“Two miracles take a lot of work.”
That’s how Haley Halvorson describes her life right now.
Most people can’t speak to the challenges of looking after a single miracle, let alone two. But she is an expert.
She’s helping her firefighter husband recover from a work-related injury while also caring for their son who recently came home following months in the neonatal intensive care unit. Through it all, the family is grateful and happy to be together.
In September, her husband, Caleb Halvorson, sustained grave injuries while on duty fighting a fire in the Historic Southside. When a garage door collapsed, Caleb was trapped. In less than two minutes, he was rescued and rushed to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. He spent 34 days in the burn unit where he was treated for a dislocated knee, several third degree burns across his body and multiple ligament tears.
The couple’s son, Hudson Halvorson, is a miracle, too. Born 13 weeks early, the 1-pound 9.6-ounce preemie spent 112 days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Hudson’s health before his birth was scary, too. Every doctor’s appointment during the pregnancy held bad news after bad news, Caleb said.
“Every doctor’s appointment, (we left) in tears because you’re like, “Why? Why is this happening? Is he gonna live?” Caleb said.
In mid-October, father and son reunited at home. With their life more settled and parenthood becoming their focus, Caleb and Haley feel they can now begin looking forward.
As is the case for many parents, a principal challenge is setting a routine, they say.
Caleb’s recovery makes it more difficult. The firefighter is still unable to move easily on his own and is dependent upon his wheelchair during the day.
Haley Halvorson and firefighter Caleb Halvorson sit outside their home to speak to reporters Oct. 21, 2025. (Ismael M. Belkoura | Fort Worth Report)
Caleb assists with child care when he can, like feeding Hudson or holding him while Haley does some other task. Still, the sense he isn’t doing enough still lingers, Caleb said.
“I think the worst part for me is, other than the physical pain, I constantly feel like a burden,” Caleb said.
The Halvorsons have a good support system. In addition to assists from the Fort Worth Fire Department, Caleb Halvorson’s mother and stepfather — whose home the couple now share — have helped massively, Haley said.
“When (Caleb and the baby) were both in the hospital, it was emotionally hard to have them so far away and not have them in one place,” Haley said. “But now that they’re in one place, it’s more physically hard, because you can’t just push a button and call a nurse to come take care of things.”
But the challenges of parenthood are more than welcome.
“All I can do is start crying because I’m just like, ‘Thank you, God, for letting this happen right now,’” Caleb said. “I’m just grateful that I’m even in that situation.”
Both Halvorsons are excited for the future. It’s still early, but Hudson is developing quickly. The couple joked about how talkative and active the infant is.
Baby Hudson Halvorson enjoys a meal on Oct. 21, 2025. (Ismael M. Belkoura | Fort Worth Report)
Alongside the joys of experiencing parenthood together, Caleb and Haley have a lot to look forward to. Caleb has several surgeries for his knee and torn ligaments in the near future but feels he is on the road to recovery.
Haley, who took a pause from nursing school after Hudson was born, is now finishing her last course. She hopes to graduate in the winter.
And Caleb definitely plans to rejoin his brothers and sisters at the firefighting brigade. He was part of the department for three years before his accident. The job is his calling, he says.
Caleb notes the fire wasn’t in his station’s area, and that it was just happenstance that the truck was nearby. Caleb said, incredibly, his injuries and what occurred was a best-case scenario.
If another station or another firefighter had been in his shoes, they might not be alive today. He is grateful to be able to keep someone else out of harm’s way.
“You would take this for another guy or girl that you work with,” Caleb said. “That’s what I’m excited to get back to, that really strong bond and that really strong family.”
Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org.
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