Alex Forsyth's Story

Alex Forsyth, age 17, Papillion, NE

Alex has his sights set on becoming a doctor, and no one doubts that he will attain his goal. An extremely bright, thoroughly disciplined young man who has had primary responsibility for his own diet since junior high school, Alex has maintained excellent blood phe control despite classical PKU and a low phe tolerance. When people feel sorry for him because of the diet, he just shrugs and tells them that he really could not imagine his life any differently: "As much as they believe I have been cursed, I feel that I have been wonderfully blessed. The diet has kept me healthy and taught me responsibility in a way no ‘normal’ child can be taught. I plan to stay on my diet my entire life, not just because it was how I was raised, but because thanks to my family, it has become a part of me and of who I am."

Alex has excelled in a rigorous academic program of Honors and Advanced Placement courses, maintaining a weighted grade point average of 4.4. He is a member of the National Honor Society, participates in jazz and marching bands, and also is an excellent athlete enjoying soccer, track, and cross-country. Alex volunteers at the humane society and at a local retirement home, as well as serving as a soccer referee for city leagues.

According to one of his teachers, Alex is "bright, articulate, innately curious, and enthusiastic as a student, but also fun-loving, cheerful, and empathetic to the needs of others. He is a strong leader whom his peers respect and trust and a great role model of how to work hard, handle adversity, and persevere. He is an outstanding student who has a high work ethic and aptitude for everything that he tries."