After surviving a life-threatening infection as a newborn, Nito Gil returned to the very hospital that saved him. This time as a student in its School of Nursing, where he recently graduated.
On the day he was born, Nito Gil spent just a few hours in his parents’ arms before doctors rushed him into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where he would remain for more than two weeks, surrounded by wires, machines, and uncertainty.
“I still remember the social worker came and they were trying to prepare us that he wasn't going to make it,” said his mother, Patricia Larios-Gil.
Sixteen days later, he went home.
Years later, he returned. This time in scrubs.
Now a newly graduated nurse, Gil’s path into medicine traces back to those first fragile days of life, when infection and suspected seizures left his future unclear.
Gil was born on Sept. 13, 2003, after what his mother described as a high-risk pregnancy. Within hours, complications emerged.
“They said that he had been taken to NICU,” Mrs. Larios-Gil said.
Doctors placed him on medication and monitored him closely. Nito remained on medication for several months.
Growing up, Gil often heard stories of the infection, the uncertainty, and the nurses who cared for him. Among them was Sara Dunn, his primary NICU nurse, with whom his family remained in touch over the years. At his March pinning ceremony, Dunn was the one who pinned him.
“Sara played a large part in talking to me about her nursing journey, and her words were inspirational,” he said.
When he began clinical rotations, the hospital felt familiar in an unexpected way. But it was his time in the NICU, the very place where his life began, that carried a different weight.
“Seeing some of the parents come and visit their kids, I could kind of imagine seeing my mom or my dad at some points,” Gil said.
Though many might expect him to return to the NICU as a nurse, Gil chose a different path, applying instead to adult units where he found meaningful experiences during training.
“I actually ended up really enjoying it,” he said of his practicum.
Still, the lessons from his earliest days, and the care he received, continue to guide him.
“I think part of it is having some sort of faith, you know, and having trust, as far as the medical team goes,” he said.
He hopes to carry forward the kind of care that once helped him.
“I think here there's a clear sense of community,” he said. “Everyone here really cares deeper than just the superficial level.”
For his mother, each milestone, from kindergarten to graduation, has been marked by the memory of what nearly was not.
“Every time we see him is like, it's a reminder that he is indeed our miracle baby,” she said.
And now, as they watch their son step into the profession that once saved him, that reminder has taken on new meaning, not just of survival, but of purpose.
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital is nationally recognized for its commitment to high-quality pediatric care and has been ranked a Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital provides comprehensive, specialized care for infants, children, and adolescents, including advanced heart and neonatal services designed to support even the most complex needs.
To learn more about pediatric and neonatal care at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, visit lluch.org.
More stories about: Children’s Hospital Children's health
Related Articles
