Alessandro Simpatico
Alessandro is 15-years old and currently attends Austin O’Brien High School. He lives in Edmonton with his parents, Mireille and Tony, and his younger brother Marco.
Alessandro, a very positive person, was born with kidney disease. His first surgery was when he was 10 days old. Although he has had 14 surgeries and was diagnosed with stage 4 renal failure in 2013, he will not let his challenges overcome his daily life and activities. He knows that he will require a kidney transplant in the future, which will definitely improve his quality of life.
Easter Seals has given Alessandro the opportunity to enjoy kidney Kamp every year since he was 9 years old. It allows him to be with other kids who have similar issues where he can relax and just be himself. Alessandro’s favorite camp memories are going rafting and meeting new friends, as well as reconnecting with his buddies each year.
Alessandro enjoys playing all kinds of sports, especially baseball. His favorite passions are fishing (summer and winter), camping and hunting. Of course, he loves playing video games and spending time with his family and friends. He is a true outdoors man must just like his father.
In the future, Alessandro hopes to be able to continue to enjoy spending time with family and friends and participating in all the activities he loves. He sincerely hopes that his transplant will be successful and that he can lead a happy and fulfilled life.
He would love people to be more accepting and less judgemental. He is blessed to be part of a large, loving family. According to Alessandro, “Having kidney disease is very challenging at times, but the love and support of my family helps me get through the tough time. Have a positive attitude helps you realize that life is full of great things even if you have kidney disease”.