Bob’s world turned upside down when he got a call from a hospital in Florida: his wife had gone into early labor—and tragically passed away. She had been on a short vacation he had arranged while he stayed behind to renovate their home for the arrival of their baby.
Though heartbroken, Bob immediately flew to Florida to meet his newborn daughter and bring her home to their three adopted children. The couple had long struggled with infertility and had found joy in adoption—until Mary, his second wife, miraculously conceived.
Bob arrived at the hospital and was greeted by Mrs. Sticks, an 82-year-old widow volunteering in the ICU. She gently explained Mary’s passing and offered Bob her support, even giving him her phone number “just in case.”
At the airport, just as Bob tried to board the flight home with his daughter, a gate agent stopped him.
“How old is she?” the woman asked.
“Four days,” Bob replied.
“I’m sorry, sir. Newborns must be at least seven days old to fly—and you’ll need her birth certificate.”
Devastated, with nowhere to stay and no one to turn to, Bob remembered Mrs. Sticks. He called her, and without hesitation, she came to his rescue, inviting him and his baby into her home.
Over the next week, Mrs. Sticks became a lifeline for Bob—helping him care for the newborn, comforting him through his grief, and even helping arrange the return of his wife’s body. Bob often thought of her as an angel.
During that time, Bob learned more about her: she had four grown children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Together, they cared for the baby, took long walks, and even visited her late husband’s grave, deepening their bond.
When Bob finally obtained the necessary documents, he returned to Texas but never forgot Mrs. Sticks’ kindness. He and his daughter visited her every year until her passing several years later.
At her funeral, Bob learned that Mrs. Sticks had left him part of her inheritance, alongside her own children. Honoring her memory, he donated the money to a charity they created together—along with her daughter Shirley, whom he eventually married.
Through loss, grief, and an unexpected friendship, Bob found a new family and a new beginning.