Valentina Dominguez, a 9-year-old from Plano, feared losing her cherished American Girl doll, Beatrice, during a return flight from Bali, Indonesia, after their inseparable bond formed over four years, according to a Dallas Morning News article. They say,

 

“Valentina Dominguez, a 9-year-old Plano girl, thought she would never see her best friend, Beatrice, again after a long flight from Tokyo.

 

Valentina had received the American Girl doll as a gift from her grandmother four years earlier and they formed an inseparable bond. So when the doll was nowhere to be found on the family’s return trip from Bali, Indonesia, it was pandemonium for the Dominguez family.”

Distraught over their daughter Valentina’s lost American Girl doll, Rudy and Celeste initially searched during a Tokyo layover but found no way to retrieve it. Social media and American Airlines First Officer James Danen came to the rescue, according to a Simple Flying article. It says, 

 

“Valentina’s parents, Rudy and Celeste, immediately began looking for ways to rectify the situation after seeing how distraught their daughter was. The Turkish Airlines flight the family was on had a layover in Tokyo, where they began their search. Celeste was able to locate the doll. However, they had no way to get it back:

 

Rudy and Celeste tried to find a service that could bring Beatrice back to them, but it proved to be too difficult. The parents then took to social media and posted about the lost doll, which is how American Airlines First Officer James Danen got involved.”

 

American Airlines First Officer James Danen, motivated by compassion, aided Valentina in recovering her lost doll during his frequent trips to Tokyo, documenting their journey along the way, according to a Local Profile article. They report,

“First Officer Danen of American Airlines, who has been flying with American since 1993, travels to Tokyo frequently and hoped he could help the Plano girl find her best friend.

 

Danen contacted the Turkish Airlines’ lost and found office at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The pilot had to make a second attempt before successfully retrieving the doll. Throughout the journey back home, Danen made a point to capture photos with the doll at various airports and during flights.”

 

Valentina expressed her happiness and surprise over the kind act that reunited her with her doll, emphasizing the importance of passing on acts of kindness.