Anton Pilipa, 39, was “discovered” by a traffic police officer in late November while wandering along the BR 364 in Rondônia. He had no papers or money and was unable to provide his identity.

He was taken to hospital in Porto Velho and fled the scene while authorities tried to identify him. He was found earlier this year walking on a road at the entrance to Manaus.

The second time, it was already known that he was a Canadian citizen who disappeared in March 2012 after starting treatment for schizophrenia.

Before beginning treatment for his mental illness, he worked in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto as an employee of humanitarian organizations helping people in need.

Anton has traveled to cities and towns in at least nine countries from Canada, including the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. Just by walking, he has come more than 10,000 kilometres from his home country.

He says that most of the time he searched for food and clothes in garbage cans and sometimes he received food from some people. But he also says he met some “bad people” along the way. “But (I’ve) received more generosity, especially lately.”

Anton was brought home by his brother Stefan, who learned shortly before Christmas that Anton had been found in Brazil.

According to him, the contact was made thanks to the initiative of the traffic policewoman Helenice Campos, who approached Anton on the road to Rondônia, when he looked like a beggar; he had been wearing the same blue shorts and t-shirt for months, swearing and saying disjointed words.

Helenice took him to the hospital in Porto Velho and found Anton’s brother on Twitter.

The family began mobilizing to raise funds to find him, even creating an online crowdfunding account to help cover expenses, such as plane tickets.