South Texas Health System (STHS) is overjoyed to have welcomed the first baby of 2026 less than seven hours after the clock struck midnight on the new year.
Weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 20 inches in length, Little Samuel arrived at The Maternity Center at South Texas Health System Edinburg at 6:38 a.m., making him the first newborn delivered at an STHS facility in 2026.
“It feels so special, like it was God’s plan,” says Cynthia Gonzalez of the birth of her third child with husband Victor. “What an incredible way to ring in 2026!”
Little Samuel, whose original due date was December 31, 2025, is now the third son in the Gonzalez household. He will soon have the opportunity to meet his two older brothers.
The staff at The Maternity Center at STHS Edinburg is grateful to be part of the Gonzalez Family’s journey of welcoming a new bundle of joy into the world.
“We’re proud to deliver the first baby of 2026 at an STHS facility; what a great way to ring in the new year, with love and light,” says NormaLinda Aguirre-Partida, BSN, RNC-OB, Director of Women’s Services and Nursery, STHS Edinburg. “We’re thrilled to be part of this momentous occasion for the Gonzalez Family and the others who’ve entrusted us to be part of their maternity journey.”
To help create a lasting memory for the family, the staff at STHS Edinburg went the extra mile by providing Little Samuel with a special My First New Year’s onesie.
Emphasizing its dedication to providing women’s services at the highest level, STHS has consistently been a Healthgrades Five-Star Recipient for C-Section Delivery, Hysterectomy and Gynecology Procedures, placing the organization in the upper echelon of hospitals for OB/GYN care nationwide.
For more information on the women’s services at STHS, including the system’s labor and delivery programs, visit STHSEdinburg.com and STHSMcAllen.com.
About South Texas Health System
South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system's South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.
