Rubin Swift had the shock of his life when he learned that he was being awarded custody of a newborn daughter he didn’t know existed. The 43-year-old deli owner from Cleveland, Ohio had three grown children from a prior marriage and four step-children with his 32-year-old wife Tiffany. He immediately packed his bags for Arizona to rescue his baby and take her home.
When he arrived at Banner University Medical Center Rubin met NICU volunteer Joy Ringhofer. Baby Ru-Andria had been transferred to the NICU after birth for several days as a precautionary measure.
Joy, 78, gave her phone number to Rubin and asked her to call him if he needed anything. She even offered to give him a ride to the airport.
However, things didn’t go as planned for Rubin and Ru-Andria. They were stopped by the Frontier Airlines gate agent and blocked from boarding. Frontier Airlines’ policy requires infants to be at least seven days old to fly. Rubin needed proof of Ru-Andria’s age, which he didn’t have and would take up to a week to obtain.
Rubin was out of options and didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t sleep at the airport with a newborn and couldn’t afford a car rental or hotel. With no other options, Rubin gave Joy a call.
Joy didn’t hesitate to return to the airport. Her willingness to help a stranger left a lasting impression on Rubin. They spent the next four days together, taking care of Ru-Andria and bonding over shared experiences. They even visited Joy’s late husband’s gravesite together. When the birth certificate was finally ready, Rubin was able to fly home with Ru-Andria, grateful for the kindness and compassion shown to him by Joy.