A US pilot has become part of a sweet, heartwarming tale as he traveled to the ends of the earth for a lost American Girl doll and her nine-year-old owner.
The story began when Dallas-Fort Worth-based American Airlines pilot, James Danen, became aware of little Valentina Dominguez’s quest to find her missing doll, Beatrice.
Valentina had lost her beloved doll after returning from a family trip to Bali, Indonesia that involved a stopover in Tokyo before returning to their home in Plano, Texas.
Her parents, Rudy and Celeste Dominguez, had shared their distress on Facebook, which is reportedly where Danen came across the story.
Determined to help, Danen reached out to Turkish Airlines’ lost-and-found at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, successfully locating Beatrice. The missing doll became a little traveler herself as Danen embarked on a more than 5,000 mile mission to reunite her with Valentina.
Throughout Beatrice’s journey, Danen took photos of himself with her in various locations, which he lovingly sent to Valentina. When asked about why he did this kind gesture, Danen said: “It’s my nature. I like helping people… that’s just what I like doing. I was really glad I could do something nice for somebody.”
Three weeks after Beatrice’s disappearance, the pilot, who happens to live just a short distance from the Dominguez family, personally drove to their home with Beatrice and handed her back to Valentina.
Hilariously, Valentina asked: “Was she well behaved on the flight?” to which Danen replied: “Very well behaved, yes.” He also surprised her with Japanese treats and a map tracking Beatrice’s journey to different places.
Valentina was clearly deeply attached to Beatrice, as she said: “[Beatrice] means a lot to me. She brings me happiness and she’s my best friend. When she was missing, when we got settled into our hotel, I felt very bad. I felt like my heart was broken.”
Rudy Dominguez, Valentina’s father, couldn’t express how thankful he was to Danen for his remarkable act of kindness, saying (via NDTV): “I think it’s another sign of there’s a lot of kindness in this world. I’m really happy that Jim was able to help us and thankful for him.”
This sweet story just goes to show that, in a world often filled with stories of loss and suffering, there are always just as many instances of compassion and goodwill.
If you liked this story, you may like to read about a horse who fell in love with a girl after her act of kindness.
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