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Alex Deranek

“Bittersweet Strong” support continues for Alex Deranek at Schmucker

Posted on September 11, 2019

We have an update on of our former Bobcat students … Alex Deranek.

For those of you who were students and families at Bittersweet last year, you may remember that the school community came together in a “Bittersweet Strong” campaign to support outgoing 5th grader Alex Deranek. In March 2018, Alex was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease, along with another of serious kidney problems. The result is that his small kidneys barely function, around 20%.

These “Bittersweet Strong” t-shirts, especially designed by teachers for Alex and his love of elephants, were sold as part of last year’s fundraiser for the Deranek family.
These “Bittersweet Strong” t-shirts, especially designed by teachers for Alex and his love of elephants, were sold as part of last year’s fundraiser for the Deranek family.

Alex was supposed to undergo a kidney transplant, donated by his father at Riley Children’s Hospital (Indianapolis) over the summer. Unfortunately, that did not happen; the hope is that Alex will eventually receive a transplant. Alex’s illness caused him to miss P-H-M’s official First Day Back to School on Wed., August 21st. 

But now that Alex is receiving dialysis at home, he was finally able to return to school to be with all of his friends! Today (Thurs., September 5) Alex has officially become a middle schooler attending Schmucker Middle School (click to see the full photo gallery below)! His 6th grade classmates, who attended Bittersweet last year with him, helped welcomed Alex back to school today by wearing their “Bittersweet Strong” t-shirts!

Alex Deranek and Friends

AnchorToday was another shining example of how Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is a family! We pull together as a community to support one another!

To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge!

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Last Modified March 18, 2026

Alex Deranek - Bittersweet Strong
Three children and an adult standing in front of a table with a sign that reads "Spartan Pride".
A group of young people wearing matching shirts with a logo, standing together in a room.
Three children posing for a photo, wearing matching t-shirts with a logo and text, standing in front of a table with a sign
A person wearing a blue t-shirt with a graphic design and text, including a logo of a grey elephant, a sign with the words
Two people posing for a photo, one wearing glasses and a black t-shirt, the other in a red shirt and glasses, smiling and
Three young girls posing for a photo, smiling and standing in front of a projector screen.
Three children posing for a photo, two wearing gray shirts with a logo and the third in a black shirt.
Three young boys posing for a photo in a school setting, standing in front of a table with chairs.
Two children posing for a photo, likely at a school event, wearing matching t-shirts with a logo and text, standing in front
A group of children posing for a photo, with one child in the center making a peace sign gesture.
Three children sitting at a table, posing for a photo. They are wearing matching t-shirts with a logo and the word "STREET".
A group of young people posing for a photo, some wearing shirts with a logo, standing in front of a wall with a logo, with a
Three young people in front of a classroom bulletin board, wearing matching t-shirts with a logo and the word "Elephant".
Two individuals standing in front of a classroom board, both wearing t-shirts with a logo and text.
Two young individuals posing together in front of a classroom setting.
Notice: This historical article was published prior to our digital accessibility standards update. It is retained in our archive for reference purposes only and may not fully meet current accessibility guidelines. If you need an accessible format, please contact the school district.