Nothing, including hospital visits and surgeries, can bring down 11-year-old Leah McClain.

By Gage Miskimen

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This week’s Kid Captain has met every hurdle she’s faced with a smile.

Eleven-year-old Leah McClain, of Pittsfield, Illinois, will be on the field at Kinnick Stadium before the Iowa/Minnesota game on Saturday while thousands of fans cheer her on. The Kid Captain program honors a pediatric patient undergoing treatment at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital at each football game.

Leah started suffering from seizures when she was 7 years old. At the time, her family was living in Knoxville, Iowa.

“We took her to our local emergency room, and they couldn’t do much,” Leah’s father, Greg, said. “So she went to Des Moines and seemed fine. They told us it may be an isolated event.”

Two months later, Leah had another seizure, and Greg said the doctors started paying closer attention.

“They tried different medicines,” he said. “Leah was declining in her school work and daily activities. There were no answers.”

Eventually, their doctor told them to take Leah to Iowa City.

“When we got there, it seemed every symptom we told them about, they had a specialist for every issue,” Greg said. “Once we were there, it felt like Leah was their only patient. Everyone knew us, and everyone was always checking in.”

The neurosurgery team decided Leah’s best option would be surgery because she wasn’t responding to the medications. In 2015, Leah went through a two-part surgery around Thanksgiving; both surgeries lasted around nine hours and were done within a four-day period. The team removed a portion of her brain where the seizures had originated.

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Greg said Leah made a remarkable recovery; she’s only had one seizure since the surgeries. Leah still experiences headaches sometimes, and as she grows older, he said, there’s a possibility she will need surgery again at some point.

“We instantly saw a difference in her,” he said. “Now, she’s performing in every level of life and school. The doctors continue to see her regularly, and her care has been excellent all along the way. They’ve been there to support our spiritual and emotional side as well.”

Leah has four sisters who were there to support her in the hospital along the way.

“Through her stays and surgery, her sisters were there for all of that,” Leah’s mother, Sara, said. “It was beneficial for them to see what she was going through so when she came home, they would know how to care for her.”

Leah maintained an inspiring positive outlook throughout her experience at the hospital, Sara said, and she continues to do so today.

“She is a happy kid,” Sara said. “‘Happy’ is her nickname. She’s very joyful, giving, and compassionate. When she went through the surgery, she was actually excited because she knew it would help her. She was focused on the positives, and it changed our perspective, too.”

Leah’s primary neurologist, UI Clinical Assistant Professor Michael Ciliberto, said she is a strong patient who takes everything well.

“She was comfortable, and everyone enjoyed being around each other,” he said. “She was able to joke around with us but also able to trust us enough to ask questions, and she knew we would tell her exactly what she needed to know. It’s always fun to see her in clinic. She’s just a good person.”