Rubin felt his heart sink when a gate agent refused to let him board the plane with his newborn. Just when things looked bleak, a stranger stepped in.
Imagine Rubin Swift, a 43-year-old dad from Cleveland, Ohio, who just learned he has a baby daughter named Ru-Andria in Arizona and has been granted custody. Excited, he quickly packs his bags and heads south to meet her.
Upon arriving at Banner University Medical Center, he meets Joy Ringhofer, a 78-year-old NICU volunteer. Recently widowed, Joy recognizes the genuine love Rubin has for his daughter, who has been in the NICU for a few days as a precaution.
Rubin, already a father to three adult children and four stepchildren with his 32-year-old wife Tiffany, is moved when Joy unexpectedly shares her phone number with him and offers to drive him to the airport when it’s time to leave.
However, there’s a complication: Frontier Airlines requires proof that Ru-Andria is at least seven days old, preventing Rubin from boarding. He realizes he’s stuck, as obtaining the necessary documentation would take a week.
“I ran out of money, and the hospital said it would take seven days to get a birth certificate. I worried that if security saw me sleeping at the airport with my newborn, they might take her away and accuse me of neglect. I felt trapped,” he explains.
In a state of desperation, Rubin calls Tiffany, who is equally worried. They can’t afford a rental car or a hotel.
Tiffany remembers, “When he called from the airport and said they wouldn’t let him fly for four days until he got the birth certificate, I panicked. I didn’t want him sleeping at the airport.”
Feeling hopeless, Rubin recalls Joy, the kind NICU volunteer who had driven him. With no alternatives, he decides to reach out to her. To his relief, Joy insists on returning to pick them up.
Her words are heartwarming: “I told him, ‘I’m taking you home with me. Just wait there. There’s a lot of danger in the world, but there’s also a lot of good.’”
Joy had enjoyed her time with Rubin at the hospital and recognized his kindness. “He was polite and showed he had a good heart.”
Rubin, who owns a deli in Ohio, is astonished by Joy’s generosity. “I’m Black, and she’s white. I grew up in the projects in the Bronx, and she’s a great-grandmother who just lost her husband. She didn’t know much about me, yet she took me in. Race didn’t matter to her. She showed me that compassion still exists in this world.”
Rubin eagerly calls Tiffany to share the uplifting news. Both are moved by Joy’s kindness. He felt an instant connection with her and didn’t hesitate to accept her offer.
“Miss Joy was like an angel, and she bonded with Ru-Andria. Whenever my daughter heard her voice, her face lit up. I knew right away that we’d be friends for life.”
In the following four days, the trio forms a close-knit family. They enjoy walks, grocery shopping, and even visiting Joy’s late husband’s gravesite.
Rubin reflects, “I could see the pain of her loss, so at the cemetery, I said, ‘Hey, Charles, look — it’s your new granddaughter.’ We shared some really touching moments. After losing my mom to cancer in 2007, Joy became like a mother or grandmother to me.”
Eventually, the birth certificate arrives, and Rubin and Ru-Andria can finally head home. While he’s excited to reunite with his family, he knows he’ll miss Joy. They promise to keep in touch through FaceTime.
“We realized we’d stay connected from that moment on. We started as strangers and became good friends.”
Joy adds, “Rubin is grateful to me, but I’m also thankful for the chance to help him.”
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