Pope Francis has made a surprise phone call to an Argentine rubbish collector who lost both his legs in a serious accident, the Catholic News Agency reported.
The papal call was made to Maximiliano Acuña, a 33-year-old father of five in Buenos Aires who had to have both his legs amputated in March after being struck by a car travelling at some 80 miles per hour.
A Buenos Aires legislator, Gustavo Vera, decided to tell Pope Francis what happened in an email, explaining that the 'doctors' prognosis was for the worst'.
He wrote: 'In the best case scenario, he was expected to be in a vegetative state or to have serious neuronal damage, and in the worst case it was going to be the end for him'.
However, Acuña surprised doctors when he came out of the coma on the third day after the accident, and two days later he was moved from intensive care to a regular hospital room.
'In a few weeks he was already home with his five children,' Vera related in his message to Pope Francis.
On Tuesday Acuña was getting ready to be honoured at a ceremony at the Buenos Aires Legislature when he received the special call.
'I'm Pope Francis. A friend [Vera] sent me a letter, and I was moved and struck by how much strength you have,' said the voice on the other end of the line. 'Always go forward, because you're an example.'
Acuña recounted these words emotionally at a ceremony in front of hundreds of other rubbish collectors.
Now, Vera is working with the general secretary of the Truckers Union, Pablo Moyano, to propose that March 22 be declared 'Waste Collectors' Day'.
Acuña said: 'God gave me my life back, because they removed both legs, but everything that is happening to me is beautiful...I always believed in God, I always went to church, praying every day asking him for work, and that he take care of me day by day.'
'God exists,' Acuña added. 'I want to give everyone this message, that God exists and that he has given me a new opportunity.'
