When she was still a child Diana Kim lost contact with her dad, and it seemed likely that she’d never see him again. Her parents separated when she was just five years old, and her father disappeared soon afterwards.
Diana Kim’s grandmother and the others adults in her life didn’t really take the time to explain to her that her dad had a mental illness. But even though he had abandoned his family, Kim remembered her father owning a photography studio and embraced a love of photography herself. She began a school project of photographing homeless communities in her childhood city of Maui.
One day in 2012, while out to capture more photographs, Diana noticed a homeless man standing still in a crowd of people, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. A closer look revealed the stunning fact that this was her father.
Diana then began a wearying campaign to convince her dad to get off the streets and get the help he needed. Unfortunately, his mental illness had progressed to the point where he wouldn’t even make eye contact or speak with his daughter. For years, she did her best to make sure he was okay, but couldn’t convince him to come with her for help.
It was only after he had a heart attack that her father finally started getting the medication he needed for his condition. Watch the video below to see his transformation, which has been nothing short of amazing.