
By Sarah Michelle Boes
1 in 100 children are born with some variety of heart defect, making it the most common birth defect. This statistic means that if it doesn’t happen to you, it’s very likely that you will know or love someone who has a child with a heart defect. While I would have never chosen the title of “heart mom” for myself, it is a title I am honored to hold.
I earned this title when I was 36 weeks pregnant and found out unexpectedly that not only would my daughter Meadow be born with a heart defect, but she would be born with a combination of four different heart defects known together as Tetralogy of Fallot. To date, Meadow has had six surgeries, and is slated for at least three more throughout her lifetime.
I call myself a “heart mom” as if I am a part of an elusive club because in many ways, I am. I am in a club of parents who overnight have to learn a plethora of medical jargon, who have spent more nights on a hospital couch or floor than we ever would have dreamed, and have faced one of the scariest possibilities any parent can face – the possible loss of your child.
Heart parents are fierce, unmatched and absolute advocates for their children. We also continually hold a level of gratitude for the lives of our children that is hard to comprehend unless you are also yourself a medical parent in some capacity. The day that you become a “heart mom” or “heart dad” is the day that the rest of your life is changed forevermore.
Meadow was only 4 months old when she had her “full surgical repair” for her defects. Full repair is such a deceiving term though because most people then assume that her cardiac care was a one and done event. For many children like Meadow, their care is actually considered to be palliative – which simply means her surgery was a bandaid for her problems.
This then means that she will go on to have multiple more open heart surgeries in her life unless continued research catches up to her heart’s needs. While we walk around with intense gratitude each day, we also walk around with a unique kind of anticipatory grief of the uncertainty of what’s to come. As always, we are operating on Meadow’s time and schedule.
I often speak about Meadow’s story as a way to process my own grief, because trying to make a difference in the future of congenital heart disease is the only way my brain can make sense of what we have endured. As one of our experienced NICU nurses told me when Meadow was only 3 days old, it wasn’t so long ago that children born with heart defects were simply placed in their parent’s arms until they passed. But there is a new hope and real futures for children like Meadow that has never existed before.
She herself is living proof of that. The first key to continuing this change though is through increased awareness of congenital heart disease as a whole through articles such as this. Through increased awareness, we can then work our way towards funding and more targeted research. It’s still astonishing to me that I am a family nurse practitioner myself, and genuinely had no idea about the prevalence of congenital heart disease until I became Meadow’s mom.
When I connect with new heart parents, they often think I will greet them with medical guidance and more jargon because of my role. Instead though, I tell each parent I meet the same two things: 1) This is the perfect baby for you and you will be the perfect parent for your baby. You will figure this journey out together. 2) You will know your child best, which makes you the best advocate and support person they could possibly have.
I find that leaning into advocacy – both for Meadow but also for the greater sphere of CHD awareness – brings me peace. There are many variables out of my control as we navigate her diagnosis, and the uncertainty can feel really daunting on the hard days. But knowing deep down that my husband and I are the two people that know her best, and we can have a real impact on her medical care because of that, is an incredibly powerful thing.
I encourage anyone who is going through this journey alongside me to reach out and connect either via instagram or my website as connecting with other heart parents who truly understand makes the journey feel a little more bearable. And if you’re reading this as a new heart parent yourself, welcome to our club my friend.


Sarah Michelle Boes, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, is the Founder of Sarah Michelle NP Reviews and currently serves as the Chief Nursing Officer at Blueprint Test Prep. With a robust educational background including a BSN from the University of Kentucky and an MSN in Nursing Education from Western Governors University, Sarah has extensive experience in oncology, intensive care, and nursing education. In 2020, she launched SMNP Reviews, an innovative platform that rapidly grew to a seven-figure business within seven months. Following SMNP Reviews’ acquisition by Blueprint in 2022, Sarah transitioned to a role where she continues to oversee the nursing vertical and integrate cutting-edge educational technologies.
Sarah’s entrepreneurial journey is deeply intertwined with her personal life. Her daughter Meadow, born with severe heart defects, has required extensive medical care, inspiring Sarah’s commitment to pediatric cardiac research and care. In recognition of Meadow’s journey, Sarah and her husband are making a $15 million legacy donation to Norton Children’s Hospital, where the new Congenital Heart Center will be named in their honor. This contribution underscores their dedication to improving healthcare for children with congenital heart conditions.
Beyond her business success, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health and female entrepreneurship. Her own experiences with anxiety and OCD have fueled her mission to help others manage mental health challenges, particularly within high-stakes environments like healthcare. She leverages her platform to support female entrepreneurs and promote awareness about the importance of mental well-being in professional settings.