Ryan Cantville

I get to work with kids all day – which is the best job in the world, especially since I’m a big kid at heart! Kids appreciate that I take time to ask them questions and that I am interested in what they have to say. I listen to what they tell me – and to what they don’t. Both can have an impact on their physical and emotional health.
Sometimes they need a hug after a vaccination, a high five for great grades in school, or encouragement when they’re struggling.

It is also important to me that parents share their insights and instincts about their children, so we can be partners on their kids’ health care team. I’ll be right here for them and their child; from the day they make their arrival, until we all wave them off to college. Watching kids grow and thrive is such a thrill and privilege. The biggest praise is when friends and colleagues have chosen me to be their child’s pediatrician.

In November 2014, my wife Adriana and I were beyond thrilled with the arrival of our son Gabe, but it was not without hurdles. He was born with a head and neck mass that would require him to have a tracheostomy to help him breathe when he was only a few days old. His journey has been transformative. I found myself on the other side of the stethoscope and playing a totally different role on his health care team. His medical complexities and the challenges he faces daily can be daunting.

Parenting is more difficult than anything I had ever imagined, but Gabe’s smile and laughter make even the toughest of days a pure joy. I have learned more about pediatrics over the last two years, as Gabe’s father, than I did in most of my training. Because of him I am a better person and a better pediatrician.