Lady Titanium

By: Veronica Leighton

 

I thought the following article written by Fr. Rolando dela Rosa that appeared in the Manila Bulletin, June 17, 2018, depicting the true courage of a dear friend in surmounting the difficult road to survival from a most horrendous accident and her steely determination to live and fight all the odds that could have prevented her from doing so, would enthrall many of us.

The following is the story of a longtime Chicagoan, Nora Tsai, one of the three survivors on the fatal van crash that saw seven medical missionaries dead instantly last January of this year in Cebu, Philippines. A steel butterfly, iron lady, a woman of raw courage and true grit, and now, titanium lady, best describe Nora Tsai through her ordeal from this accident that made headlines all over. Her unbelievable resolve to survive remained intact, giving us a role model for lessons to survival and pursuit to live.

With the alarming statistics of suicide in our country, Leonora Tsai’s story is a wake up jolt for those who easily despair of life, and a reminder that faith and love are more powerful than tragedy and suffering. I share with you her story.

“On January 16, 2018, Fred and I came to the Philippines together with a group of Balikbayans to conduct a 5-day medical mission in Camiguin Island. The outreach was organized by the Philippine Medical Association in Chicago (PMAC). With us were numerous boxes filled with medical supplies, medicines and other giveaways.

“On the way to the island, we decided to pass by Cebu to join the Sinulog festivities and go whale-watching in Oslob. Our last stop in Cebu would have been the awesome Kawasan Falls when suddenly, without warning, tragedy struck.

“The van that we hired rammed into a mahogany tree. The driver admitted he had fallen asleep. Of the eight friends who were with us in the van, only one survived, my dear friend, Dr. Elinita Rubio. Fred and I also survived the accident, but we both sustained serious injuries.

“It took the ambulance over two hours to reach the hospital from the accident site. I learned later that onlookers thought I would not last long, considering the very serious injuries I had sustained.

“I was diagnosed with a fractured upper and lower left arm requiring a titanium and stainless steel plate implant, dislocated left wrist, multiple fractures in the pelvic area, shattered right hip that had to be replaced, a damaged right knee which came close to being amputated, lacerated left kidney and lacerated forehead, 2 broken teeth, and multiple contusions in the right chest area.

“In the hospital, I was almost like a quadriplegic for many weeks. Sometimes I felt depressed over my seemingly hopeless situation. But there were also times of unexplained joy, especially when I was literally swamped with “love” from my sister, friends and other relatives who went out of their way to console, pray, call, visit, and bring me cards, flowers, and food.

“Much love was conveyed to me through words, stories, a compassionate touch, a smile, an embrace. The hospital nurses would even sing and dance together to cheer me up. The professional expertise, excellent bedside manners, and nurturing attitude of my doctors and physical therapists gave me a better sense of what to expect during recovery.

Last Mother’s Day, I tendered a thanksgiving Mass and party for my friends and relatives. They were gladly surprised to see me singing and dancing, as though the accident had never happened.

“I am convinced that my recovery was hastened by my strong faith in God. I prayed the Serenity Prayer and the rosary every day, but especially at night, when loneliness and pain were almost unbearable. During the surgical operations and rehabilitation procedures that I underwent, I asked God to unite my suffering with that of Jesus, so it be made redemptive, not only for me and my family, but for my friend, Elinita, and the eternal repose of my other friends who perished in the accident.

“The best medicine of all was the constant presence of my husband Fred, who, despite the injuries he himself had sustained, never left my side, taking care of my needs, often whispering words to my ears, full of hope and encouragement.

“Fred and I celebrated yesterday our 45th wedding anniversary, thankful to God that He has taken both of us through so much suffering into deeper faith and mutual love. Fred now calls me a Woman of Steel, but I wouldn’t mind if he changes it to something like David Guetta’s song:

‘Fire away, fire away

Sticks and stones may break my bones

You shoot me down but I won’t fall,

I am titanium!’”

(Note: Nora, as her many friends call her, graduated from the University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing in 1967. For her professional achievement and philanthropic endeavors. she has received numerous recognitions from various national and international award-giving bodies. Meanwhile, her husband Fred Tsai, an excellent nuclear engineer, was a partner in Sargent & Lundy in Chicago. They are permanently residing in the USA.)