Many people type “Alec Cabacungan Wikipedia” into a search bar after seeing his face on television. He is the young man from the Shriners Children’s commercials, and viewers have watched him grow up on screen for years. This article gathers the facts about his life in one place, so you do not have to jump between many pages.
Is There an Alec Cabacungan Wikipedia Page?
Because the keyword includes the word “Wikipedia,” it helps to answer this first. In the research for this article, I did not find a dedicated English Wikipedia page for him. Most of what is written about him comes from news interviews, television features, and the hospital network he represents.
Wikipedia changes all the time, so a page may be created in the future. You can search the site directly to check. Until then, this article collects the most reliable details available about his life and work.
Who Is Alec Cabacungan?
Alec Cabacungan is an American patient spokesperson for Shriners Children’s, a network of hospitals that treats children free of charge for their medical needs. He is a national patient spokesperson and a lifelong patient of the osteogenesis imperfecta program in Chicago. He is also a sports fan, a wheelchair basketball player, and a young broadcaster who hopes to work in sports media.
He was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, often called brittle bone disease. In interviews he has said he wants to be seen as more than “a kid in a wheelchair.” He wants people to see him as a smart, capable person who deserves respect.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Alec Cabacungan |
| Known for | Shriners Children’s TV commercials |
| Hometown | Oak Park, Illinois (near Chicago) |
| Birth date | Commonly reported as May 8, 2002 |
| Medical condition | Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) |
| Parents | Alma and Gil Cabacungan |
| Education | Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Oak Park River Forest High School, Northwestern University |
| Career goal | Sports broadcaster |
The birth date appears on several biography sites, but it does not come from a major news interview, so treat it as commonly reported rather than officially confirmed. It does match the ages given in news stories over the years.
Early Life and Family
Alec was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, about nine miles west of Chicago. His parents are Alma and Gil Cabacungan, who have appeared at his side in many interviews and who travel the country with him on behalf of Shriners. Several biography sites say he has three older sisters, though news interviews mention his sisters only briefly, so those details are less well confirmed.
Alec became part of the Shriners family very early in life. He has been a patient since he was two months old. His longtime doctor, Dr. Peter Smith, has explained that Alec was born with fractures and bowing in the long bones of his arms and legs. As a young child he needed splints and casts, and later he had surgeries to place metal rods inside his bones to make them stronger and straighter.
Living With Brittle Bone Disease
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic condition linked to a lack of, or a problem with, collagen in the bones. This makes bones break easily, sometimes from very small movements. One television feature explained that his bones are so delicate he could crack a rib from something as ordinary as a sneeze.
Alec has said many times that he has broken more than 60 bones in his life. He has had many operations, long periods of physical therapy, and regular clinic visits. In late 2021, his wheelchair flipped on a snowy sidewalk, and he broke his left shoulder, right knee, and left hip. The injury forced him to take a break from university while he recovered, and he later described it as a hard stretch that affected both his body and his schoolwork.
Even so, he has spoken openly about staying positive. He has said that he often feels he is competing more with himself than with anyone else. He has also said that people with disabilities are not different from anyone else and that people should expect great things from them.
How He Became the Face of Shriners Children’s
Alec’s rise to fame began when someone from the hospital’s administration asked his family to take part in a fundraising commercial. He was about 12 years old at the time, and his family agreed because Shriners had helped him in nearly every part of his life. The commercials asked viewers to donate and offered a soft red teddy bear blanket as a thank-you.
Viewers responded warmly, and donations rose sharply after people saw his appeal. Local reporting in Oak Park says he has been the face of the hospital’s campaigns since around 2014, and that the ads aired on national channels. Many of the ads also feature his close friend Kaleb-Wolf De Melo Torres, whom Alec affectionately calls his “little brother.”
Alec has also been honored by the hospital. A basketball court at Shriners Children’s Chicago was named after him, which shows how much he is valued by the staff and the families there.
Sports, Wheelchair Basketball, and Broadcasting
Sports have been central to Alec’s life from the start. He has said he bonded with his father by playing sports games at home. In sixth grade, he discovered wheelchair sports through the Chicago Park District’s adaptive sports programs, and he went on to play wheelchair basketball and wheelchair softball. He has said that this is when he truly felt like part of a team.
He began building a broadcasting career early. He set up a small TV studio in his bedroom and started a YouTube channel called Smart Alec on Sports. Over time he has attended NBA, NFL, and college games, interviewed athletes, and appeared on sports television, including a TNT appearance alongside Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson. He has also said he has met sports stars including Tiger Woods, Zion Williamson, and Brett Favre.
In 2023, he spent a summer working as an intern with the Indiana Pacers. Reports from that time described how warmly fans greeted him and how professional he was in the office.
Acting Credit
Alec also has a small acting credit. He is credited in the 2016 film Christine, starring Rebecca Hall, in the role of Stevie. He has also appeared as himself in television specials and interviews. His main public identity, however, remains that of a spokesperson and aspiring sports journalist.
Education at Northwestern University
Alec attended Abraham Lincoln Elementary School and then Oak Park River Forest High School. He has said that he had a strong support system there and did not experience bullying, and that the kids who played sports welcomed him.
He later went on to Northwestern University, where he studied journalism and sports broadcasting. He lived in a dorm and drove a specially modified van. Reports about his graduation year are not fully consistent. Several say he graduated in 2024, while one social media post mentions 2025, so it is safest to say he completed his studies at Northwestern in recent years. He has since returned to campus for wheelchair basketball events, and he recently shared an invitation to an open Northwestern wheelchair basketball session in May 2026.
Is Alec Cabacungan Alive? The Death Rumor Explained
One reason so many people search his name is a repeated rumor about his death. In March 2026, viral Facebook posts claimed that he had died after being rushed to the hospital. These claims were reported as fake, with no credible sources and no official reports of his death.
Alec has also responded to similar rumors himself. In mid-2026, he posted a video on TikTok replying to comments with a message that he is alive and well, and he continues to ask people to support Shriners. If you see a shocking claim about his health, check it against a trusted news outlet or his official social media accounts before you share it.
What About His Net Worth?
Many websites list a net worth for him, with numbers ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. These figures do not come from any verified source. No major news outlet has reported his income, so no honest number can be given. It is best to ignore these estimates.
Why His Story Matters
Alec’s story matters because it shows a young person with a visible disability being seen as a professional, a sports fan, and a future journalist, not only as a patient. He has said he would love to cover the Paralympics and one day call an NBA game or cover the Super Bowl. He has also said he wants more people with disabilities to work in sports media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alec Cabacungan on Wikipedia?
I could not find a dedicated English Wikipedia article for him. Reliable details are available from news interviews and Shriners Children’s.
What disease does Alec Cabacungan have?
He has osteogenesis imperfecta, also called brittle bone disease.
How many bones has he broken?
He has said he has broken more than 60 bones.
Where is Alec Cabacungan from?
He is from Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago.
Is Alec Cabacungan still alive?
Yes. The March 2026 death claim was reported as false.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is based on publicly available news reports and interviews, which may change or be updated over time. Some details, such as exact birth date, sibling names, and graduation year, appear differently across sources, and net worth figures online are unverified, so they are not included. This article is not medical advice and is not affiliated with Alec Cabacungan, his family, or Shriners Children’s. Please check official sources for the latest information.
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