PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK/CNN) - For an Ohio man, bringing his newborn baby home was anything but easy.
But thanks to the kindness of a stranger, his extended family grew by one “adopted” grandmother.
It was quite a journey for Rubin Swift, who is finally heading home to Cleveland with his baby girl.
“I'm excited to get on the plane and get out of here,” he said. “But I'm going to miss my family here. It was an experience like none other."
Swift arrived in Arizona last week for the birth of his daughter Ru-Andria, whom he was just granted custody of.
But when he tried to leave town they got stranded because a highly particular rule their airline has in place.
Frontier Airlines has a policy that newborns fewer than seven days old can’t fly. And Ru-Andria was just four days old.
That's where Joy Ringhofer comes in.
The volunteer at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, who had just met Swift, offered to take the Cleveland man and his child into her home. No questions asked.
“We're two different colors and she opened up her door and it never was an issue. My color was never an issue,” he said. “My baby, she loves my baby, she held her. My baby was with her all night. She stayed up with her. Who does that? "
Ringhofer said: "I had such a strong feeling that I needed to do this for him. And I know he was a kind and safe man to have in my home. And he has been a perfect gentleman."
Ringhofer admits taking in a total stranger was something of a risk, but she now considers little Ru-Andria like her newest grandchild. And the feeling seems to be mutual.
“She’s fed me. She took care of me. She's the grandmother to my child now,” Swift said. “I told her that any time she needs me, she can call me."
After the baby turned seven days old, Frontier did rebook Swift and his daughter's flight. They waived all the fees.
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