Clever Clover's Mission
Assisting Families on Their Unique Medical Journeys
At Clever Clover Childrens Charity (4C), we understand that a child's medical journey is primarily centered around treatment, but not simply limited to hospital stays or clinic visits, and it doesn't simply affect the child. A serious medical condition has a deep and long lasting impact on every aspect of a family's life. There are medical costs, travel costs, lodging costs, meals, and lost income expenses. The list goes on and on. 4C guides families to the abundant resources available to help them cope with their children’s medical events that they didn’t foresee.
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Our mission is to support children and their families on serious medical-related journeys by assisting financially with household, travel and other ancillary expenses so they can focus on their children's treatment and recovery, while also connecting families to various support groups.
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Our founder, Wade Wrobel, along with his wife, Nicole, experienced these challenges firsthand when their youngest daughter was diagnosed as an infant with a rare condition called biliary atresia (BA). The condition occurs in about 1 in 10,000 children (about the same odds as finding a four-leaf clover, thus the name of our organization). There is no cure for BA, except an eventual liver transplant.
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Wade and Nicole spent seventy-five days in the hospital post-transplant with their daughter under an incredible amount of emotional, professional and physical stress, but were able to cope through the support of various non-profit organizations.
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It has thus become Wade's mission to increase awareness of these various support organizations and raise money to support them through 4C.
The inspiration for Clever Clover: Wade's Family: (left to right) Nicole, Savanna (4), Wade, Olivia (16)
Leadership
The Faces of Our Organization
Our Board of Directors is comprised of dedicated individuals from varying backgrounds with a passion for helping families, utilizing their unique skill sets and passion to move the work of 4C forward. Without them, Clever Clover Children's Charity could not accomplish its mission. Meet our Board below.
Wade Wrobel
Founder, Director
Wade Wrobel is the founder and driving force behind 4C, inspired by his own family’s journey through a complex medical experience. Seeing firsthand how the right support can make all the difference, Wade created 4C to give back and help families navigating similar challenges.
Professionally, Wade brings over two decades of expertise in the financial sector. He currently serves as an Account Executive for a global data solutions company, following a 22-year career in brokerage, underwriting, and management roles at major national firms.
Wade attended the University of Arkansas majoring in Business Administration, in addition to furthering his expertise in Data Privacy at Harvard Business School.
Dr. Kriegermeier is a charter director and officer of 4C and Attending Physician at Anne & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, specializing in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. She is also Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
She enjoys building relationships with patients and families, and working collaboratively to keep children as healthy as they can be so they can thrive in all areas of life.
Alyssa Kriegermeier, MD
Director
Audry is a charter director and officer of 4C. She is the founder and President of Best Search, a strategic hiring consultancy serving the insurance and insurtech industries, with a thirty-year career in global executive search. She is a trained mentor, co-founder of a service that supports entrepreneurs, and a speaker at insurance industry events. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Cornell University.
Her stepson, sister, and other dear friends and family members have endured, thrived, and struggled through unforeseen pediatric medical journeys, making the 4C mission especially relevant.
Audry Buchanan Torrence
Director
Kirsten Bay
Kirsten Bay is the Co-Founder and CEO of Cysurance, with over 25 years of expertise in cybersecurity, financial services, and risk management. Beyond her professional role, she has made a significant impact through her leadership in numerous nonprofit organizations. Kirsten has driven substantial fundraising efforts as Women's Board president for the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs and supporting scholarship initiatives that empower youth through education.
Her work has consistently focused on creating lasting change, enhancing access to education, and fostering opportunities for underserved communities.
Director
Nicole has led volunteer and event efforts since the inception of 4C, coordinating in-kind donations, volunteer staffing and logistics of our fundraising events. She has extensive experience in large-scale project management and technical work involving master planning, capital improvement and management activities of a major park district in suburban Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois.
Nicole wrote a children's book Lucky to Be Me for her daughter Savanna, which inspired the organization's name.
Nicole Buch Wrobel
Director of Fundraising & Community Engagement
