{"id":94273,"date":"2025-01-08T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T02:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/levanews.com\/?p=48998"},"modified":"2025-01-08T09:00:29","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T02:00:29","slug":"widower-is-barred-from-boarding-a-flight-with-his-newborn-baby-82-year-old-meredith-helps-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/widower-is-barred-from-boarding-a-flight-with-his-newborn-baby-82-year-old-meredith-helps-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Widower Is Barred from Boarding a Flight with His Newborn Baby, 82-Year-Old Meredith Helps Him"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Bob Hollis was in a rush. At 40, he had just received a call from a hospital in Florida informing him of the birth of a baby girl, with him listed as the father.\n<p>Initially, he thought it was a joke, but the details matched. His wife had been in Florida for a brief vacation\u2014a surprise he arranged while renovating their home. They had no biological children but had adopted three, as both were passionate about fostering. Bob, in particular, had a deep connection to adoption, having been a foster child himself. He always vowed to help as many children as possible.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-49010 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/01%5C/471891205_610212631521025_6787946459103559053_n.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"992\"' height='\"661\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>\u201cIf I can help them grow into their best selves, I feel I\u2019ve made a real difference,\u201d he once told his wife.\n</p><p>Bob also had two older children from his first marriage, which ended after his ex-wife, Ellen, was unfaithful. Two years later, he met Mary, and after a few months of dating, they married. Despite trying, they couldn\u2019t have children and decided to adopt, though they never gave up on having their own.\n</p><p>Their persistence paid off when Mary became pregnant. Bob, eager to prepare for the baby, decided to expand their home. He sent Mary, who was due in two months, to Florida, a place she always wanted to visit. Tragically, upon arrival, Mary went into labor early, and complications led to her passing during childbirth.\n</p><p>Bob received the urgent news and quickly flew to Florida to bring home their daughter. Upon arriving, he rented a car and drove to the hospital, where he was met by Mrs. Sticks, an 82-year-old widow and volunteer at the ICU.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-49009 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/01%5C/472407854_1334774877679618_7796373058382407025_n.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"992\"' height='\"519\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Bob asked her.\n</p><p>\u201cPlease, have a seat, Mr. Hollis,\u201d she gently suggested.\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m fine standing,\u201d he replied.\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry for your loss,\u201d she said. \u201cYour wife had complications during childbirth.\u201d\n</p><p>Bob broke down, and Mrs. Sticks allowed him a moment to grieve. After he calmed down, she explained, \u201cI understand you\u2019re here for your daughter, but I need to ensure you\u2019re prepared to care for her.\u201d\n</p><p>Bob assured her he was an experienced father, and she nodded in approval. She gave him her number and offered assistance if needed. She even volunteered to drive him to the airport when it was time to leave.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-49008 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/01%5C/472580307_1809906096495144_753962961427417692_n.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"992\"' height='\"661\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>However, at the boarding gate, Bob faced an unexpected hurdle. The airline staff refused to let him board with his newborn.\n</p><p>\u201cIs this your child?\u201d the woman at the counter asked.\n</p><p>\u201cYes,\u201d Bob affirmed.\n</p><p>\u201cShe seems too young to fly. How old is she?\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cFour days,\u201d he answered. \u201cCan we proceed?\u201d\n</p><p>\u201cSorry, sir. You need her birth certificate, and she must be at least seven days old to travel,\u201d she explained.\n</p><p>Frustrated, Bob realized he had nowhere to stay in Florida. Remembering Mrs. Sticks, he reluctantly called her.\n</p><p>\u201cHello, Meredith,\u201d he began. \u201cI need your help.\u201d\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' wp-image-49007 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/01%5C/472764428_1115350983420904_1638809007682844067_n.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"820\"' height='\"1230\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>Mrs. Sticks didn\u2019t hesitate. She returned to the airport and welcomed Bob and his daughter into her home. Her kindness amazed Bob, who stayed with her for over a week. During that time, she helped him adjust to caring for the newborn and cope with his wife\u2019s death, even assisting with the arrangements for Mary\u2019s body.\n</p><p>Bob was deeply grateful for her generosity, often referring to her as a guardian angel. His daughter seemed to adore Mrs. Sticks, lighting up at the sound of her voice.\n</p><p>Throughout his stay, Bob learned more about Mrs. Sticks\u2019 life\u2014her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Together, they cared for the baby, took peaceful walks, and honored the memory of Mrs. Sticks\u2019 late husband. Their bond grew stronger, and Bob knew he would miss her dearly when he left.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-49006 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/01%5C/471668988_1153371203050808_6929008657615774287_n.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"992\"' height='\"661\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>Once he received the birth certificate, Bob returned to Texas but maintained contact with Mrs. Sticks. Her kindness had left a lasting impact on him, and he visited her annually with his daughter until her passing a few years later.\n</p><p>At her funeral, a lawyer informed Bob that Mrs. Sticks had left him part of her inheritance. To honor her, Bob donated the money to a charity he co-founded with her children. His connection with her family deepened, leading to a relationship with her eldest daughter, Shirley. Eventually, they married, and Shirley became a loving mother to his six children.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>Bob Hollis was in a rush. At 40, he had just received a call from a hospital in Florida informing him of the birth of a baby girl, with him listed as the father. Initially, he thought it was a joke, but the details matched. His wife had been in Florida for a brief vacation\u2014a &hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":94274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1439],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94280,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94273\/revisions\/94280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></em></strong></p>