It’s hard to drive by a homeless person without feeling like you want to stop and help, but that can be a tough decision if you’re not sure how to help someone you don’t know. But when Benita Dearz saw an elderly man at the side of the road, clearly in need, she stopped without hesitation.
Benita stopped her car when she saw Don Felipe Reyes walking along the road and decided to offer him a ride but little did she know that the gesture would change her life.
The man told Benita that he was on his way home and so she offered him a ride. On the journey she learned he was 108 years old and that he had 11 children from three different marriages. Benita, from Mexico, said she couldn’t help wondering where his family were.
When she arrived at the place Don told her he lived, she was left heartbroken. She saw that what Don called home was under a palm tree in a public square.
“I swear to you that he broke my heart,” Benita said in a Facebook post alongside an image of Don.
Benita then asked: “Why do they [his family] abandon him if a father, a grandfather is the most beautiful thing that life can give you?”
Benita decided to invite Don to her home for a meal but not only that, she decided to give him new clothes and allowed him to wash and rest in her home.
This gesture turned into something longtime as Benita and her family ended up adopting Don into their lives.
In a Facebook post, Benita wrote: “This is how Don Felipe looks, a little bath, a new change, and the best thing is a family dinner.”
She also received many offers of support for Don and was full of gratitude. Benita said she was bringing Don into her family’s life in honor of her grandparents, Blas and Angelita, who had passed away.
Commenters praised Benita for her goodwill and caring nature. One person said: “You deserve the whole world. What a big heart you have.”
Another added: “With this gesture, you show me that you have a noble heart!!! People like you are very few or almost none. Respect and best wishes to you today and always.”
What a beautiful thing to do for a complete stranger. My heart breaks for this 108-year-old man abandoned at such a time in his life, I’m so glad his path crossed with big-hearted Benita that day.
