Meet Kid Captain Clarissa Kraayenbrink

Name: Clarissa Kraayenbrink
Age: 14
Hometown: Sioux City, Iowa

Clarissa came to UI Children’s Hospital with a life-threatening heart defect when she was just four days old. She underwent open-heart surgery on that first visit, and again at the ages of seven months and 22 months, each time staying several weeks in the hospital. At the age of four, Clarissa was among the first in the nation to receive a CardioSEAL implant to correct the defect in her heart. Today she is a busy and active teenager who looks forward to getting her learner’s permit to drive. Read more about Clarissa. (pdf download)

Return to the Meet Our Kid Captains page