This post was sponsored by Cleveland Clinic Children’s as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Finding out that your child has a serious medical condition is one of the hardest things you’ll ever deal with as a parent. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying. Like most parents, I constantly worry that something could happen to my son. My anxiety disorder kicks that worry into sheer panic. Every time he comes to me with an ache or pain that I can’t easily explain away, my mind goes to the absolute worst places. He was a preemie. Although I haven’t seen any signs of residual damage from being born eight weeks early, I still worry. What if it suddenly affects him in his teens? His 20s? His 50s? I don’t think that fear will ever go away.

While I’ve been fortunate with Jacob (up until 3rd grade, I could count the number of times he’s been sick on one hand), as a former NICU mom, I’ve seen so many moms struggling with a scary diagnosis. I remember the day my friend’s niece was born, nearly three months early. Back then, I was her boss at our seasonal job. She was 16, and my most reliable employee. One day, she just didn’t show up for work and didn’t even call. I knew something had to be wrong; as I said, she was incredibly reliable. I found out the next day that she was at the hospital with her sister, where her niece arrived over three months early.

Along with all the other issues that come from being born so early, her niece had a scary heart condition. She was taken via medivac to a children’s hospital, where she spent months undergoing treatments. Thankfully, because of all the incredible advances in medicine and a stellar team of doctors, she eventually left the hospital. She’s now a bright, beautiful girl just entering her teen years.

Where do you go for care & compassion when your child receives a scary diagnosis?

Credit: Russell Lee Photos

When your child receives a scary diagnosis, getting them treatment at the right place makes all the difference. You want the best doctors possible for your little one; that’s common sense. Beyond that, though, you want doctors who really care, who have compassion and who understand what it’s like both for the scared child and terrified parent. Cleveland Clinic Children’s is one of those fantastic hospitals.

You’ll find the main campus of Cleveland Clinic Children’s the heart of Cincinnati. They have dozens of locations throughout the rest of Ohio, including right near the Pennsylvania border (a few are just miles from I80), making them accessible to millions of parents. With more than 300 pediatricians and specialists, they cover a range of diagnosis from pediatric general surgery to neurosurgery. While they excel in all their fields, they really shine in the cardiology department.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s partners with the #1 Heart Program in the Nation to provide the highest level of care for your child.  U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks them among the “Best Children’s Hospitals” in the United States, and for a good reason. Their cardiac team is among the most well-trained in the entire world.

Credit: Russell Lee Photos

One thing that makes Cleveland Clinic Children’s stand out is their commitment to helping your child not just through the initial diagnosis and treatment, but through his entire childhood. Their doctors tailor treatment programs based on your child’s individual needs. Best of all, they follow your child’s care from birth through adulthood, so you can feel confident that you’ll always have a doctor that truly understands your child’s needs.

When your child needs surgery, you want to know that they’re in the very best hands possible. You also want to know that those hands are experienced in performing such delicate operations.  Cleveland Clinic Children’s routinely performs some of the most complex heart surgeries. Whenever possible, they use the most minimally invasive methods and cutting-edge technology that help reduce the number of surgeries your child will need in the future.

Finding out that your child needs a cardiac specialist is absolutely terrifying. Nothing can completely take away your fear. Knowing that his heart is in good hands, though, can go a long way to helping you keep it together for your little one.

Visit the Cleveland Clinic Children’s website for more information, or call 216.444.KIDS (216.444.5437). Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with their news and to find tips and inspirational messages like this:

Do you have any experiences with Cleveland Clinic Children’s? Share below so others can benefit from what you learned.