A Second Chance at Life—Timoteo's Path to Recovery in the Philippines

By Jamaica Mae Digo
Photo by Ariel Flores

A Second Chance at Life—Timoteo's Path to Recovery in the Philippines

By Jamaica Mae Digo
Photo by Ariel Flores

Timoteo strived to carry on with life after losing his wife and his leg, working odd jobs to support himself and going to his medical checkups by himself.

Relying on his crutches for support, 55-year-old Timoteo Dicen hobbled into the Tzu Chi Eye Center in Manila, the Philippines, in early February this year. He was alone, and still heartbroken.

Timoteo had survived a vehicular accident. The jeepney he and his wife were riding home lost its brakes and tipped over, killing two passengers and injuring 28 others. Sadly, his wife was one of the fatalities, and he lost his right leg as a result of his injuries.

Though the accident was four years ago, the grief remained acute in Timoteo's heart. In a blink of an eye, the incident robbed him not only of a future with his wife but also of a normal life.

"They held a funeral and buried my wife while I was still at the hospital," Timoteo tearfully recounted. "When I was finally discharged, she was gone."

The loss almost drove him mad. "I became depressed. Revenge consumed my waking thoughts," he said, recalling how he had thought of purchasing a gun and shooting the driver who caused his misery.

When his head cleared, Timoteo decided to push through with a lawsuit against the jeepney driver. He wanted justice. While the case was being heard, he tried to live normally by putting himself to work. Despite being a limb amputee, he did construction work and helped his brothers harvest their farm produce. He refused to be a burden to his family. However, when cataracts began to develop in his right eye as a result of the accident, he once again felt at a loss. Through the encouragement of friends he had made in the hospital, he visited the Tzu Chi Eye Center, hoping to receive treatment for his eye disease. What he stumbled upon was beyond his expectations.

Volunteers, upon seeing his amputated leg and hearing his story, were moved to do more for him. They sought help from the Rotary Club of Forbes Park, which readily responded and committed to paying for Timoteo's prosthetic leg.

"In addition to the physical challenges, not having your limbs affects your emotional well-being," said Anton Jacobina, president of the Rotary Club of Forbes Park. "We don't want such persons to think that they are a burden in society. Instead, we want them to have hope and lead a productive life."

A week after visiting the Tzu Chi Eye Center, Timoteo underwent prosthetic leg casting. The artificial leg was fine-tuned according to his needs and comfort. Four months later, Timoteo put on his prosthetic leg for the first time and took his first step in four years. With a tear-stained face, he told the Tzu Chi volunteers, "I came here wanting only to have my eyes checked, but you provided me with a prosthetic leg. I now realize that all my hurts were replaced with something good. These are happy tears because you have made me happy again and given me a new life. I am very thankful to you."

Volunteer Alfredo Li (李偉嵩) responded: "We saw that he is a fighter. He will not be defeated in life. Despite what happened to him, he keeps going forward. That is why we are so happy that we got to help him." To Timoteo, he said, "Dedicate your blessings to your late wife. I am sure that wherever she is looking at you from right now, she is also very happy."

In the succeeding days, as Timoteo awaited his cataract surgery, volunteers regularly visited him at his sister's home in Mandaluyong City to bring gifts and offer motivation. They bought him a new pair of shoes and installed steel bars so he could continue to practice walking with his new prosthetic leg at home.

On June 19, Timoteo underwent cataract surgery at the Tzu Chi Eye Center. The operation immediately restored his eyesight.

Now, with a new leg and his eyesight restored, Timoteo exudes an air of optimism and confidence—a far cry from the hopeless man the volunteers had met four months earlier.

"I thought I had lost everything and would never recover again," he said. "I am very grateful because you never left my side. You were there to assist me until I recovered. I promise to look for a new job. For as long as I live, I shall never forget that you paved the way for my second chance in life."

Dharma Master Cheng Yen said, "Life is impermanent. It exists in the space of a breath. Life ends when breathing stops. We must cherish every moment." Timoteo may have learned the impermanence of life the hard way, but having regained his eyesight and being empowered by his new leg, he is now determined to seize his miraculous second chance at life.