Today we’d like to introduce you to April Maloney.
April, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
For as long as I can remember, I have loved helping others. There’s a feeling you get when you give that is simply unmatched. Because of that, becoming a nurse was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
My desire to go into healthcare started long before I ever filled out a nursing school application. When I was young, my dad was in a horrific motorcycle accident. I remember watching my family walk through one of the hardest seasons of our lives inside hospital walls. I saw the fear, the uncertainty, and the emotional toll it took on all of us. But I also saw the healthcare professionals who showed up, some who simply did their jobs, and others who truly cared.
Even as a child, I remember thinking: I want to be the person who makes being in the hospital feel a little less scary. A little less sad. Maybe even in some small way fun. I wanted to be the light in a place that can feel so heavy.
Around that same time, my best friend was living with cystic fibrosis. We used to joke that I would grow up to be her personal nurse so she wouldn’t have to spend so much time in the hospital. We’d be roommates and live our best lives together. Life didn’t unfold exactly the way we planned, but those dreams planted a seed.
Nineteen years in healthcare has taught me more about life than I ever could have imagined. I spent most of my career in the emergency room, an environment that is not for the faint of heart. It’s strange, because while you witness some of the darkest parts of humanity, you also encounter the most extraordinary people, those who dedicate their lives to serving, healing, and showing up for others on their worst days.
Working in the ER, I quickly recognized the cracks in our healthcare system. I wanted to do more, so I went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. But what I didn’t anticipate was how limited you can feel within a system driven by insurance approvals and productivity metrics. Despite more education and training, I often felt I had less control over how I truly cared for my patients.
That realization forced me to think differently. How could I help people on a deeper level?
My partner, who is a business owner himself, asked me one day, “Why don’t you just open your own clinic and do it your way?” At first, it felt impossible. But then I thought, what a dream it would be to care for families the way I believe they deserve. To focus on education and prevention instead of just diagnosis and treatment. To practice compassionate, proactive medicine without barriers.
In January 2025, I left the security of my career and took the leap.
It was one of the scariest decisions of my life. And to say the transition has been difficult would be an understatement. My strength has been tested over and over again and somehow, I continue to surprise myself. I keep pushing forward because I believe families deserve better. They deserve care that is thoughtful, personalized, and rooted in prevention.
As a mom of not one, but two children with chronic illnesses, I understand firsthand how vital this kind of care is. I know what it feels like to sit on the other side as a parent, and that perspective fuels everything I do.
My hope is not only to build RISE Pediatrics into a holistic wellness center for children, but also to inspire others to step outside the box and follow their hearts. Dreams really can become reality if you’re willing to work hard, take the leap, and never stop believing in yourself.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not… but that’s what gave me my grit. And that’s something I will always be proud of.
When I was in high school, my dad was in a horrible accident. Suddenly, getting into college became my first real obstacle. I could not have done it without my mom and my incredible guidance counselor, Mr. Brown, who helped me see a path forward when everything felt uncertain.
I went on to attend Towson University and worked multiple jobs to put myself through school. One summer, my car broke down and I couldn’t afford to fix it right away. I rode my bike to and from campus for three months to attend summer classes. When I finally got my car back, I remember feeling overwhelming gratitude for something I had once taken for granted.
After graduation, I continued working in the local ER where I had started as a nursing tech during college. The staff in that ER were some of the best people I have ever worked with. A couple years into my nursing career, I tried travel nursing and moved to San Diego, but that season didn’t unfold the way I had hoped. I returned to Maryland and began working in the Emergency Department at Children’s National Hospital. It was there that I grew tremendously, both professionally and personally.
During that time, I had my two beautiful boys. Becoming a mom was everything I dreamed of, but it didn’t come without it’s own trials and tribulations. Our littles were not the easiest kids to care for, and balancing motherhood with emergency medicine stretched me in ways I never expected.
When my youngest was four, I finally applied to graduate school. While I was in school, COVID hit. I was working in the ER during a global pandemic, attending grad school, and managing two young boys at home doing virtual learning. There was no margin. No space for myself. My health declined, and I was diagnosed with chronic migraines. I came very close to not finishing. But I did, thanks in large part to the support of my family and the community at The Catholic University of America.
After graduating, I started working as an inpatient NP hospitalist. It didn’t take long to realize that role wasn’t where I was meant to be. I transitioned into outpatient pediatric obesity care and that’s where everything clicked. I saw firsthand how early intervention could truly change the trajectory of a child’s life. I knew I was making the kind of impact that mattered.
Unfortunately, the scholarship obligation I was fulfilling determined that my position no longer qualified, and I was forced to resign. Once again, I found myself at a crossroads.
While searching for my next step, the idea of opening my own clinic surfaced. It felt bold. Scary. But aligned.
When I officially left my position in January 2025, my dream was almost immediately put on hold due to some personal health issues. I spent four days in the ICU with a rare case of SIADH. Being discharged only strengthened my resolve, until two weeks later, when I was hit in the face with a hockey puck and landed back in the hospital.
Two setbacks. Same determination.
In June 2025, I officially launched my business.
Then in September, my family was unexpectedly forced to move from our home due to circumstances beyond our control. It felt like the rug had been pulled out from under us. But we stayed together. We leaned into our faith, our resilience, and each other.
And here we are.
Every obstacle has shaped the way I care for families today. I understand what it feels like to juggle everything. To push through exhaustion. To advocate when the system says no. To keep going when quitting would be easier.
Grit isn’t something I talk about lightly. It’s something I’ve lived and am grateful for daily.
And it’s exactly what I bring to the children and families I serve.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about RISE Pediatrics?
RISE Pediatrics was founded with the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to feel healthy, confident, and connected to who they truly are. As a pediatric nurse practitioner with nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare, I recognized that many of the chronic health challenges affecting children, especially those related to weight and metabolic health, require more than traditional medical care. They require time, education, behavior change, and compassionate support for the entire family.
RISE stands for Reflect, Integrate, Self-Actualize, and Embrace. These four principles guide the work we do with every patient and family. We help children reflect on their current habits and health, integrate sustainable lifestyle changes, self-actualize into the healthiest version of themselves, and ultimately embrace who they are with confidence.
At RISE, we specialize in pediatric weight management and metabolic health using a comprehensive approach that combines clinical medicine with health coaching. Our care includes personalized nutrition guidance, movement and fitness planning, sleep optimization, mindset support, and when appropriate, medical therapies. What sets us apart is the depth of our partnership with families. We focus on long-term behavior change rather than quick fixes.
What I am most proud of, brand-wise, is helping children rediscover their confidence and learn to trust their bodies. RISE is not just about improving health metrics; it’s about helping kids find their true selves and rise into their authentic selves.
Our goal is to empower families with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to create lasting health for their children, not just for today, but for a lifetime.
My greatest hope is that every child who walks through our doors leaves believing they are capable, worthy, and strong enough to rise into the person they were always meant to be.
How do you define success?
I would have to say that I define success as changing the course of a child’s life through compassion, connection, and focused care. Every child deserves to feel confident in their body, supported in their health, and empowered to reach their full potential. Success isn’t just measured by numbers on a scale or lab results, it’s measured by the moment a child begins to believe in themselves, develops healthier habits, and realizes they are capable of becoming the best version of who they are.
Through the RISE approach: Reflect, Integrate, Self-Actualize, and Embrace, we help children and families look deeper than symptoms and work toward sustainable, lifelong wellness. By combining medical expertise with health coaching and behavior change strategies, we focus on the whole child: their physical health, emotional wellbeing, environment, and daily habits.
True success is when a child leaves our care not only healthier, but more confident, more self-aware, and equipped with the tools to take ownership of their health for life. I feel that when families feel supported rather than judged, when children feel seen rather than labeled, and when small changes begin to transform a child’s future…that’s when we know we’ve truly made an impact. This is succes to me
Pricing:
- Current six month RISE for Life Program is $2397, broken down into six monthly installments of $399.50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.risepediatricsmd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rise_pediatrics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576952754129
