Watch CBS News

A dad and his newborn were treated by the same NICU nurse – 34 years apart

Dad and baby treated by same NICU nurse
Dad and baby treated by same NICU nurse, decades apart 01:01

A nurse from New Jersey had a serendipitous moment with two patients – one she treated about 34 years ago and the other just days ago.

Lissa McGowan, who works at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Peter's Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, recently took care of a baby boy who was 10 weeks early – and realized she had a decades-long connection to the newborn. 

The baby's dad, David Caldwell, was born at the same hospital in 1986 – and McGowan just happened to be his nurse, too. Caldwell's fiance, Renata Freydin, posted about the coincidence on Facebook, sharing that like their son, Caldwell was also born weeks early. 

I’m still in shock 😁

Posted by David Caldwell on Saturday, February 15, 2020

"Last Sunday, he dug out his baby book to show me [photos]," Freydin wrote. "As I was looking through, I came across a picture of him as a baby and a lady holding him."

"I knew that lady!" her post continued. "I immediately asked him who she was and he confirmed that she was the nurse who took care of him during his stay in the NICU and his mom loved her so much that she needed a photo of the two of them on the day he was discharged!"

86295553-10157380837212982-3327741906481315840-n.jpg
NICU nurse Lissa McGowan took care of David Caldwell, who was born six weeks early in 1986. Then, three decades later, she took care of his son, Zayne, who was born 10 weeks early.  Renata Freydin

Freydin said at first, Caldwell didn't believe the nurse in his baby photo was the same woman who had been taking care of their newborn son, Zayne. "We brought the picture to the hospital where 3 other nurses confirmed it was her!" Freydin wrote. 

On Valentine's Day, McGowan was back at work and taking care of Zayne again – and the couple was able to recreate Caldwell's baby photo with their own son and McGowan. 

The photos and the family's uncanny story about a chance encounter have gone viral.

"The past 2 weeks have been filled with worries and uncertainty but we can breathe easy knowing my lil nugget's nurse is the same one that helped the man I love when he was in the same situation," Freydin wrote. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.