Hailey Tran
Shriners Hospitals for Children, also known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and pediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a fraternal brotherhood that has been doing charity work for over 150 years. Shriners Children's provides medical care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. The hospitals' advertising campaign features the tagline, Love to the Rescue. One of the child spokespeople for Shriners Children's is Alec Cabacungan, a patient at Shriners Children's Chicago who has a rare genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. Alec and his family decided to participate in a commercial fundraising effort for the hospital because Shriners has helped him throughout his life. Since he started doing these ads, donations have skyrocketed. Alec's story and positive attitude have inspired many people and helped raise awareness and funds for Shriners Children's Hospitals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Alec Cabacungan |
| Age | 17 |
| Condition | Brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) |
| Number of broken bones | Over 60 |
| Number of surgeries | 18 |
| Hours of rehabilitation | Thousands |
| University | Northwestern University |
| Major | Sports broadcasting |
| YouTube channel | Smart Alec on Sports |
| Role model | Yes |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children patient | Since 2 months old |
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What You'll Learn
Who is Alec Cabacungan?
Alec Cabacungan is a leading spokesperson for Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. Cabacungan was born with a rare genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. His bones are extremely delicate, and he has broken over 60 bones in his lifetime.
Cabacungan has been a patient at Shriners Children's Chicago for 19 years, receiving treatment from his longtime physician and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Peter Smith, an expert in brittle bone disease. Shriners has helped him in every aspect of his life, and he and his family decided to participate in a commercial fundraising effort for the hospital. He has been the face of Shriners commercials for five years, and since then, donations have skyrocketed.
Cabacungan is a student at Northwestern University, majoring in sports broadcasting. He has his own YouTube channel called Smart Alec on Sports and has also appeared on TNT's NBA halftime show. He is an avid sports player and fan, and the Shriners even named a court after him. He has also interned at the White House and worked for NFL Films as a seasonal media management coordinator.
Cabacungan is grateful for the support of his parents, Alma and Gill, and his physician, Dr. Smith. He is hopeful for the future and wants to give back to Shriners Hospitals, providing hope and inspiration to other children like him.
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What is Shriners Hospitals for Children?
Shriners Hospitals for Children, commonly known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and paediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a Freemasonry-related organisation. The first Shriners Children's hospital opened on 16 September 1922, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to provide orthopaedic care during a polio epidemic. Today, there are 22 Shriners hospitals across North America.
The hospitals provide care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Treatment areas cover a wide range of paediatric orthopaedics, including scoliosis, limb discrepancies, clubfoot, hip dysplasia, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Three Shriners hospitals provide spinal cord injury rehabilitation that is developmentally appropriate for children and adolescents, with adventure and adapted sports programs, activity-based rehabilitation, aquatherapy, animal-assisted therapy, and other programs. Four hospitals (Boston, Galveston, Cincinnati, and Sacramento) provide care for children with burns, as well as treating skin conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa and toxic epidermal necrolysis. The Boston, Chicago, Shreveport, Galveston, Springfield, and Portland hospitals also provide treatment for craniofacial conditions, especially facial clefts. The Sacramento hospital is the only one in the Shriners system to focus on burns, orthopaedics, and spinal cord injuries, as well as research.
In addition to providing medical care, Shriners Children's is committed to conducting research to improve treatments and quality of life for children, as well as increasing the worldwide body of medical and scientific knowledge. Shriners Children's provides educational opportunities for medical professionals, including medical residents and fellows, nurses, physical, recreation, and occupational therapists, speech and language pathology, psychologists, social workers, and child life specialists.
Shriners Children's provides transportation to its hospitals free of charge for patients and their families. Patients are treated until they turn 18, and in some cases, until they turn 21.
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Why was Alec chosen?
Shriners Hospitals for Children, also known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and other pediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a Freemasonry-related organization. Shriners Children's provides care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.
Alec Cabacungan, born with osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease, has been a patient at Shriners Children's Chicago since he was two months old. He has broken more than 60 bones in his lifetime and has undergone numerous surgeries and hours of rehabilitation. Despite his condition, Alec is an ambitious young man with a passion for sports and broadcasting. He started a YouTube channel called "Smart Alec on Sports" and even made an appearance on TNT's NBA halftime show.
Alec's journey and positive attitude caught the attention of many, including producer and director Tracy Trost, who handpicked him to be one of the spokes-kids for Shriners Children's. Alec and his family were approached by the hospital administration when he was in sixth or seventh grade, and they enthusiastically agreed to participate in a commercial fundraising effort. Alec's feisty personality and his ability to connect with other children have made him an effective ambassador for the hospital.
Since becoming a spokesman, Alec has appeared in numerous advertisements, sharing his story and expressing his gratitude for Shriners Children's. He has helped raise awareness and funds for the hospital, with donations skyrocketing since the start of his ad campaign. Alec's role as a spokesman has also given him a platform to pursue his dreams and inspire other children facing similar challenges.
Alec's selection as a spokesman for Shriners Children's was a natural choice given his personal connection to the hospital and his inspiring story. His positive attitude, resilience, and ambition have not only helped raise awareness and funds for the hospital but have also provided hope and mentorship to countless children facing their own struggles.
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How has Alec helped Shriners?
Shriners Hospitals for Children, branded as Shriners Children's, is a pediatric healthcare system with 22 hospitals across North America. It was founded in 1920 and has been devoted to providing high-quality specialty medical care to children and their families, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.
Alec Cabacungan, born with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), has been part of the Shriners family since he was two months old. He has been the face of Shriners Hospitals for Children as a national spokesperson for the past 10 years. Through a series of commercials over the past seven years, Alec has asked people to donate generously to the hospital network and has helped raise awareness of the care and support that Shriners provides.
Alec has appeared in countless ads, praising the doctors, nurses, surgeons, and physical therapists at Shriners. He has also shared his own experiences as a patient at Shriners, having been treated there for his rare genetic disorder, which causes his bones to break easily. Alec has broken over 60 bones in his lifetime and has undergone physical therapy at Shriners to help manage his condition.
As a patient ambassador, Alec has helped to give hope to other children with similar experiences and has raised awareness of the importance of specialized pediatric healthcare. By sharing his story and his positive experiences at Shriners, Alec has helped to promote the hospital's mission and has likely helped to raise funds and support for the organization.
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What is it like to be treated at Shriners?
Shriners Hospitals, also known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and other paediatric medical facilities across North America. The hospitals are owned and operated by Shriners International, a Freemasonry-related organisation. The main emphasis of the hospitals is to provide medical care to children, from infancy to the age of 18, or sometimes 21, regardless of the family's ability to pay. Treatment areas cover a wide range of paediatric orthopaedics, including scoliosis, limb discrepancies, clubfoot, hip dysplasia, and juvenile arthritis, as well as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and other neurological conditions.
The hospitals also provide treatment for children with craniofacial conditions, burns, and skin conditions. The Sacramento hospital is unique in that it focuses on burns, orthopaedics, and spinal cord injuries, as well as research, and has its own orthotics and prosthetics lab. Shriners Hospitals also offer educational materials and assist in training physicians and other medical professionals in the treatment of orthopaedic disabilities and burn injuries.
Transportation to the hospitals is often provided free of charge for patients and their families by Shriner-drivers, also known as Hospital Tripsters, across the country, by van or airplane. The hospitals are supported by the Masonic Shriners International fraternity and funded through the Shriners Hospital for Children's endowment fund, which had assets of over $10 billion in 2023.
One notable patient of Shriners Hospitals is Alec Cabacungan, who has been a patient ambassador and spokesman for Shriners Children's Chicago. Born with brittle bone disease, Alec has been part of the Shriners family since he was 2 months old and has worked with the hospital on commercials to raise funds and give hope to other children like him.
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Frequently asked questions
Alec Cabacungan has been the spokesman for Shriners Hospitals for Children for 10 years.
Alec has a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease.
Alec has been a patient at Shriners since he was 2 months old. He has undergone 18 surgeries and thousands of hours of rehabilitation there. He credits Shriners with helping him become an adult who can live an independent life.
Alec and his family wanted to give back to Shriners Hospitals and help raise awareness and funds for the hospital and its patients.
Alec appears in ads and commercials for Shriners Hospitals, touting the doctors, nurses, surgeons, and physical therapists. He has also helped with fundraising efforts.
