I remember the story because it was unlike the usual rejection scenarios. No mention of religion or being a religious man. He just wanted to make things right, and was extremely humbled and amazed that his thoughtless behavior had turned into such a blessing (well, for lack of a better word but maybe that’s the word he used).
Of course, he was blessed because instead of running and hiding like a coward, he stepped into the light.
One of the dichotomies of this situation is that the children are blessings, just by existing, regardless of the wrong acts of their parents. For children who otherwise had a good upbringing, knowledge of their genetic father may filled a gap and given them a sense of integrity in adulthood that they could have lacked in childhood.
One person’s doing the right thing spreads a lot of positive energy.