Timoteo Dicen survived a vehicular accident in 2020 but lost his wife and his right leg. 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.

Timoteo Dicen 在2020年的一場車禍中倖存，但失去了妻子和右腿。如今四年過去，但是他內心的傷痛未曾稍減。這場意外不僅奪走了與妻子的未來，也剝奪了他原本的生活。

“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.”

「他們在我還在住院時，安葬了我的妻子。」Timoteo含淚回憶道：「當我出院時，她已經不在了。」

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.

強大的失落感幾乎讓他崩潰。Timoteo回憶道：「我變得憂鬱，腦海裡滿是復仇的念頭。」他曾想過購買槍械，親手制裁那位肇事駕駛。

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.

儘管失去了一條腿，他堅持不成為家人的負擔，仍然從事建築工作，並協助兄弟們收穫農作物。然而，因事故影響，他的右眼開始出現白內障，讓他再次陷入迷茫。在朋友的鼓勵下，他來到慈濟眼科中心，希望能治療眼疾。沒想到，這次求診的結果，遠遠超出了他的預期。

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.

志工們見到Timoteo失去的右腿，聽聞他的故事後，深感不捨，決心為他做更多。志工尋求福布斯公園扶輪社的幫助，該組織迅速回應，承諾資助Timoteo義肢，讓他重拾行動能力。

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.”

四個月後，Timoteo首次裝上義肢，踏出了四年來的第一步。淚水盈眶的他對慈濟志工說：「我原本只是想來檢查眼睛，沒想到你們還幫我裝上義肢。我所有的痛苦都被善意取代了。這是喜悅的淚水，因為你們讓我重新找回快樂，給了我新的人生。我真的非常感恩你們。」

Within the same month, Timoteo underwent cataract surgery at the Tzu Chi Eye Center. The operation immediately restored his eyesight.

在同一個月內，Timoteo在慈濟眼科中心接受了白內障手術。手術後，他的視力立即恢復。

“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.”

「我曾以為失去了一切，再也無法復原。是您們陪著我，直到我康復。我會再找一個新工作。在我有生之年，我絕不會忘記是您們為我創造了重生的機會。」

Timoteo’s story: 
https://www.daai.tv/news/abroad/576046

This article is excerpted from the English Tzu Chi Monthly. For the full text, please refer to：https://tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw/?p=65373