Episode 90 - Raising a Child with Congenital Heart Defects with Nurse Practitioner and Heart Mom Sarah Boes

In this episode of Wild & Well, I sit down with Sarah Michelle Bose – nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, heart mom, and mental health advocate – to talk about her extraordinary journey navigating the entrepreneurship, becoming a heart mom, mental health challenges, and advocacy work.

From experiencing panic attacks as a nursing student to building a million-dollar Nurse Practitioner test prep business during COVID, Sarah shares the highs, the lows, and the lessons learned along the way.

We also dive into her personal story as a mother to Meadow, a child born with a severe congenital heart defect, and how that journey led her to advocacy work, including legislative efforts, community initiatives, and children’s book creation.

Sarah and I chat about:

• Sarah’s path from nursing student to nurse practitioner to successful entrepreneur.
• How she built a business centered on exam day anxiety and community support that grew from $0 to $1M in under a year.
• Insights into starting a business: why just starting is more important than perfecting your plan.
• The emotional and logistical realities of parenting a child with tetralogy of Fallot, including navigating multiple heart surgeries and complex medical care.
• Coping strategies for parents facing medical uncertainty, including recognizing your role as the expert on your child and learning to sit with grief and discomfort.
• Sarah’s journey with an OCD diagnosis, and the tools and mindsets she used to manage uncertainty and practice self-compassion.
• How she became a leading advocate for congenital heart disease, including Hill Days, Heart Walks, and creating children’s books to raise awareness.
• Her vision for the future of heart defect care: less invasive surgeries, increased research, and stronger advocacy networks.

Sarah Michelle Boes is a nurse practitioner–turned entrepreneur, heart mom, and mental health advocate. She built and sold a multimillion-dollar NP board review business and now channels her expertise and lived experience to support families navigating congenital heart disease. Through advocacy, public speaking, and education, Sarah empowers others to face life’s challenges with courage and compassion.

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Sarah on Instagram
• Read Sarah’s book Meadow & Her Four-Leaf Clover Heart
• Find out more about Sarah and her advocacy work on her website

• Come say hello to me on Instagram 
• Read my books The Motherhood Reset, Nourished Mama and Mama Let It Go
• Grab my Picky Eating Guide