He’d reached the end of a long custody battle and now finally he was taking his daughter home where she would be safe.
But as he went to board the plane, he discovered he was in an even more desperate situation than before. The airport staff insisted on speaking with him privately.
Nervous Dad
Rubin Swift breathed a sigh of relief. His daughter had just been born and the long labor went better than doctors had hoped.
The Ohio father was away from home in Phoenix, although it didn’t matter to him at that moment. All he cared about was his new baby. But his anxiety would soon rocket back to the surface.
Homeward Bound
Rubin and his ex weren’t on good terms and during the pregnancy, the pair battled over custody for little Ru-Andria - and after many lawyers and late nights, Rubin had finally won.
He left the Banner University Medical Centre with the baby in his arms and headed straight to the airport to take her home to Ohio. But unbeknownst to him, fate was about to throw Rubin for a loop.
Fresh Drama
Rubin could feel himself welling up. Could this nine-month saga finally be over? With the four-day-old cradled tightly in his arms, Rubin got in line to board the plane to start their new life together.
He’d already called ahead to let the airline know he’d be flying with a newborn, so Rubin was more than a little confused when airport staff asked him to step to one side.
Meticulous Planning
Rubin was not going to risk an issue with the flight home from a strange city, so he had made sure the hospital signed and stamped every document he needed to check all the airline’s boxes.
But as the flight attendant explained to him why they would not be able to fly, Rubin’s eyes widened. After all that preparation, he could not believe this was happening.
Desperate Dad
The attendant explained that while they do allow newborn babies to fly with the airline, they have a clear policy stating that the child needed to be at least seven days old to board the plane.
Three more days were all that stood between Rubin and Ru-Andria being at home with the family. But the desperate father had no money for a hotel and no idea what to do.
The Terminal
The first thought that crossed Rubin’s mind was that he might be able to just wait out the three-day period with Ru-Andria in the terminal.
As he sat outside the gate racking his brain for a solution, he quickly discovered that wouldn’t be possible when security told him he’d have to find somewhere to spend the night with such a young child. But then an idea came to him.
Birth Certificate
If Rubin could just get a copy of the birth certificate from the hospital, he might be able to alter the date of birth and start making his way home to Ohio.
But doctors told him he’d have to wait another seven days for a copy - even longer than he’d have to wait for the airline to let him fly. And his dire situation was about to get even worse.
All Alone
Phoenix was a strange town to Rubin. Apart from his ex - who he really didn’t want to involve in this situation - he didn’t know anyone here.
After frantically pacing the halls of the hospital, he slumped down in the waiting room defeated. But as he shifted in his seat, he felt a piece of crumpled paper in his pocket. Could this be the answer?
Kind Face
When Ru-Andria was born, an elderly woman had taken a shine to the baby. They seemed to form a bond, but with all the drama, Rubin had forgotten all about her.
Joy was a hospital volunteer, and her warmth towards the baby had made all the custody drama so much more bearable for Rubin. But could he call a virtual stranger for help?
Long Shot
At the time, it seemed strange to him that she would give him her phone number at all. It’s usually just the sort of thing people do to be polite. Probably wasn’t even a real number.
With as much trouble as he was in, Rubin didn’t want to add “harassing an old woman” to the list. And would she even remember him?
Fingers Crossed
As he rocked the crying newborn to calm her down, Rubin pulled out the crumpled piece of paper and dialed the number from the payphone in the lobby.
He had never prayed before in his life, but now he looked to the heavens for things to go his way just this once. “Please answer…please…” But the phone kept ringing.
Emergency Call
He kept the phone ringing longer than he would normally, but it was no use. Then, just as he was about to hang up, someone answered.
Joy Ringhofer was on the other end of the line. Rubin explained how they’d met and asked if he remembered them. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Rubin knew it, he’d overstepped. But then something incredible happened.
Open Arms
“I had such a strong feeling that I needed to do this for him and I knew that he was a very kind and safe man,” said Joy. “And a perfect gentleman.”
Joy told Rubin not to worry and that she would come and collect them from the hospital and get them home herself. Rubin thought this was an incredible act of generosity, but he had no idea just how kind Joy really was.
So Generous
While Ruben thought Joy was offering to smooth things out with the airline for him, what she was actually suggesting was even more heart-warming.
Joy told Rubin that he and the baby could stay with her at her home in Phoenix to wait out the three-day period necessary to satisfy the airline. Rubin was overwhelmed with relief he shed a tear.
Home Away From Home
“I mean who does that?” said Rubin, grateful that Joy had saved them from such a desperate situation. “Joy has formed such a strong bond with her. I think she’s going to miss her when she’s gone.”
Joy made sure both Rubin and the baby were properly fed and happy during their three-day vacation in Phoenix. She cared for Ru-Andria as if she were her own child. And the father-daughter duo returned the favor.
Pillars Of Support
The former strangers became very close over the three-day period, so close in fact that Joy felt like she could share some of her own problems with Rubin.
The 78-year-old explained that her husband had recently passed away from Parkinson’s disease and that she needed to lay some flowers at the cemetery. Rubin knew just what to do.
United Front
Knowing that visiting her husband would have been difficult for her, Rubin and the baby went with her as a shoulder to cry on.
At that moment, Rubin realized they had formed a family of sorts and that Joy would always be Ru-Andria’s honorary grandmother. And when they eventually got to the airport, things only got better.
Full Refund
After driving them to the gate, Joy spoke with the airline and demanded they waive the cost of changing Rubin’s and Ru-Andria’s tickets.
Seeing that she clearly meant business, the airline obliged and even offered Rubin an upgrade as to not incur the wrath of the feisty pensioner.
Lesson Learned
Rubin learned an important lesson during his daughter’s first days on this Earth that he would take with him into his new life as a father.
When times are tough, there is no shame in reaching out and asking for help. It doesn’t make you a failure as a parent, it makes you a much better one. Especially seeing as her mother wasn’t on the scene.
Single Dad
Rubin chose not to divulge why he had been given full custody of the newborn or how the mother felt about it and instead wanted to focus on the story of Joy, the Good Samaritan.
Regardless of her mom’s situation, it’s clear that Ru-Andria is in safe hands with a father like Rubin and a kind-hearted stranger like Joy.
All’s Well That Ends Well
Rubin’s family were overjoyed to have Rubin and baby Ru-Andria home safe and sound in Ohio as they had all been quite worried.
When Rubin’s mother - who was distraught that she couldn’t be there in Phoenix due to a health condition preventing her from flying - heard about Joy’s kindness to her son and granddaughter, she knew she couldn’t just leave it at that. She had to find some way to repay her.
Like Family
A few weeks later, Joy returned home to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for her. And there was a note.
It read, “In this crazy world, it warms my heart to know compassion is still alive and well.” Rubin and Ru-Andria vowed to return to see Joy again once they had settled, as the whole incident had left him filled with hope. “Let’s hope we can all return to a time when we all cared about one another,” he mused.
Human Kindness
Would you help a stranger that needed help if they approached you out of the blue like that? Or would you pretend not to see the person in need and shrug it off like it’s not your problem?
We could all afford to be a little bit more like Joy and open our hearts to people that need it. Wouldn’t that make the world a better place?