How a Nurse Practitioner Faced Her Daughter’s Tetralogy of Fallot Diagnosis (258)- Sarah's Story

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to our episode sponsor, reStickity®. Their innovative, mess-free reusable sticker sets allow families to personalize hospital spaces with familiar photos and comforting images, helping bring a sense of home to the hospital. To learn more, visit their website and use code CLOC10 for an exclusive discount available to our listeners.

In this inspiring episode, we meet Sarah Michelle Boes—nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and mom to Meadow, who was diagnosed in utero with Tetralogy of Fallot and multiple congenital heart defects. Sarah brings a powerful trifecta of perspectives: as a medical provider, mental health advocate, and dedicated heart mom.

We cover:
✅ Meadow’s life-saving heart surgeries and long ICU stays
✅ How Sarah navigated new motherhood with OCD and anxiety
✅ The emotional toll of being both a medical provider and a parent
✅ Creating a connection through medical play to ease doctor visits
✅ How Sarah turned survival into purpose through national advocacy

Whether you're a fellow medical parent, healthcare provider, or mental health professional, this episode will leave you with real insight into the raw challenges and unexpected joys of raising a child with complex medical needs.

Key Topics & Highlights

[00:00] – Meet Sarah Michelle Boes

• Nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and heart mom
  
  

• Her daughter Meadow’s surprise diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot at 36 weeks
  
  

⏱️ [03:00] – From Business Success to Medical Crisis

• Selling her business weeks before Meadow’s diagnosis
  
  

• The shock of learning Meadow had four heart defects
  
  

⏱️ [05:00] – Learning to Navigate as a Medical Parent

• How Sarah’s medical background helped (and complicated) her parenting
  
  

• Teaching her husband how to advocate medically alongside her
  
  

⏱️ [07:00] – Mother’s Intuition & Switching OBs

• Sarah felt something was wrong during pregnancy but was dismissed
  
  

• A new ultrasound revealed her daughter's heart looked “weird”
  
  

⏱️ [10:00] – NICU Rollercoaster Begins

• Meadow intubated within hours of birth due to medication side effect
  
  

• Sarah and her husband find strength in teamwork
  
  

⏱️ [14:00] – Advice for New Heart Parents

• The overwhelm of tracking vitals and data post-discharge
  
  

• Feeling more like Meadow’s nurse than her mom
  
  

⏱️ [17:00] – The Unexpected Second Surgery & Major Setbacks

• Meadow’s patch failed, requiring emergency open-heart surgery
  
  

• Her chest remained open for a week due to complications
  
  

⏱️ [21:00] – A Brain Bleed Diagnosis & Mental Health Spiral

• Sarah shares how uncertainty triggered her OCD
  
  

• Emotional trauma of seeing Meadow cold, still, and open-chested
  
  

⏱️ [25:00] – Living in the ICU Full-Time

• How Sarah and her husband made the hospital their home
  
  

• The benefits of being physically present 24/7
  
  

⏱️ [28:00] – Discharge Shock & OCD Diagnosis

• Meadow is stable—but Sarah’s anxiety peaks post-discharge