\u201cAfter so many tough times I feel truly blessed to have found someone very special who takes such good care of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 81-year-old was introduced to his new girlfriend, Rio Canedo, 46, while recovering from his leg amputation surgery in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
MORE: Harry, Meghan\u2019s insane US costs exposed<\/a><\/p>\n Canedo works in the town of Cebu, which is where Thomas and his son, Tom Jr., 59, moved to in January 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cI know some people will say hurtful things but I don\u2019t care,\u201d Thomas said of his romance while acknowledging their drastic age difference.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to talk about this because I never thought I would ever be happy again. I want people to know you\u2019re never too old to find peace and love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of negative things going on in the world and if my story can give a little hope to one person then I\u2019m happy,\u201d he continued, adding that \u201cthe haters will hate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, to be honest, I don\u2019t give a damn. Life is for living. There\u2019s nothing more important in life than love.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE: Meghan reveals fake $20m pad amid \u2018tone deaf\u2019 jab<\/a><\/p>\n In early December, it was revealed that Thomas Sr. was admitted to the intensive care unit after undergoing emergency surgery.<\/p>\n At the time, his son had told outlets that he had been rushed to the hospital after getting sick at home.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter my stroke things were not great. I wanted to go to the other side of the world to a place where the people are kind,\u201d Thomas told the Daily Mail of his move.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Philippines has a gentler way of life. I never expected to meet Rio and have my life changed in such a wonderful way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI finally feel safe and well-cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n Canedo takes care of Thomas with a strict no sugar diet, which has shown some results as the outlet noted Thomas\u2019 weight loss. <\/p>\n She also encourages Meghan\u2019s estranged father \u2014 who is currently struggling with pneumonia \u2014 to drink more water.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got pneumonia but I\u2019m not feeling sorry for myself because I have Rio taking such good care of me,\u201d said Thomas.<\/p>\n As we previously reported, the Duchess of Sussex did reach out to her father amid his recent health issues despite their distanced relationship. But, Thomas tells the Daily Mail that he\u2019s moved past his strained relationship with his famous daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cI hardly watch the news. I live in a world where people are kind to each other. The nurses and doctors here in the Philippines are wonderful. People here don\u2019t have all the worldly goods we have in the West but they respect and care for older people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are young trainee nurses here who we call the \u2018munchkins\u2019 and all I hear all day long are peels of laughter,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI was sad about Meghan for so long but now I finally feel like I can laugh again. Life is good.\u201d<\/p>\n A rep for Meghan did not immediately respond to request for comment.<\/p>\n This article originally appeared in Page Six<\/a> and was reproduced here with permission. <\/p>\n