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After Being Homeless Nearly 15 Years, Man Reunited with Family Thanks to Kindness of Strangers

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When Florida resident Abe Tejada first spotted 57-year-old Klaus Hailfinger, the situation was dire.

Hailfinger lived and slept on a cardboard box behind a gas station in Miami. Tejada, who makes helping others a regular priority, decided to befriend the homeless man.

It started with lunch. Tejada took Hailfinger a meal and began to talk with the man, learning that Hailfinger had been homeless for around 15 years.

As the men shared meal after meal together, Hailfinger began to pour out his story. He had moved to Miami for hip surgery, but then later lost his job.

Unable to find employment, Hailfinger suddenly found himself living on the streets, trapped in a world he couldn’t escape.

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Tejada decided to rally around the man, starting with some basic essentials.

“Klaus has not taken a shower in years!” Tejada shared on social media, along with his plan to help. “So here’s the plan: hotel room 2 nights, shower, hair cut, shave, new clothes, sneakers, book bag, change of clothes & restaurant dinner.”

“If you can help, please do, if unable no problem!” Tejada said. “Any amount will help!”

And so, the transformation of Klaus Hailfinger began.

“After he was cleaned up, he was a different person,” Tejada said.

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But Tejada wasn’t content to stop there. He tracked down Hailfinger’s daughters, who lived in Pennsylvania.

They hadn’t heard from their father in over a decade and wanted him to come home. So Tejada, alongside his wife and kids, decided to make the 18-hour drive to reunite Hailfinger with his family.

The reunion was awkward at first.

“At first, there wasn’t too much of a connection,” Tejada said. “And then we went inside, we started talking, then the albums came out and then everything changed.”

As it turned out, Hailfinger had enjoyed quite a successful modeling career in Germany when he was in his 20s. Photos came forward, and the families were astonished to learn about Hailfinger’s fascinating history.

For now, Hailfinger is living with daughter Kenna Rae McClane in Pennsylvania.

The Tejadas, now back in Florida, are already working on helping another homeless person find a fresh start.

“I’m glad I got to share with my kids and my family,” Tejada said. “I got to have them experience what you can do when you go a little bit out of your comfort zone and help somebody out.”

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A graduate of Grand Canyon University, Kim Davis has been writing for The Western Journal since 2015, focusing on lifestyle stories.
Kim Davis began writing for The Western Journal in 2015. Her primary topics cover family, faith, and women. She has experience as a copy editor for the online publication Thoughtful Women. Kim worked as an arts administrator for The Phoenix Symphony, writing music education curriculum and leading community engagement programs throughout the region. She holds a degree in music education from Grand Canyon University with a minor in eating tacos.
Birthplace
Page, Arizona
Education
Bachelor of Science in Music Education
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Lifestyle & Human Interest




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