Alec Cabacungan from Shriners Hospital Commercial is 20 years old today. Alec Cabacungan was born to parents Alma and Gill Cabacungan in 2002.
Cabacungan is widely recognized as the spokesperson of the Shriners Hospitals for Children and has appeared in various commercials for the hospital. A patient ambassador, the 20-year-old has become a TV star who has appeared on many national news and talk shows.
The spokesperson was born with a bone deformity and has been a patient in the Shriners Hospital since he was 2. Cabacungan overcame his weakness and became a national TV personality which speaks a volume for itself.
The most notable national TV appearances of Cabacungan include the guest appearance in the MasterCast Live in 2022, Young Entertainer Awards in 2021, and WGN Morning News in 2020.
Alec is now aspiring to become a sports broadcaster, says that people with disabilities aren’t different than anyone else and are perfectly capable of doing great things.
How Old Is Alec From Shriners Hospital Commercial Today?
Shriners Hospital Commercial kid Alec Cabacungan turned 20 years old. Alec was born on 8 May 2002 in Chicago.
Having just entered his 20s, Cabacungan has already established himself as a national TV personality. In 2021, Alec participated in a special interview session where he was joined by many big celebrities, including Jack Black, Ludacris, Scott Eastwood, Terry Crews, Cobie Smulders, Harry Melling, and many others.
The guests were all supporters of Shriners Children Hospital and participated in the Special Halloween Edition of Alec Presents brought to you by Spirit Halloween.
The TV star was only two years when he first visited the Shriners Hospitals for Children, and there he has undergone 18 operations and thousands of rehabilitation hours. Now, Cabacungan lives a fully independent life and even has a driving license.
Cabacungan has desired to become a sports broadcaster since a young age. To realize his goal, the teenager is studying sports broadcasting at Northwestern University.
Alec Cabacungan is active on Instagram with 10.8K followers. You can follow his profile to learn more about his latest ventures.
Alec Was 12 When He First Appeared In The Shriners Hospital Commercial
Alec Cabacungan was a young and enthusiastic boy who made his commercial appearance for the Shriners Hospital for Children in 2014. At that time, he was studying in the sixth grade.
The first commercial featuring an interview with Alec Cabancugan came out on 14 June 2014. The commercial was made to raise funds for treating patients with deformities. The young Cabacungan requested the people for monthly donations of $19 a month, for which the donors will receive a cuddly teddy bear blanket as a thank you.
The TV star remembers someone from the hospital’s administration asking him and his parents to join a commercial fundraising campaign for the hospital. The young man decided to help the hospital and the children because he himself received help from them in every aspect of life.
Dr.Peter Smith, the doctor who has been treating Cabacungan for 19 years, said the dissemination of information in case of rare diseases allows parents and other people to work together to raise funds and awareness for research, treatment, and support groups for families. He also added that Alec had raised the awareness for Shriners tremendously because of his likable personality.
The patient spokesperson went to great lengths to promote the fundraising for Shriners and traveled to different parts of the country. Followed by his parents, Alec attended NBA, NFL, and college games across the country, promoting Shriners and displaying his sportscasting skills.
Alec Cabacungan Was Born To Parents Alma and Gill Cabacungan In Chicago
Alec Cabacungan parents Alma and Gill Cabacungan raised him in Chicago. The couple has always been positive about his gentic condition.
Cabacungan suffered from a bone disease, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), from his birth. The genetic bone disorder is a result of abnormal collagen in the bones, which causes them to break frequently and easily. As a result, young Alec has broken over 60 bones in total at different times.
The 2-year-old Cabacungan was admitted to Shriners Hospitals for Children when he was two months. There he has received intensive care and has undergone 18 operations to date.
The young Cabacungan was a man with a spirit of a fighter and didn’t let his disability hinder his personal growth. With support from his parents and the Shiners family, he completed schooling at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School and finished college at Oak Park River Forest High School.
Cabacungan Has Three Elder Sisters In His Family
Alec Cabacungan has three elder sisters Kristen, Julie, and Bella. The three sisters are very supportive of their brother and have a cordial relationship with each other.
The youngster posted a photo with his sister, Bella Cabacungan, on his Instagram on 23 November 2015 and wrote that she was his biggest fan.
In 2018, then-16-year-old Cabacungan appeared as a special guest at the 81st Oil Bowl in Texoma. During the interview, the youngster credited his sisters as his biggest supporters.
Speaking to News Channel 6, Cabacungan said his sisters are his biggest critics and supporters who helped him mentally and physically during the surgeries. The TV personality also added that his sisters helped him to understand more about the Shriners family.
On 10 January 2020, Julie shared a photo of the four Cabacungan Siblings on her Instagram. Julie has ventured into film making career and shares her professional activities on her Instagram with 1.5K followers.
Alec Wanted To Become A Sportsbroadcaster Since Childhood
Alec Cabacungan has wanted to become a Sports broadcaster since childhood. Cabacungan is studying sports broadcasting at Northwestern University.
Cabacungan is passionate about sports and wants to be involved in the game more than anything. The young sports enthusiast suffers from a bone deformity and moves around in a wheelchair. However, with the young man’s determination and intensive care from Shriners Hospital, he can live a fully independent life.
The 20-year-old completed his college at Oak Park River Forest High School and enrolled in Northwestern University with a major in sports broadcasting. The teenager lives in a dorm at the university and drives his own modified van.
The TV personality used to spend a lot of time with sports kids, and while in the sixth grade, he got involved with the Chicago Park District’s adaptive sports. The youngster played wheelchair basketball and wheelchair softball which boosted his confidence and made him feel like a part of the team.
The teenager is the patient ambassador for the Shriners Hospital Chicago and has been actively participating in fundraising commercials for the Hospital since the age of 12. Those commercials put the young Cabacungan on national television and made him a star.
Caabcungan traveled to different cities in the US and put out a word for Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Shriners Hospital. The hospital staff were well aware of Alec’s dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, so they did their best to help him find his footing.
In 2015, 2016, and 2017, NFL players visited the Shriners Hospital during a Prospect Community Visit, which allowed the patients to interact with the players first-hand. Young Cabacungan was given the opportunity to conduct interviews with the NFL Draft prospects, later featured on the NFL website.
Already a media sensation, the aspiring sports broadcaster has met his idols, including Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Zion Williamson, and Brett Favre. The teenager has the desire to cover the NBA game, the Super Bowl, and the Paralympics.
Alec Cabancugan Created A Sport Show Smart Alec On Sports
The aspiring sports broadcaster has created a web-based sports show titled Smart Alec on Sports to pursue his dream of becoming a sports broadcaster.
You can follow the aspiring broadcaster’s commentary on different sports on his website smartaleconsports.com and subscribe to keep yourself updated. Smart Alec On Sports also has a YouTube Channel where the young Cabacungan uploads video commentary about different sports and sportspersons. The channel has categorized different sports into various playlists and has 2.36K followers.
The Shriners spokesperson has a rich first-hand experience as an interviewer at a very young age. Cabcungan has traveled far and wide representing Shriners Hospitals for Children and attended many sports events, including the East-West Game, Tournament of Roses Parade, and Shriners International Imperial Session.
At the 2018 East-West Shrine Game, 16-year-old Alec was provided with the opportunity to be on-camera in the NFL Network announcer booth during the game. The youngster even got the chance to attend team practices and has been an honored speaker at many events.
Cabacungan’s love for sports encouraged him to participate in games as a young man. He received many titles, including the Shriners International Imperial Potentate’s Medallion 2017-2018 and the Most Inspirational Award at the Annual Night of Champions in 2018, which Oak Park sponsored.
The 20-year-old has also won two national awards, including the 2015 National Wheelchair Junior Basketball Championships and the 2015-2016 National Wheelchair Junior Softball Championships.