ALEC'S STORY He now plays wheelchair sports, appears on television and is a tremendous voice for Shriners Children's everywhere he goes. With support from Shriners Children's, Alec is an active teenager pursuing his goal to become a sports anchor and broadcaster.

To learn more about the hospital's current needs or arrange a larger donation, please contact Mary McCauley, donations coordinator or call 773-385-5588.

Alec, a patient of Shriners Hospitals for Children - Chicago, has become a popular television star, been interviewed on numerous national news and talk shows, and has captured the hearts of many with his adorable smile and charming personality. Alec lives in the suburbs of Chicago, and is quite the active teenager.

You should expect us to do great things, too,” says 19-year-old TV spokesperson and budding sports broadcaster Alec Cabacungan.

Shriners have stepped forward in recent years to complain about improprieties at some of the 191 local temples affiliated with the Shrine, including the commingling of charitable and noncharitable assets and the disappearance of money raised for the hospitals.

Born with brittle bone disease, Cabacungan has been part of the Shriners family since he was 2 months old. “I hope people realize that people with disabilities aren't different than anyone else.

Shriners are members of a brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth, and dedicated to providing care for children and families in need.

Shriners Hospitals for Children - a Tampa, Florida-based healthcare system - has announced a $60 million gift from the estate of Kansas oil tycoon A.B. Hudson, the St. Louis Business Journal reports. The largest gift in the healthcare system's ninety-year history will be added to its $6 billion endowment.

"It'll be with me for my life. I'll live with it until I die." That's what brought Cabacungan to Shriners in the first place – a rare genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, better known as brittle bone disease. His parents, Alma and Gill, got the news before he was born.

Alec's Experience with Brittle Bone Disease: - Alec was born with osteogenesis imperfecta. - He has broken over 60 bones in his lifetime. - He goes to Shriners Hospital in Chicago for rehab, surgeries, and clinics.

Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. With nearly 200 local chapters and thousands of clubs on six continents, Shriners are known for their fellowship, brotherhood, compassion and generosity.

The Founding of the Fraternity Fleming, M.D., and William J. “Billy” Florence, a well-known actor, founded Shriners International in 1872. Legend has it that Florence was inspired while attending an Arabian-themed party in Marseilles, France, during a time when the mystique of the near East was fashionable worldwide.