We spoke with Sosnowski today and he is all smiles, and full of life. His life partner Ivy Antonowitsch says they never expected Sosnowski would be where he is today.

"I even have a t-shirt on with my name on it," says Henry Sosnowski.

Not all heroes wear capes. Henry Sosnowski was in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to protect a piece of Nevada's history.

But he's not letting what happened to him get him down.

"They were all staring at me, like 'you have a broken leg.' I know...I know.... thank you," says Sosnowski.

His life partner Ivy Antonowitsch has been by his side through it all.

Ivy Antonowitsch says, "There were some really really dark dark days in his recovery. I can't tell you how many times I heard 'you know we don't think he is going to make it through the night.'"

"There are a lot of physical limitations that he has, and this is a traumatic brain injury. He's going to spend the rest of his life needing 24 hour supervision. But he knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it," says Antonowitsch.

But through all the bad Sosnowski still finds joy in his life, and he loves Reno.

"It's beautiful scenery, we are a half an hour from Tahoe," says Sosnowski.

As for the man who committed this crime, they don't hold hate in their hearts.

"I can't see him as a monster, I can't have hate in my heart. My fondest hope is that he's actually doing something in prison to better himself, because it's not too late," says Antonowitsch.

They choose to look toward the future.

"Everyday, everyday. He's not advancing as fast as he was but he's not staying where he is at either. I'll take that one little tiny thing every week that's an advance," says Antonowitsch.

Sosnowski's attacker Juan Rodriguez, from Sparks, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on one count of battery causing substantial bodily harm committed against an older person.