Alec’s Journey (2024)

FAQs

Alec’s Journey? ›

He now plays wheelchair sports, appears on television and attends college.

He now plays wheelchair sports, appears on television and attends college.

At Shriners Children's™, stewardship is one of our core values. Approximately 85 percent of all funds spent by Shriners Children's each year is dedicated to patient care, research, and education. We work hard to make sure your gifts are used in the most efficient and effective manner.

Alec, a patient of Shriners Hospitals for Children — Chicago, has become a popular television star and has captured the hearts of many with his adorable smile and charming personality. The Filipino American lives in the suburbs of Chicago, and is quite the active teenager. From…

St. Jude's helps children with cancer. Shriner's help children with physical disabilities.

So, Do They Get Paid? Now, onto the big question: Do Alec and Kaleb receive any money for appearing in the commercials? According to what's publicly available, the answer is most likely not. Child actors in the UK have strict regulations regarding compensation.

These days, he's focused on college at Northwestern, where he lives in a dorm and drives a specially modified van. But Cabacungan says he also wants to continue “to give back to Shriners,” to give hope to kids like him and their families.

Jude's Children's Hospital, founded by the late actor Danny Thomas and endorsed by numerous celebrities, has been slammed in a just-out report for its financial practices, and for using at least half of its fundraising on administrative and marketing tasks. It also accused the Memphis hospital of “hoarding” its funds.

We're proud that 82 cents of every dollar received goes to support the treatment, research and future needs of St. Jude.

Shriners Hospitals for Children, an organization where the practice of medicine has long been unfazed by finances, is struggling with a money crunch and may close some of its hospitals.

Where does Alec from Shriners go to college? ›

Alec Cabacungan (He/Him) is a junior at Northwestern University studying Journalism at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. After he graduates with his bachelor's degree, Alec plans to pursue his dreams of being a sports broadcaster.

Notable American Shriners include actors Mel Blanc, John Wayne, Ernest Borgnine, and Roy Rogers, Supreme Court chief justice Earl Warren, General Douglas MacArthur, and presidents Gerald Ford and Harry Truman.

On National Superhero Day 2023, the Baskin-Robbins Joy in Childhood Foundation surprised and celebrated Sebastian, a patient and local superhero at Shriners Children's Southern California, as its newest Pint-Sized Hero! Sebastian is a 14-year-old who was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta when he was an infant.

However, if a Shriners hospital is the only means of serving seriously disabled children care in the area, then it can be a good thing for a Catholic to give money specifically to support the Shriners' care of seriously disabled children.

You may recognize 16-year-old Alec from the various commercials for Shriners Hospitals for Children that have aired nationally.

Born with brittle bone disease, which means his bones can break very easily, he's found ways to live out big dreams and inspire everyone he meets. Alec's friendly smile and outgoing personality have taken him around the world as a patient ambassador for Shriners Children's™.

Alec Cabacungan (He/Him) is a junior at Northwestern University studying Journalism at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

On National Superhero Day 2023, the Baskin-Robbins Joy in Childhood Foundation surprised and celebrated Sebastian, a patient and local superhero at Shriners Children's Southern California, as its newest Pint-Sized Hero! Sebastian is a 14-year-old who was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta when he was an infant.