Where her story began: Former NICU baby now leads neonatal therapy at VRMC

For Ruth Frias, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Valley Regional Medical Center is more than the place where she works. It is where her own story began.

Thirty-six years ago, Frias and her fraternal twin sister, Elizabeth, were born prematurely at Valley Regional and spent three weeks receiving care in the hospital’s NICU. Today, Frias serves as the hospital’s NICU Rehabilitation Supervisor, helping premature and medically fragile infants develop the skills they need to grow, feed safely and eventually go home.

“I was a preemie baby,” Frias said. “Now, being on the other side, you see how difficult and complex those NICU stays are. It is nice to be able to help people.”

Frias’ connection to the hospital became even more meaningful when she learned that some of the clinicians who cared for her as an infant were still at Valley Regional. Through conversations about their years of service, she discovered that longtime nurse Lucila “Lucy” Lopez and neonatologist Dr. Gerardo Sanchez, who helped establish NICU care in Brownsville, had been members of her care team.

The care Frias received more than three decades ago helped her grow, pursue a healthcare career and return to the unit where her life began. Lucy’s role in her life has since evolved from caregiver to mentor and friend.

“I always tell them they do such a great job,” Frias said. “They change people’s lives. I’m living proof of that. It means so much to come back and work alongside the people who helped give me my start.”

A personal calling becomes a career

Frias has worked as a speech-language pathologist for 11 years, including 10 years in neonatal care. Her experience as a premature infant—and the challenges her family faced—inspired her to pursue a career in the NICU.

“I knew that I wanted to be in the NICU because of what my family went through and what my mom went through,” she said.

After completing specialized education and thousands of hours of clinical experience, Frias earned certification in neonatal therapy. She is currently the only speech-language pathologist in Brownsville with that certification.

Since joining the NICU, Frias has helped expand the rehabilitation team from two clinicians to five speech-language pathologists and three occupational therapists, with plans to add physical therapy services.

Helping the hospital’s smallest patients

In the NICU, speech-language pathologists help premature infants develop the coordination needed to safely suck, swallow and breathe while feeding.

Therapists evaluate each infant’s readiness to eat, recommend feeding modifications and teach parents how to recognize and respond to their baby’s cues. The goal is to help infants progress from tube feeding to safely completing their feedings by mouth—a critical milestone before many babies can leave the hospital.

The rehabilitation team supports early brain and language development through reading, singing and positive touch, especially during stressful procedures.

“Things that we might think are not a big deal are a huge deal,” Frias said. “When they respond to their mom’s voice, it shows us that connection is there.”

Supporting parents alongside their babies

When a baby must remain in the NICU, families may experience fear and uncertainty. Valley Regional’s family-centered approach involves parents in therapy and feeding early, helping them build confidence for discharge.

“It is not, ‘I can feed them, and I am going to teach you,’” Frias said. “It is, ‘We are going to feed the baby together.’”

One family remains especially memorable to Frias. Their baby was born at approximately 24 weeks, and the mother initially felt overwhelmed by the infant’s complex needs. Through education and hands-on support, the NICU team helped her become more comfortable caring for and feeding her baby.

By the time the family was ready to leave the hospital, the mother repeatedly told the team, “I’m ready.”

“Those are the ones that stay with you—the families that begin very scared and uneasy and leave confident,” Frias said.

A full-vircle commitment to care

Neonatal care has advanced significantly since Frias was a patient, with specialized rehabilitation services now available in the NICU. Today, physicians, nurses, rehabilitation therapists, lactation consultants and families collaborate on individualized care plans. Frias said this approach helps the hospital care for medically complex infants while preparing families for life at home.

“We have a very strong interdisciplinary team,” she said. “We are part of the team to such an extent that we have an influence on their overall outcomes.”

For Frias, each successful discharge is a reminder of how far neonatal care has come—and of the possibilities ahead for the babies and families she serves.

“I tell moms, ‘I was a preemie, and look at us now,’” she said. “We got through it. It is nice to be able to give them that success story.”