After New Mom’s Preemie Son Spent ‘Grueling’ 31 Days in NICU, She Made a Surprising Life Decision

Texas nurse Larissa Gonzalez never imagined that her son would arrive eight weeks early — or that his birth would completely reshape her career. What began as an emergency cesarean section and a “grueling” 31-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has since inspired her to dedicate her life to caring for premature babies.

Two years ago, Gonzalez was working as an ICU nurse at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi – South when she was unexpectedly hospitalized about seven months into her pregnancy. “I was so used to being on the other end of the stethoscope,” she recalls. “Becoming the patient was surreal.”

Wanting to hold on to a sense of normal life, she joined her baby shower via FaceTime. “It just felt good to have support, whether I was there or not,” she says.

A Difficult Start

Gonzalez delivered her son, Caleb, via C-section at Driscoll Children’s Hospital on April 18, 2023. Hours passed before she was able to see him, while her husband, Cris, kept her updated with photos. “I imagined the immediate bonding, skin to skin, right after delivery,” she says. “But all of that was stripped from me. I just kept thinking: ‘If I can get through these next few hours, then he’s mine.’”

When she finally saw Caleb in his incubator, with lines running from his belly button, it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. “It was such a relief to see him — to finally hold something real — but I couldn’t enjoy it right away,” she explains. Her hardest day came when she was discharged but her newborn remained in the hospital.

Finding Strength and Purpose

Despite the emotional strain, Gonzalez found comfort in the nurses and doctors who supported her family. “Every day, you could tell the people there wanted the best for me and my baby,” she says. They encouraged her to participate in Caleb’s care, from diapering to skin-to-skin time. Her clinical background helped her feel grounded amid the medical urgency. “The pace of the nurses and doctors was familiar,” she notes. “It gave me comfort — I understood what was happening.”

She and Cris developed a daily routine, visiting Caleb for several hours each day in shifts. During that time, the NICU nurses began suggesting she consider a career working with infants. At first, Gonzalez resisted. “We were on the same floor as the NICU, and every day when I stepped off the elevator, I’d feel a tug — wondering how everyone was doing,” she remembers.

Eventually, she followed that feeling — leaving her ICU position for the NICU.

A New Beginning

Now 26, Gonzalez says the switch was life-changing. “I love what I do now. I could never go back to working with adults,” she laughs. “The babies just cry — they don’t complain or get mean. It’s a whole different world of nursing.”

Her new role also allows her to give back in a deeply personal way. “If I can be that spark in someone else’s birth experience — that comfort I once needed — that’s everything to me,” she says.

This November marks her second anniversary in the NICU. Gonzalez has also started graduate school to become a neonatal nurse practitioner while raising a healthy, energetic two-year-old.

Her message to the parents she meets every day is simple but heartfelt:
“You’re not alone in this journey — ever.”