Full circle: A volunteer’s kindness brings comfort to a Muncie family — twice

When Ashley Reff gave birth to her first son, Cooper, a familiar face brought comfort during his short stay in the NICU just as it had during another difficult moment years earlier.

Reff’s story began in 2017, during what seemed like an ordinary Sunday. Driving home from church with her parents and brother, a tornado struck unexpectedly, sending a massive tree crashing onto their car. Reff, just 16 at the time, was pulled to safety alongside her brother. Her parents, however, were trapped in the wreckage for hours, their injuries requiring immediate and complex care.

As doctors worked to stabilize her parents in the IU Health Ball emergency department, Reff sat in shock, overwhelmed by the chaos of the day. That’s when Kay Stickle, a longtime hospital volunteer, appeared with a calm and gentle presence. Stickle brought Reff a small stuffed horse, a simple gesture that became a lifeline in the moment.

“She was like this sweet grandma,” she says. “That little horse stayed with me the whole night and gave me something to hold onto.”

The experience stayed with her for years. She kept the stuffed animal as a keepsake—a small symbol of kindness that meant so much—and placed it in her son Cooper’s nursery, never expecting their paths would cross again years later.

In August 2024, Reff returned to the hospital as a new mother. Cooper, born three weeks early, had breathing complications that required a short stay in the NICU. While the staff cared for her newborn, Reff was transported back to the same fear and uncertainty she had felt years earlier. Then, just before the NICU care team began their rounds, a familiar face entered the room: Stickle, now a volunteer with the NICU.

Reff couldn’t believe her eyes.

“She came in smiling, straightening things up, just like before,” says Reff.

When she introduced herself, Stickle remembered her immediately — her name, her family, and even that unforgettable night in 2017. For Reff, the moment was both surreal and deeply comforting.

“It’s hard to put into words, but seeing her again made me feel like everything was going to be okay.”

Over the next day and a half, Cooper improved and was soon discharged. As the family left the NICU to begin their life at home, Reff reflected on the extraordinary connections that had marked her journey. Stickle’s small act of kindness, first for a scared teenager and now for a worried mother, reminded her how much volunteers matter in moments of crisis.

“It may not seem like much,” Reff says, “but those small gestures mean the world when you’re struggling.”

For Stickle, who has volunteered at the hospital for years, it was a full-circle moment as well. While she doesn’t always get to see the lasting impact of her work, she was grateful to reconnect with Reff and her family.

Now, the small stuffed horse remains a fixture in Cooper’s nursery — a tangible reminder of the quiet kindness that spans generations. For Reff, it’s proof that compassion, no matter how simple, can leave an impact that lasts a lifetime.